Southside story: Bid awarded in contentious timber project

Five years after it first proposed the controversial Southside Timber Project, the U.S. Forest Service has awarded a timber bid to cut the first 98 acres of 317 acres to be harvested — earning sharp criticism from environmental groups who say the project will destroy rare old-growth forest. 

‘A Herculean feat’: Forest Service aims to satisfy objections in last round of plan revisions

A decade of meetings, hearings, comments, debate and disagreement over the future of the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests culminated in a three-day meeting marathon last week that aimed to resolve hundreds of objections over the plan’s handling of everything from old growth to drinking water.

A grand opportunity for the USFS and partners

The USFS recently released the final version of the forest management plan for the Pisgah and Nantahala National forests  After almost 10 years of adapting to the new 2012 Planning Rule, which mandated public participation and stakeholder collaboration, the fruits of their labor are finally released. And everyone is grumbling. Well, not everyone, but most people are saying the USFS didn’t do enough to protect the special places in the forest. My take is a little different in that everyone is grumbling a little, which usually spells compromise. 

Decade in the making: Forest Service releases long-awaited 
Pisgah-Nantahala forest plan 


A decade after convening the first meetings to discuss the impending process, the U.S. Forest Service has released a semi-final version of the plan  that will govern management of the 1.04-million-acre Pisgah and Nantahala national forests for the next 15 to 20 years.

A new chapter for Max Patch: Forest Service issues two-year camping ban for iconic bald

Following an explosion of use at Max Patch, the U.S. Forest Service is prohibiting camping and fires on the iconic site, among other new restrictions now in effect for the next two years. 

Masking rules take effect on public lands

On Jan. 20, President Joe Biden issued an executive order requiring coronavirus prevention protocols — including mask-wearing — on all federal lands and buildings. Now, management teams at National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service lands are deciding how to implement the new requirement locally. 

A.T. trailheads to open in four states

Appalachian Trail trailheads and access points on U.S. Forest Service lands in the Southeast will reopen on Friday, May 22.

National forests lift fire restrictions

Forestwide fire restrictions have been lifted in the Nantahala and Pisgah national forests, with campfires now allowed as of Wednesday, May 13.

Draft forest management plan released

After more than six years of work, a draft forest management plan for the Pisgah-Nantahala National Forest is now available.

Cold Mountain fire grows, rain predicted

The Cold Mountain Fire is still burning in Haywood County, with a helicopter flight measuring it at approximately 126 acres as of noon today.

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