dancewater: July 2017

UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR BY DANCEWATER

07/31/17 ASHEVILLE HOLDS DISPARITY STUDY MEETINGS

The city of Asheville will hold two meetings to gather public input for its ongoing Disparity Study. Conducted by the BBC Research & Consulting firm, the study will look at the percentage of contract dollars the city has spent with minority- and women-owned businesses since July 2012, as well as future spending projections. Public input sessions are schedule from 10 AM to noon and 6 to 8 PM. The location is TD Bank Building, first floor conference room at 200 College Street in Asheville. Call 828-259-8050 for more information.

08/01/17 VETERANS FOR PEACE VIGIL - BECAUSE THE WARS STILL GO ON

Every Tuesday, Veterans for Peace Chapter 099 holds a vigil at Vance Monument in downtown Asheville. Time is 5 PM. This has been happening since 2002. No matter the weather, no matter if it falls on a holiday, they are out there standing for peace. Last year, our former president dropped 26,000 bombs on seven different countries. The current president seems to be trying to match or beat that horrible record. Meanwhile we are banning refugees from those countries we have destroyed. Show you are publicly against our country's endless wars and occupations by standing with Veterans for Peace.

08/01/17 CURRENT EVENTS BOOK CLUB

Join host Bruce Roth for a lively discussion on topics of current interest including war and peace, the economy, the environment, and other hot political topics. This month’s book is “Citizen Scientist: Searching for Heroes and Hope in an Age of Extinction” by Mary Ellen Hannibal. Time is 7 PM and location is Malaprops. Contact Malaprops for more information.

08/01/17 ASURJ CALLING IN SESSION

Tuesday, August 1, 6:30-8 PM. ASURJ calling In session. Join us for another night of role-playing difficult conversations and practicing SURJ's core value of "calling in" versus "calling out." Our leader David is especially focused on moving us into less discussion and more role-playing! Let's practice these difficult conversations to prepare us to be better agents of change, racial justice accomplices, and dismantlers of white supremacy. We meet downstairs in the main building of the UU congregation of Asheville (corner of Edwin Place and Charlotte Street). Easiest to enter through the playground gate. If you enter upstairs, just come downstairs. No contact information.

08/01/17 REPRESENTATIVE MCHENRY TOWN HALL MEETING

2017 Congressman McHenry Town Halls: Please come voice your concerns. Buncombe County Town Hall on August 1st at 2 PM at Land of Sky Shrine Club at 39 Spring Cove Road in Swannanoa. There are some more dates in more counties that are further away from our area. Contact McHenry’s office for more information.

08/02/17 REPRESENTATIVE MCHENRY TOWN HALL MEETING

2017 Congressman McHenry Town Halls: Please come voice your concerns. Polk / Rutherford County Town Hall on August 2nd at 6 PM at Rutherford County Schools, Cold Springs Administrative Offices, 382 West Main Street in Forest City. There are some more dates in more counties that are further away from our area. Contact McHenry’s office for more information.

08/02/17 CITIZENS-POLICE ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING

This meeting is organized by the City of Asheville. This meeting is free and open to the public. They meet in the first floor Conference Room at the Public Works Building at 161 South Charlotte Street in downtown Asheville. Time is 5 PM. Call 251-1122 for more information.

08/02/17 SIERRA CLUB MEETING

Sierra Club August 2: Can Science Save Us from Climate Change and from Ourselves? Join us on Wednesday, August 2, when the Sierra Club presents "Can Science Save Us from Climate Change and from Ourselves?” Location: Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place (corner of Charlotte and Edwin). Time: 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Robert Cabin, Professor of Ecology & Environmental Studies at Brevard College, will discuss the power and limitations of science to address climate change. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Judy Mattox, judymattox@sbcglobal.net, (828) 683-2716.

08/02/17 DEFEND NET NEUTRALITY

Defend Net Neutrality. August 2 @ 5:30 pm - 6:00 pm. This week’s Beer & Politics letter-writing event is focused on Net Neutrality. Under the leadership of Trump-appointed Chairman Ajit Pai, the FCC is poised to cancel the Open Internet rules put in place in 2015, ironically labeling his new rule ‘Restoring Internet Freedom’ The original Net Neutrality order was designed to protect the public from broadband providers. Under the order they cannot block, slow down, or in any way interfere with information traveling through their wires. Without this regulation, big telecom companies will be free to create fast and slow lanes, censor what you can see, and extort money for participation. Join with other activists and concerned citizens and make your voices heard. Drop by any time after work between 5:30 and 6:30 or so to write and call our representatives and to send our comments to the FCC. We’ll supply the postcards, stationery, envelopes, stamps, and fact sheets. This event is at The Block off Biltmore on South Market Street in Asheville.

08/02/17 GRAND JURY RESISTANCE WORKSHOP

Wednesday, Aug 2nd @ 7:00 pm at Firestorm Coffee & Books. Grand Jury Resistance Workshop. As North Carolina rallies to support grand jury resistor, Katie Yow, it is vital to learn just what a grand jury is and what tools of resistance our communities have against them. This workshop is meant to demystify a legal process that relies on secrecy, paranoia and suspicion as methods to tear political resistance communities apart. One of our strongest weapons around this tactic of state repression is knowledge alongside bold acts of solidarity! Come hang out with us for a couple of hours, learn about grand juries and how you can support those who resist them in North Carolina and beyond. This workshop is presented by Josie from Scuffletown Anti-Repression Committee. Josie has done movement defense work for almost a decade. They recently wrapped up long-term legal support and anti-repression organizing at Standing Rock, where they worked to resist the grand jury convened against Water Protectors. Currently they're working on J20 support and grand jury resistance support. Time is 7 PM and location is Firestorm Coffee & Books at 610 Haywood Road in west Asheville. Contact Firestorm at info@firestorm.coop for more information.

08/02/17 ASHEVILLE ISO MEETING

This Wednesday, August 2 the branch will meet from 6:30-8:00 PM at Greenlife grocery cafe. The following is our proposed agenda. The politics of the ISO, and ongoing discussion of the ISO's ‘Where we stand’ pamphlet. Paul D'Amato explains why the self-emancipation of the working class is the key to socialism. In a talk from Socialism 2012 Emily Giles takes up the question ‘why the working class?’ in relation to socialist principles and strategies. Also, discussion of our plans for two important events coming up in August, the campus kickoff and the Leninism day school. For more information (including links to reading materials), contact Asheville Socialists at asheville.socialist@gmail.com.

08/03/17 ADVOCACY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

“Effective Advocacy for Environmental Justice” lunch with Thomas Lodwick of the Southern Environmental Law Center. Thursday, August 3, 12-1:30 p.m. Location is First Congregational UCC, 20 Oak Street, Asheville. Please join the Creation Justice Network of the United Church of Christ, Creation Care Alliance of WNC, and First Congregational UCC for a brown-bag lunchtime discussion by SELC attorney Thomas Lodwick on the most challenging environmental issues facing our state today, and ways in which we can become more effective advocates for the environment, through powerful public testimony and smart communication with our North Carolina representatives and lawmakers. Contact Creation Care Alliance for more information.

08/03/17 ENERGY, PROSPERITY, AND FAITH

“Energy, Prosperity, and Faith - Connecting the Dots” by Daniel Vermeer, Ph.D.- Duke University. August 3, 6:30 p.m. Location is First Congregational Church UCC at 20 Oak St, Asheville. Energy in its various forms powers modern life, and is tightly connected to our prosperity. The global demand for energy - and the resources that produce it - seems insatiable, yet the supply and use of these resources is constrained by a bewildering array of physical, economic, environmental, infrastructural, social, and political factors. As we think about creating more sustainable energy systems, it is helpful to consider how we have evolved to our current state, and what choices we must make as we consider our energy future. These choices are inherently ethical and spiritual. The purpose of this talk is to highlight the connections between our faith and our energy choices, and consider how our faith might inform the evolution of our energy systems. Daniel Vermeer, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of the Practice of Energy and Environment at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and director of Duke's Center for Energy, Development, and the Global Environment (EDGE). He is lead contributor to policy documents issued through the World Economic Forum, World Business Council for Sustainable Development, and the United Nations Foundation. Contact Creation Care Alliance for more information.

08/03/17 DEMOCRACY NC PLANNING MEETING

Join us for our August Planning Meeting on Thursday, August 3, at 6 p.m. to plan events for August in Asheville! This is the regular monthly planning meeting where core folks will come together to help chart-out and plan events for the next month. We'll discuss events and priorities already on the calendar and things that will be added, including information about the upcoming voter registration deadline and get out the vote initiatives! This meeting is for folks who want to help lead our work by contributing as planners, facilitators, etc. Where: Wesley Grant Center, 285 Livingston St, Asheville. RSVP to let us know you'll be there! For more information, including how to RSVP, please contact JaNesha Slaughter at (704)493-2042 or jslaughter.demnc@gmail.com.

08/06/17 ANNIVERSARY OF THE BOMBING OF HIROSHIMA

08/08/17 VETERANS FOR PEACE VIGIL - BECAUSE THE WARS STILL GO ON

08/08/17 OCCUPY WNC MEETINGS

The non-partisan group meets every 2nd and 4th Tuesdays at the Sneak E Squirrel in Sylva. The next meeting is August 8th at 7:00 PM in the restaurant’s Community Room. Supper beforehand at 6:00PM. OccupyWNC has worked for economic and social justice in WNC since 2011. Newcomers and visitors are welcome. For more information, contact Lucy at (828)743-9747 or lucy.christopher42@gmail.com.

08/08/17 LAND OF THE FREE? IMMIGRANT JUSTICE MOVEMENT

Land of the Free? The Immigrant Justice Movement in the South. August 8 @ 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm. This educational symposium, produced by Indivisible AVL’s Immigration Action Team, is an excellent opportunity for learning about the issues affecting our local immigrant communities and ways you can help. Featured speaker Azadeh Shahshahani, of the Atlanta-based nonprofit Project South, will give an overview of immigration policy in the United States and look at the issues immigrant communities are facing in Western North Carolina. As the Legal & Advocacy Director for Project South, Shahshahani brings over 10 years of experience in anti-Islamophobia work and defense of human rights in the immigrant justice movement. Her work at Project South has launched new programming based in local, regional, and global initiatives. Azadeh has worked in the Southeast to protect the human rights of immigrants and Muslim, Middle Eastern, and South Asian communities. Joining Shahshahani will be Alan Ramirez, a community organizer for the local non-profit Compañeros Inmigrantes de las Montañas en Acción (CIMA). CIMA focuses on connecting, strengthening and organizing communities to take action for the rights of immigrants in Western North Carolina. His work in WNC focuses on providing Know Your Rights workshops that invite folks into the movement. CIMA supports families who are caught up in the criminalization and deportation system. He works towards local initiatives of sanctuary culture, fighting the collaboration of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and police departments, and verifying license checkpoints or ICE activity. An open discussion will follow the speakers. Spanish translation will be available. For more information, email our Immigration Action Team at immigration@indivisibleavl.org.

08/09/17 ANNIVERSARY OF THE BOMBING OF NAGASAKI

08/09/17 LAST CHANCE TO SAVE NET NEUTRALITY

Last Chance to Save Net Neutrality. August 9 @ 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm. This week’s Beer & Politics letter-writing event is focused on Net Neutrality. Under the leadership of Trump-appointed Chairman Ajit Pai, the FCC is poised to cancel the Open Internet rules put in place in 2015, ironically labeling his new rule ‘Restoring Internet Freedom.’ The original Net Neutrality order was designed to protect the public from broadband providers. Under the order they cannot block, slow down, or in any way interfere with information traveling through their wires. Without this regulation, big telecom companies will be free to create fast and slow lanes, censor what you can see, and extort money for participation. Join with other activists and concerned citizens and make your voices heard. Drop by any time after work between 5:30 and 6:30 or so to write and call our representatives and to send our comments to the FCC. We’ll supply the postcards, stationery, envelopes, stamps, and fact sheets. The cut-off date for FCC comments is August 17th! After the rule is voted on by the FCC, if passed, it will head to the US Senate and then House of Representatives. Senator Tillis has already co-authored a bill called the Restoring Internet Freedom Act (S.993) along with 8 other senators. Senator Burr is silent now about how he views it. Rep. McHenry has come out against Net Neutrality in general, but Rep. Meadows is silent on the matter, so he needs to be pushed. If you can’t make it Wednesday, be sure to write and call Senators Burr and Tillis and your congressional rep, McHenry or Meadows. And send your comments to the FCC by August 17th.

08/10/17 VICTIMS OF AGENT ORANGE COMMEMORATION DAY

08/10/17 VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVE

Join us at at Wesley Grant Center for a Community Voter Registration Drive in Asheville on August 10 to register voters. Training will be provided on site, and all necessary information and materials will be provided. When: Thursday, August 10th, from 4:00-6:00 p.m. Where: Wesley Grant Center at 285 Livingston St., Asheville. RSVP to let us know you'll be there! For more information, including how to RSVP, please contact Edward Peters at 336-601-9534 or edwardpeters@democracy-nc.org.

08/12/17 VOTER REGISTRATION TRAINING

Voter Registration Training on Sat-12 August 2017 from 1:00pm – 2:30pm. Where: Arthur R. Edington Education & Career Center, 133 Livingston St, Asheville. Help build a movement! Join us for a Voter Registration Training on August 12 at 1:00 PM. Non-partisan voter registration training. We'll cover how-tos, critical ‘tips’ and send you home with your own Voter Registration packet. For more information, including how to RSVP, please contact Edward Peters at 336-601-9534 or edwardpeters@democracy-nc.org. Special appreciation for our non-profit votes partners: YWCA of Asheville, the Residence Council of Asheville, the Campaign for Southern Equality, and the Asheville-Buncombe NAACP.

8/14/17 TRANSITION ASHEVILLE AUGUST SOCIAL

Time: 6:30 – 8:00 PM. Place: St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, 337 Charlotte St. Asheville, NC 28801 (on street parking). Transition Asheville Social: Growing Food in Public Spaces - Edible Landscaping in the Commons with Dylan Ryals-Hamilton. Description: Parks, greenways, right-of ways, even the areas around public buildings need landscaping and maintenance. We already budget for this, so why not grow something useful in these spaces? How about something tasty and nutritious, made available to all? In Asheville and beyond we have seen a GROWING interest in fresh, local food, and for many good reasons. Can the concept of “Food Not Lawns” be applied in the commons? Dylan Ryals-Hamilton, a professional “Transitioneer” and local permaculture teacher, will discuss the probable positives (and potential preventable pit-falls) for participatory and productive public plantings of particularly palatable produce. Come learn how local governments, nonprofits, civic groups, and individuals can engage in planting and maintaining a more abundant and nutritious urban landscape for current and future generations. We will discuss the recent local history of urban edibles initiatives, as well as next steps and promising upcoming projects and ways to get involved. Contact: Rebecca at (812-334-0176) or palmtree747@gmail.com for more information.

08/15/17 VETERANS FOR PEACE VIGIL - BECAUSE THE WARS STILL GO ON

08/15/17 VETERANS FOR PEACE MEETING

On the third Tuesday of each month, Western North Carolina Veterans for Peace meets to coordinate group activities and programs.Veterans For Peace is a global organization of Military Veterans and allies whose collective efforts are to build a culture of peace by using our experiences and lifting our voices. We inform the public of the true causes of war and the enormous costs of wars, with an obligation to heal the wounds of wars. Our network is comprised of over 140 chapters worldwide whose work includes: educating the public, advocating for a dismantling of the war economy, providing services that assist veterans and victims of war, and most significantly, working to end all wars. Time is 6:30 PM and location is the Center for Art and Spirit at Saint George, address is One School Road in west Asheville. For more information, contact Gerry at gwerhan@gmail.com.

08/15/17 VOTER REGISTRATION TRAINING

Voter Registration Training on Tue-15 August 2017 from 7:00pm – 8:30pm. Where: YWCA of Asheville, 185 S French Broad Ave, Asheville. Help build a movement! Join us for a Voter Registration Training on August 15 at 7:00 PM. Non-partisan voter registration training. We'll cover how-tos, critical tips, and send you home with your own Voter Registration packet. For more information, including how to RSVP, please contact Edward Peters at 336-601-9534 or edwardpeters@democracy-nc.org. Special appreciation for our Non-Profit Votes partners: YWCA of Asheville, the Residence Council of Asheville, the Campaign for Southern Equality, and the Asheville-Buncombe NAACP.

08/17/17 DOCUMENTARY SCREENING ON EXTINCTION

Documentary Screening: Racing Extinction w/ Special Guest, Leilani Munter, at 6 PM. The Block off biltmore is proud to announce the screening of the award-winning film, “Racing Extinction”. One of the stars of the film, race car driver and activist Leilani Münter, will be joining us, as well as Asheville Vegan Outreach and MountainTrue. The event is free to the public, but please RSVP as seats will fill up fast. In Racing Extinction, a team of artists and activists exposes the hidden world of extinction with never-before-seen images that will change the way we see the planet. Two worlds drive extinction across the globe, potentially resulting in the loss of half of all species. The international wildlife trade creates bogus markets at the expense of creatures that have survived on this planet for millions of years. And the other surrounds us, hiding in plain sight a world that the oil and gas companies don't want the rest of us to see. Using covert tactics and state-of-the-art technology, the Racing Extinction team exposes these two worlds in an inspiring affirmation to preserve life as we know it. From the Academy Award Winning Filmmakers of “The Cove”. For more information, contact The Block Off Biltmore.

08/19/17 VOTER REGISTRATION CANVASING

Voter Registration Canvasing on Sat-19 August 2017 from 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm. Community Canvasing. Contact Darlene Azarmi (darlene@democracy-nc.org) for details.

08/19/17 VOTER REGISTRATION TRAINING

Voter Registration Training on Sat-19 August 2017 at 10 AM. Where: YWCA of Asheville, 185 S French Broad Ave, Asheville. Help build a movement! Join us for a Voter Registration Training on August 19 at 10:00 AM. Non-partisan voter registration training. We'll cover how-tos, critical "tips," and send you home with your own Voter Registration packet. For more information, including how to RSVP, please contact Edward Peters at 336-601-9534 or edwardpeters@democracy-nc.org. Special appreciation for our Non-Profit Votes partners: YWCA of Asheville, the Residence Council of Asheville, the Campaign for Southern Equality, and the Asheville-Buncombe NAACP.

08/21/17 DEMOCRACY ASHEVILLE COALITION MEETING

Please join us for the next Democracy Asheville Coalition Meeting at the Wesley Grant Center on August 21st, at 6 p.m. Join us for our regular monthly coalition meeting for updates on the latest voting rights news and plan our next steps for the fall. Where: Wesley Grant Center at 285 Livingston St, Asheville. Please RSVP to let us know you're coming. Contact Darlene Azarmi at 828-216-3430 or darlene@democracy-nc.org with questions and information on how to register. What is the Democracy Asheville Coalition? Our Local Coalition brings together organizational representatives and individuals who agree to work together to change and use the political system so it equips people to take action, promotes grassroots leadership, and serves "the good of the whole." We want an elections process that is accessible, fair, and secure. And we want a government "of, by, and for the people," that fosters equity, solidarity, and justice.

08/22/17 VETERANS FOR PEACE VIGIL - BECAUSE THE WARS STILL GO ON

08/22/17 OCCUPY WNC MEETINGS

The non-partisan group meets every 2nd and 4th Tuesdays at the Sneak E Squirrel in Sylva. The next meeting is August 22nd at 7:00 PM in the restaurant’s Community Room. Supper beforehand at 6:00PM. OccupyWNC has worked for economic and social justice in WNC since 2011. Newcomers and visitors are welcome. For more information, contact Lucy at (828)743-9747 or lucy.christopher42@gmail.com.

08/23/17 LUNCH & LEARN AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY SERIES

Buncombe County Lunch & Learn - African American History Series. Don’t miss this African American History in Buncombe County lunch and learn series featuring three great local speakers. This free lecture series will feature: July 25 - Dr. Darin Waters presenting the history of African American education in Asheville and WNC; August 23 - County Commissioner Al Whitesides presenting the wage gap and historical wealth disparities in the African American Community; September 27 - Dr. Sharon West presenting the access and availability of health care for African Americans in Buncombe County. Come learn more about the history of the African American community in Buncombe County-- the challenges, the triumphs and the future of our community. The lecture series will be held from Noon till 1:30 p.m. on each of the dates listed above at the Stephen's Lee Community Center (30 George Washington Carver Avenue in Asheville) free of charge with everyone welcome.

08/23/17 ASURJ ACCOUNTABILITY THROUGH ACTION MEETING

Wednesday, August 23, 6-9 PM. Gather for a potluck, SURJ & Racism 101 education, and a presentation from this month's accountability partner, the Asheville Racial Equity Institute chapter. Organizers of Asheville's REI trainings will share about this powerful workshop and why it inspired them to increase the amount of available workshops in the area. Hear reflections from REI participants and leaders and learn about ways to support this important work through your time and resource sharing. Our grassroots reparations collection will go benefit the scholarship program of REI. Meeting in Sandburg Hall at the UU congregation of Asheville, corner of Edwin Place and Charlotte Street. Bring a dish to share. For more info, contact avlsurj@gmail.com.

08/23/17 VOTER REGISTRATION TRAINING

Help build a movement! Join us for a Voter Registration Training on August 23 at 6:00 PM. Non-partisan voter registration training. We'll cover how-tos, critical tips, and send you home with your own Voter Registration packet. Where: Edington Center at 285 Livingston Street, Asheville. RSVP to let us know you'll be there. For more information, place contact Edward Peters at 336-601-9534 or edwardpeters@democracy-nc.org. Special appreciation for our Non-Profit Votes partners: YWCA of Asheville, the Residence Council of Asheville, the Campaign for Southern Equality, and the Asheville-Buncombe NAACP.

08/25/17 JUST PEACE FOR ISRAEL/PALESTINE MEETING

This meeting will be at 3:15 PM at Brooks-Howell Home on Merrimon Avenue in Asheville. Meet in the International Room. Contact Beth at elizakeiser@aol.com or 828 707 4271 for more information.

08/26/17 WOMEN’S EQUALITY DAY

Congressional Joint Resolution of 1971 declared August 26 of every year Women's Equality Day commemorating not only the passage for the 19th Amendment, but the continuing effort towards full equality. Visit the National Women's History Project page for more information.

08/27/17 WNC SOLIDARITY CONCERT SERIES

The final Sunday of each month in 2017, two groups of WNC-based musicians and their ensembles will each perform a benefit concert to raise funding for WNC nonprofits. The music performed each week will fluctuate between jazz, rhythm & blues, soul, jazz funk, jazz fusion, and swing. Each event will host two groups, playing, consecutively between 3 and 5 PM with a brief intermission. All of proceeds go to the nonprofit organization. The nonprofit for today is the WNC Green Building Council. Act 1 is Ryan Barber and Friends and Act II is Drayton Aldridge. Location is The Block Off Biltmore at Eagle and South Market Streets in downtown Asheville. Suggested donation is $10, and are available the day of the event. Please call The Block Off Biltmore for more information.

08/28/17 TOWN HALL FOR REPRESENTATIVE MEADOWS

From Progressive Organized Women: please mark your calendars. Mark Meadows finally has a real town hall on Friday August 28h at Bo Thomas Auditorium, 180 West Campus Drive at Blue Ridge Community College. It is from 6:00- 8:00 pm.

08/29/17 VETERANS FOR PEACE VIGIL - BECAUSE THE WARS STILL GO ON

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ONGOING EVENTS

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TUESDAY

Veterans for Peace have a weekly vigil at 5 PM at Pack Square, Vance Monument during most of the year, but after standard time kicks in, they meet at 4:30 PM.

Showing Up for Racial Justice Do!scussion at Firestorm Coffee & Books at 610 Haywood Road in west Asheville. 10 AM-11:30 AM. Followed by Do!sessions from 11:30-1:30 PM.

Rally at historic Courthouse in Hendersonville at 5 PM on the first Tuesday of the month. Organized by the Progressive Organized Women.

WEDNESDAY

Haywood Peace Vigilers have a weekly vigil at 4 PM at Haywood County Courthouse in Waynesville

French Broad Riverkeeper has a paddle-n-plant to prevent sediment erosion most Wednesdays and Saturdays. Registration required at anna@mountaintrue.org.

Green Drinks meets at 7 PM at The Block Off Biltmore on the third Wednesday of the month.

Sierra Club meets at 7 PM at Unitarian Universalist in Asheville on the first Wednesday of the month.

THURSDAY

Political Prisoners Letter Writing at Firestorm Coffee & Books at 6 PM on first Thursday of the month. Materials provided.

Welcome Home Tour by Homeward Bound on the third Thursday of the month at 11 AM. Call 258-1695 for more information.

Asheville Prison Books Program is held at Downtown Books & News from 4 to 7 PM.

FRIDAY

Women in Black have a weekly vigil at noon at the City Hall in Hendersonville.

SATURDAY

French Broad Riverkeeper has a paddle-n-plant to prevent sediment erosion most Wednesdays and Saturdays. Registration required at anna@mountaintrue.org.

Mountain True holds urban forest workdays on the second Saturday of the month at Richmond Hill Park from 9 AM to 1 PM. Call 258-8737 for more information.

Citizen’s Climate Lobby meeting at 12:30 PM at Kairos West Community Center on second Saturday of the month.

Food Not Bombs serves free vegan/vegetarian food every Saturday at noon at Pritchard Park.

Dances of Universal Peace on the third Saturdays at 7:30 at 1 School Road in Asheville.

SUNDAY

Asheville National Organization for Women meeting at 2:30 PM at YWCA of Asheville on second Sunday of the month.

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ACTIONS AND READINGS

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FROM MOUNTAIN TRUE:

As part of the Nantahala-Pisgah National Forests Plan revision process, the U.S. Forest Service will hold open house events across the region from late June to early August to provide the public with opportunities to talk with Forest Service staff about local issues, district projects, and the forest plan revision.

If you care about Western North Carolina’s national forests, enjoy our beautiful mountain vistas and hiking trails, or playing in the many streams and swimming holes within Pisgah and Nantahala, this is your opportunity to talk directly with Forest Service staff one-on-one about how the forest will be managed for the years to come.

Each District Open House will highlight the areas within that district. District rangers and members of the Forest Plan revision team will be available to discuss the materials each of the following days and locations:

• July 25, 3-6 p.m.: Appalachian Ranger District at Appalachian District Office, 632 Manor Road, Mars Hill.

• July 25, 3-6 p.m.: Cheoah Ranger District at Cheoah District Office, 1070 Massey Branch Road, Robbinsville.

• August 8, 3-6 p.m.: Tusquitee Ranger District, Brasstown Community Center, 255 Settawig Rd, Brasstown

If you are not able to attend the open house events, please email or mail your specific concerns to forest service representatives. Send comments to NCplanrevision@fs.fed.us with the subject line: “Geographic and Management Area building blocks,” or by mail at the following address:

Attn: Plan Revision Team Leader,

National Forests in North Carolina

160 Zillicoa St., Suite A

Asheville, NC 28801

The Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests have been revising their Forest Plan, a required document that provides a general framework to guide management of the Forests. As part of the process, 30 public meetings have been held in communities throughout western North Carolina.

Over the past year, the Forest Service has been releasing pre-draft plan materials on the National Forests in North Carolina website. Additional materials are posted to the site’s Plan Revision Under Construction page as they become available.

Here are MountainTrue’s assessments based on the current pre-draft plan materials:

Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests in general:

There are many special places that are in the wrong management area and lack the amount of protection they require. In particular, Daniel Ridge, Cedar Rock Mountain, Upper Santeetlah Creek, Ash Cove, Tellico Bald, Snowball Mountain, Lickstone Ridge, and dozens of smaller natural areas are not protected by the forest plan. The Bartram Trail, Benton McKay Trail, Art Loeb Trail, and Mountains-To-Sea Trail lack a management area that would preserve the special character of these long-distance hiking trails. They should be designated as special corridors, similar to the Appalachian Trail and the Trail of Tears which have such protection.

We are pleased by the creation of a new Special Interest Area in Big Ivy, though it should cover all of Big Ivy, and not just a portion of it.

By Ranger Districts:

• Grandfather Ranger District: Linville Mountain should be placed in backcountry management. The Upper Creek Gorge/Sugar Knob Backcountry area should be expanded. The Upper Wilson Creek Backcountry area should be expanded.

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• Appalachian Ranger District: Snowball Mountain, Coxcombe Mountain, and Shope Creek should be included in the Craggy Mountains/Big Ivy Special Interest Area.

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• Pisgah Ranger District: Upper Courthouse Creek, Daniel Ridge, Cedar Rock Mountain, and upper Lickstone Ridge should be placed in backcountry Management to protect their remote character and the species that depend on them.

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• Nantahala Ranger District: All of Panthertown Valley and Flat Creek should be in backcountry management. Tellico Bald, Siler Bald, and Fish Hawk Mountain should be placed in backcountry management. The backcountry area around Terrapin Mountain should be expanded to 4,000 acres. Corbin Knob, Hench Knob, and Chunky Gal Mountain should be Special Interest Areas.

• Cheoah Ranger District: Upper Santeetlah Creek should be a Special Interest Area or backcountry area.

• Tusquitee District: Gipp Creek should be placed in backcountry management. The Unicoi Mountain backcountry area should be expanded.

We encourage you to turn out and speak up for protecting these natural areas of our forests. We will have staff at each of these open house events and we look forward to meeting you there.

Sincerely,

Bob Gale

MountainTrue Ecologist and Public Lands Director

FROM SIERRA CLUB:

The Nantahala-Pisgah Forests need your help

Please contact the Forest Service by Aug 31 (addresses at end) to provide input on the development of the revised Nantahala Pisgah National Forest plan. In general, the preliminary draft treats the vast majority of the forest as being the same, (which would technically allow for timber cutting), and it doesn’t recognize many special places that are important for backcountry recreation, exceptional biodiversity, old growth, and connectivity.

management. The backcountry area around Terrapin Mountain should be expanded to 4,000 acres. Corbin Knob, Hench Knob, and Chunky Gal Mountain should be Special Interest Areas.

Below are MountainTrue’s recommendations based on the current predraft plan materials with specific comments suggested to make regarding each area of the forests. Please personalize what you know, love, and recommend about the forests.

• Tusquitee District: Gipp Creek should be placed in backcountry management. The Unicoi Mountain backcountry area should be expanded.

By Ranger Districts:

• Grandfather Ranger District: Linville Mountain should be placed

in backcountry management. The Upper Creek Gorge/Sugar Knob Backcountry area should be expanded. The Upper Wilson Creek Backcountry area should be expanded.

• Appalachian Ranger District: Snowball Mountain, Coxcombe Mountain, and Shope Creek should be included in the Craggy Mountains/Big Ivy Special Interest Area. ( We are pleased by the creation of a new Special Interest Area in Big Ivy, though it should cover all of Big Ivy, and not just a portion of it.)

The national forest planners say they’re open to adjusting the plan based on public feedback, and that’s why we need you to speak up for the values that are important to you.

• Nantahala Ranger District: All of Panthertown Valley and Flat Creek should be in backcountry management. Tellico Bald, Siler Bald, and Fish Hawk Mountain should be placed in backcountry

• Cheoah Ranger District: Upper Santeetlah Creek should be a Special Interest Area or backcountry area.

Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests in general:

Email: NCplanrevision@fs.fed.us with subject line “Spring 2017 material Plan Building Blocks”

Mail: Attn: Plan Revision, National Forests in North Carolina, 160A Zillicoa St. Asheville, NC 28801