Sades Carroll

Western North Carolina (WNC) is home to more than 4,000 plant species and thousands of animal species that live on the land. The region is home to around 1.5 million residents and to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited national park in the country, with 11.5 million visitors. It is a place of natural beauty visited during all seasons of the year and includes many endearing locations like the Biltmore Estate, a popular landmark that has thousands of weddings and banquets. The Blue Ridge Parkway holds over 100 different overlooks and hiking trails within the North Carolina portion of the parkway. There are around 500 natural waterfalls, which attract many tourists who take hikes to see them. The mountains are a beautiful and widely loved area of the Carolinas, but branches of the federal government continue to demonstrate little regard for environmental preservation with subpar aid for natural disasters. 

Hurricane Helene hit Western North Carolina in late September 2024, bringing one of the most destructive storms the region has seen. Around 108 storm-related deaths were documented, while major landfall and road collapses affected the state. I-40 was a major issue, with the interstate collapsing during the storm and then falling again during the reconstruction. Many people went missing during the storm, with schools not going back into session for weeks or even months. Towns like Chimney Rock were essentially wiped out as bridges, roads, and businesses were washed away by excessive flooding. Water supplies were contaminated with dangerous levels of bacteria, leading to boil-water advisories for citizens in the area. The damage and recovery costs are estimated to be in the realm of $59.6 billion. Yet within the first year following the storm’s landfall, the federal government had only allotted $3.3 billion for recovery efforts through FEMA and the Department of Transportation. FEMA moved slowly in aiding the disaster and funding recovery efforts, while state government officials continued to request additional funds and organizations contributed to relief efforts by delivering supplies and materials to devastated neighborhoods. Communities across the region gathered as many supplies as possible to donate to those most impacted by the storm. Although students were eventually allowed to return to school, many people were still missing. Today, nearly two years later, many towns are still coping with the effects of Hurricane Helene.

The Roadless Rule was created in 2001 to protect the 58.5 million acres of land found within the National Forests of America. 1.6 million public comments from concerned citizens were taken into account to help implement the rule. This rule protected natural water sources, kept natural habitats intact, and limited industrial interventions within specific wild areas in an effort to reduce the impact of climate change. In August, the Trump administration proposed a rule to remove the protections for wild areas provided by the Roadless Rule.  Government officials assert doing so would give individual national forests and grasslands more flexibility to address wildfire risk. Others posit that doing away with these protections would negatively impact the wildlife of the areas and cause habitat loss for many species within the forests. Repealing the Roadless Rule will lift nationwide protections on 45 million acres of forests, giving free rein to either businesses or generic companies that will significantly impact the environment. 

The mountains are one of the most beautiful parts of this country; they deserve as much appreciation as any other place. I grew up in the mountains, where class trips were often a hike or a camping trip. We were taught the beauty of the natural world and how to respect the living beings that had it before us. When we were old enough to drive, the first thing we did was go to the parkway and watch the sunset over the mountains and trees. It wasn’t a skyline that made it that memorable; it was the reminder that we could call it home and still not know everything inside of it. If you want to make your voice heard on the treatment of the mountains of Western North Carolina and the National Forest System, you can use this government public comment source to express your opinion on the policy proposed by the USDA. Help protect the lands of Western North Carolina for the animals and people that call it home!