Forest Service Comments - I Heart Pisgah

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD

The Forest Service has released a final draft of their 30-year forest plan. Now more than ever, the Forest Service needs to hear from you! A flood of public comments are needed to ensure that all of the most important recreation and conservation areas in Pisgah are adequately protected. This public comment period is our last chance to protect Pisgah's iconic trails, watersheds, old-growth forests, rare species, scenic views, and recreational opportunities. Complete the form below, and your comments will be sent to the Forest Service leaders making the final decisions.

Please review the content below. This is what will be sent to Forest Supervisor James Melonas and Planning Team Leader Michelle Aldridge. Please feel free to edit or add your own comments.

Dear Forest Service, I support the Craggy Mountain Wilderness and National Scenic Area. The entire Craggy-Big Ivy section of Pisgah National Forest should be permanently protected as an 8,693-acre Wilderness and 16,000-acre National Scenic Area. The Craggy-Big Ivy section of Pisgah National Forest is home to the wildest and most important recreation and conservation lands in the East. It shelters over 4,000 acres of old-growth and at least 44 rare and endangered species. Craggy-Big Ivy is also home to waterfalls and world-class recreation—and it’s located only 15 miles from downtown Asheville. The complete 8,693-acre Craggy-Big Ivy Wilderness and 16,000-acre Craggy National Scenic Area have unanimous bipartisan support from the Buncombe County Commissioners and the City of Asheville. The complete Wilderness also is endorsed by the Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Partnership. In addition, the complete Craggy Mountain Wilderness and National Scenic Area are supported by a broad and diverse coalition of over 100 organizations, dozens of Buncombe County businesses, and thousands of local supporters. The complete Craggy Mountain Wilderness and National Scenic Area will permanently protect the panoramic viewsheds from Craggy Gardens, the most popular and most photographed spot along the entire Blue Ridge Parkway. It also will protect one of the largest old-growth forests in the East and iconic trails like the Mountains to Sea Trail. Its pristine headwaters are home to native trout and part of the protected watershed of the Ivy River, an important tributary of the French Broad and the drinking water source for the cities of Weaverville and Mars Hill. Craggy has globally significant botanical, zoological, geologic, scenic, and recreational resources that are currently underrepresented across the Pisgah-Nantahala National Forest. The Craggy Mountain Wilderness and National Scenic Area offers some of the best opportunities for primitive recreation and solitude in Pisgah National Forest, with rugged, remote peaks surrounded by 100,000 acres of contiguous wildlands. The North Carolina Natural Heritage Program has identified over 3,000 acres of the Craggy Mountain Wilderness and National Scenic Area for highest priority protection, and it has been highlighted by The Nature Conservancy as one of the most important core forests in the Southern Blue Ridge. Already, the Forest Service has received more comments supporting permanent protections for Craggy than any other area in the Pisgah-Nantahala National Forest. I applaud the Forest Service for recognizing the rare and special natural heritage of the Craggy-Big Ivy Forest and for recommending stronger protections for this area. In the final plan, I ask the Forest Service to expand its wilderness recommendations to 8,693 acres as endorsed by the Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Partnership. I also ask that the special interest area acreage include the entire 16,000-acre Craggy-Big Ivy Forest, including Coxcomb Mountain, Snowball Mountain, and Shope Creek. Thank you for the opportunity to comment.

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD

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