Why Western North Carolina
Western North Carolina
Western North Carolina is home to a large portion of the Southern Appalachians and some of the wildest forests in the east.
Many of the forests in western North Carolina are free from roads that fragment habitat for plants and wildlife. They also are home to more than 2,000 kinds of plant and 700 kinds of animals.
The Nantahala-Pisgah National Forest occupy much of western North Carolina — covering over one million acres. These are the only two national forests in the state, and are within a days’ drive of more than one-third of the nation’s population.
Why Western North Carolina
The forests of Western North Carolina are a national treasure — attracting millions of visitors each year and helping to provide clean drinking water to local communities. Yet, they face many threats.
Work We Are Doing
Only 68,000 acres in the Nantahala-Pisgah National Forest are permanently protected. We're working to protect other portions of these vulnerable forests from logging and other pressures through our North Carolina Mountain Treasures Campaign.
Our Partners
With help from local partners, we’re able to do much more for the western North Carolina forests of the Greater Smokies region.
mywilderness
Hear artists, activists and adventurers share what the ownership and legacy of these American wildlands means to them.
Why Wilderness
Wilderness is a precious resource with many human, natural and economic benefits that we need to protect.
Join Us
Our precious wild places are being lost at the rate of 6,000 acres per day. You can help save America’s last remaining wilderness by joining The Wilderness Society with a gift of $35 or more today!
Monday, May 20, 2013National Trails Day on Saturday June 1st provides numerous opportunities to hike, run, and horseback ride on a trail near you.
Thursday, May 16, 2013Visit us in the Eco-Village at this summer’s Dave Matthews Band concerts.
Thursday, May 16, 2013It is a haven for geology lovers as water and erosion has exposed millions of years of deposited sedimentary rock. Recreationists of all kinds are awed by its natural sculptures: rock formations, canyons, mesas and gorges.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013Yet, here we are, with people and the government unable to stop furloughs, job losses, and lower revenue to keep the government functioning. Our public lands have certainly not been spared from this indiscriminate budget ax.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013But Alaska’s Sen. Lisa Murkowski refused to accept that decision. She and residents of the tiny community of King Cove are fighting to have the decision overturned.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013Birdwatchers travel from far and wide to northwest Colorado to see male sage-grouse strut their stuff in hopes of attracting a mate. Early spring is prime season to catch these timid grouse dancing on the lek and shaking their tail feathers through organized tours.
Smart Steps to Establish a Responsible Program for Renewable Energy on Public Lands
Since its first day in office, the Obama Administration has made rapid and responsible expansion of renewable energy a top priority. The public lands have played a major role in achieving early goals, but only because of focused effort to correct decades of inattention and inactivity toward developing renewable energy as a major component of the nation’s energy mix.
Expanding energy development to meet the growing needs of America must be balanced with protecting vital wild places.
The Wilderness Society has launched a new quarterly report "By The Numbers" to track how many acres of American land have been protected by Congress and the Executive branch, and how many acres have been leased out to energy development.
April 24, 2013
Dear Senator:
Monday, May 20, 2013Gov. Sean Parnell’s plan to ask the Alaska Legislature for $50 million to look for oil and gas in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is incompatible with the reasons the refuge was established, and would cause significant harm to a vital and irreplaceable American landscape.
Friday, May 17, 2013A draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) for the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area and Dominguez Canyon Wilderness near Grand Junction, CO would improve land management efforts and provide a sustainable path for the area over the next 20 years.
Thursday, May 16, 2013The Wilderness Society today applauded the U.S. Senate for passing the Rio Grande del Norte National Conservation Area Establishment Act out of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
The Rio Grande del Norte National Conservation Area Establishment Act (S. 241) – sponsored by Tom Udall (D-NM) and co-sponsored by Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) – would protect as wilderness roughly 13,500 acres of the Cerro del Yuta and 8,000 acres of the Rio San Antonio areas.