A costly, destructive, unnecessary four-lane road is on the fast track to completion in rural, mountainous Western North Carolina. The highway would cut through steep and scenic mountains, establishing a new route through the Stecoah Valley and across Cheoah Mountain.

With a price tag of $378 million (or $38 million per mile), the cost of this project cannot be justified in light of its meager transportation benefit. Although economic development serves as the justification for this project, one can think of better ways to invest what amounts to $42,000 per Graham County citizen without destroying the mountains that have defined this region for generations.

You can stop this destructive and unnecessary project!

Voice your concerns – submit written comments or questions to the following address:
Ed Lewis, Public Hearing Officer
NC Department of Transportation
Human Environment
Unit 1598, Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1598
Phone: 919-431-6585

Your voice is crucial in changing the destructive direction of this project. Learn more by visiting www.wayssouth.org.

In October, the Forest Service announced it would close most trails in the Tellico Off-Road Vehicle (ORV) area, concluding a years-long process to improve water quality in the headwaters of the Tellico River. ORV use will no longer be allowed anywhere in the area.

In 2007, Wild South and our partners took steps to sue the Forest Service for failing to meet federal law and its own standards to protect the Tellico watershed from pollution caused by excessive ORV use in the area. In response, the agency undertook an extensive study to determine whether the Tellico area could be brought into compliance.

Wild South focuses on the protection of public lands.  Unlike private lands public lands are owned by each of us.  Our government is intrusted to manage these lands for the public good.  While public lands are managed in a variety of ways they all play a critical role in providing important resources such as clean air, clean water, wildlife, and recreation. Our public lands are incredibly valuable to each of us for a variety of reasons.  At Wild South we work to ensure that these special places are managed properly.  We are a voice for the public and work to inpsire and empower people to protect and restore our public lands.

The Federal Public Lands of the Southeastern United States we protect include the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and eleven National Forests totaling more than 5 million acres.