 Asheville conservation groups and the staff of Warren Wilson College explore research and restoration in Riceville's Shope Creek Forest.
Photo by Chris Joyell, Wild South.
Riceville, NC – The Forest Service yesterday announced its decision to reduce the number of acres to be logged in the Shope Creek Project. The agency will also explore collaborating with nearby Warren Wilson College on a number of research and restoration projects for Shope Creek.
Conservation Groups, Warren Wilson College Explore Collaborative Research and Restoration Projects with Agency
In April of last year, the Forest Service announced their plans for the Shope Creek Project, which is located in Riceville, five miles east of downtown Asheville in the Appalachian District of the Pisgah National Forest. The original proposal included plans to log 68 acres of forest, clear five miles of roads, and improve public access to the national forest. The announcement drew over 270 comments from members of the public.
At the community's request, Wild South assisted residents and forest users last year to develop a Community Alternative proposal, which they submitted to the agency in July. Other Asheville-based groups--including the Southern Environmental Law Center, Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition, Western North Carolina Alliance, and WildLaw--made significant contributions to the alternatives submitted. The Forest Service ultimately incorporated the Community Alternative as one of three possible scenarios for the Shope Creek Project. In yesterday's decision, the agency scaled back its original proposal, dropping 22 acres of hardwood logging, while designating 123 acres of old growth forest, which removes those acres from logging activities in the future. "We were pleased to see the Forest Service incorporate some of the objectives of the Community Alternative our groups submitted last year," said Chris Joyell, a spokesperson for Asheville-based conservation group Wild South. "Neither side dug their heels in--instead we worked with the agency to find some common ground while trying to meet the needs of the community." "Collaboration between the Forest Service and the community is the future of public lands management," said Stan Cross, a Riceville resident and long-time user of Shope Creek. "It is time to stop butting heads and begin building trust, one tract of forest at a time." The conservation groups also assisted in bringing together the Forest Service and Warren Wilson College to explore collaborating on a number of research and restoration projects in Shope Creek. "We are very pleased that we were able to facilitate what we hope will become a long-term relationship that results in solid research and innovative approaches that benefit all forest users," said Doug Ruley of the Southern Environmental Law Center. "I am very interested in the possibility of developing the Shope Creek area as a long-term research and education site for the forestry and ecology students at Warren Wilson College," said Dave Ellum, Professor of Sustainable Forestry at Warren Wilson College, in his comments to the agency. "Shope Creek itself would benefit the most, through a collaborative stewardship initiative that would take the best that my college, [the Forest Service] and interested public parties have to offer."
Contacts:
Chris Joyell, Wild South – 828.258.2667;
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Doug Ruley, Southern Environmental Law Center - 828.258-2023;
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Ben Anderson, Warren Wilson College - 828.771.3758;
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