Catawba River reporting – Carolina Public Press

This is my story that appeared on 4/25/18 in Carolina Public Press about the Catawba River and conservation efforts throughout the watershed.

Photo Credit: Angie Newsome and CPP

 

Sierra Club Magazine – Big Ivy

My story on the Big Ivy in the Pisgah National Forest. This appeared in the Sierra Club’s magazine.

https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/slideshow/north-carolina-needs-more-wilderness

Photo: Steven McBride

CPP – Lost Cove and Harper Creek Wilderness Study Areas

Here’s my most recent story on the Pisgah-Nantahala National Forest management plan revision. This one looks at the future of Lost Cove and Harper Creek WSAs that are coveted by wilderness advocates and mountain bikers.

Wilderness protection for coveted trails divides cyclists, conservationists

 

AT Journey’s magazine – energy infrastucture

Here’s my latest story in AT Journey’s magazine that discusses the Appalachian Trail Conference’s emerging energy infrastructure policy.

Energy Equilibrium

 

French Broad River Feature – WNC Magazine

Here’s a link to the cover story of the May/June issue of WNC Magazine about the French Broad River.

https://www.wncmagazine.com/feature/french_broad

Audio Story: National Forest Management

From Carolina Public Press:

Forty-two thousand: As of Nov. 16, that’s the count of the number of acres burned in forest fires spread across Western North Carolina this fall.

Six large fires were located within the national forests across the mountains, alone, while others have been spread across state lands. In the short term, families and individuals, classrooms and communities have mobilized to help the firefighters working to contain the blazes.

But, concerned with the relative long-term future of the national forests, some have been mobilizing for more than a year. Advocates, conservationists, forest watchers, business owners and outdoors enthusiasts and residents have also been working to help shape a U.S. Forest Service plan setting out what will happen to the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests for the next two decades. It’s an effort not without controversy.

Here, in the latest installment of Carolina Public Press’s ongoing special report, Forest Lookouts, lead environmental contributor Jack Igelman reports on the effort, which, when complete, will set the course for more than 1 million acres of public national forest lands spread across nearly every WNC county, not only as the region struggles to contain the fires, but also for years to come.

https://soundcloud.com/carolinapublicpress/pisgah-and-nantahala-national-forests

AT Journeys Mag: Black Bear

Here’s a recent story I wrote for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s magazine about Black Bears.

 

Forest Service in home stretch on draft revised plans

From Carolina Public Press, May 12, 2016:

James Melonas, deputy supervisor of the National Forests in North Carolina (NFsNC) office addressed a crowd of Forest Service colleagues at an April national training in Denver to share his thoughts on the ongoing Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests plan revision effort in Western North Carolina.

His message: be transparent and build trust.

“Really focusing on relationships and engaging folks as early as possibly well before the revision starts is critical,” Melonas said.

Melonas hopes his office’s approach to both will pay off as his agency prepares to release two vital documents in the multiyear planning process:

• the draft revised forest plan
• the draft environmental impact statement.

Read the article here.

WNC Magazine – The Long Run

Read my story on four long distance runners from Western North Carolina in WNC Magazine’s May/June 2016 issue.

 

AT Journeys: An Appalachian Trail Greenway

My recent story in AT Journey’s magazine about large landscape conservation in the Appalachian Trail corridor.

Article link: A Playground and a Living Ground ATJ Spring 2016