Mountain Valleys News and Updates: January 2022
*You are receiving this email because you signed up for one or more of our organization's newsletters in the past.* |
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Happy New Year, and new logo! |
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Mountain Valleys Resource Conservation and Development Council (RC&D) would like to thank Engine House Design for capturing what we do in our new logo. Being an acronym that does all kinds of conservation projects is complicated, so we hope this rebranding helps. You can read more about us and what it means to be an RC&D here. |
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Mountain Valleys serves 8 counties in WNC: Madison, Buncombe, Henderson, Transylvania, McDowell, Rutherford, Polk, and Cleveland Counties. |
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The Mountain Valleys Newsletter is part of this effort to let people know who we are and what we do. We have been around since 1974, but we are still a little local non-profit that needs your support! In the past you may have received newsletters from our Wildfire Mitigation and Ivy River Partners programs. In this new newsletter we will give you brief updates about all our programs in one place. |
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We have a lot of exciting projects and cost-share opportunities lined up for 2022, so please forward this newsletter to anyone who is also interested in these topics: water quality, flood resiliency, stormwater projects, energy efficiency, solar power, watershed protection, septic repair assistance, wildfire mitigation around their home, miscanthus control, streambank repairs, prescribed fire, planting along streams, or river clean-ups. |
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The Ivy River Watershed serves as a drinking water supply source for the Town of Weaverville and a backup source for the Town of Mars Hill. Sections of the river are federally listed as impaired due to the presence of fecal coliform bacteria. |
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Envisioning a voluntary approach to natural resources management, Mountain Valleys formed the Ivy River Partners in 2013. Consisting of the Madison and Buncombe County Soil and Water Conservation Districts, the two Towns, and the US Forest Service, the partners meet bi-annually to support efforts for improving the Ivy River Watershed. |
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Mountain Valleys has raised and managed over $1.5 million for Ivy River Partners, putting projects on the ground that include septic repairs, Agricultural BMPs, stormwater BMPs, stream restorations, water quality monitoring, and education. Learn more here. |
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Shade Your Stream provides technical and cost share assistance for landowners to stabilize eroding streambanks with native plants. Mountain Valleys has funding available for landowners in our 8 county service area (see map). |
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Riparian buffers, or vegetated streambanks, are a key component to clean water. They filter pollutants, reduce erosion, increase habitat, and reduce the impact of flooding. Fill out our form to sign up for the program! |
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We are happy to announce our Energy Conservation Assistance Program (EnergyCAP), has received its third Tobacco Trust Fund grant since 2008. Initially, this cost-share program assisted with just solar photovoltaic (PV) projects. Over the years, other types of energy saving projects have been added in response to individual farm energy needs. Our goal is to install low maintenance projects that make farms more energy efficient and reduce bottom-line operating costs. EnergyCAP has been a welcome and needed resource for WNC farmers seeking to transition into a cleaner future that is also more economically sustainable. |
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This new funding opportunity, combined with grants from the NC Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund and USDA-Rural Energy for America Program, comes very close to covering all the project costs for farms interested in significantly reducing their energy bill. |
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Not a farm? Small businesses are also eligible for the USDA Renewable Energy Development Assistance (REAP) Grant that covers 25% of project expenses. More information on EnergyCAP and resources for cost-saving energy upgrades can be found on our website, or at www.energycap.org. |
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Did you know there were over 2,800 wildfires in North Carolina last year, totaling to 8,422 acres burned? Wildfires happen in North Carolina too; more often than most people realize! 80% of wildfires in NC are human caused. When people live in or near forested, fuel-heavy areas (also known as the WUI - Wildland Urban Interface), their wildfire risk increases. |
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In the right conditions (dry, windy) excess fuels such as shrubs, dead leaves, and fallen pine needles allow fires to burn hotter, larger, longer, and faster, making them more difficult and dangerous to manage. There are many ways residents in WNC can reduce their wildfire risk! Thinning vegetation within 100 feet of their home. Clearing gutters and roofs of debris. Choosing low flammability plants, such as Wild hydrangea or Sassafras rather than highly flammable vegetation, such as rhododendron and mountain laurel, to have closer to your home. |
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A lot of these mitigation tasks serve double purposes. For example, removing dead vegetation from your gutters not only improves your gutter’s ability to navigate water properly and effectively, but it also eliminates an opportunity for an ember to set fire to your house. Thinning “mid-story” vegetation in your woods decreases fuel build up but also opens the forest floor for native plants to thrive and wildlife habitat. Making your home less vulnerable to wildfire also makes firefighters’ jobs easier and safer. They can focus more on managing the fire where it is instead of putting their focus on clearing fuels around your house. Check out a video of a mitigation workday held at a camp in McDowell County in our blog post linked below. |
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Wildfire Mitigation In ActionSix agencies across Western North Carolina gathered on December 16, 2021 at Camp Grier in McDowell County to reduce hazardous fuels around 4 camp structures. This created defensible space against potential wildfire ignition around the structures. Teams cut vegetation that was 4-6" within 30 feet from the Hemlock dining hall, Dogwood cabin, Rhododendron cabin, and Holly cabin. |
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Raising awareness and taking action can build community resilience - with wildfire and other emergency events. Mountain Valleys can guide you and your community through this process of planning and preparedness using various resources: + Community presentations and demonstrations + Wildfire risk home assessments + Evacuation planning + Our Mitigation Tool Cache (link): borrow tools to reduce your wildfire risk – for free! + Mitigation Cost-Share Assistance: Mountain Valleys offers cost-share assistance to residents in our 8-county region. We will reimburse residents 50% of the cost to implement wildfire mitigation tasks through hiring a contractor or renting equipment: cleaning gutters and roofs, tree and brush thinning and pruning, and dead vegetation removal. Find more information on how to apply for reimbursement for mitigation projects here.
Check out our Forest page for more resources on wildfire preparedness and other forest resources. Or email our Forest Program Manger at jen.haas@mountainvalleysrcd.org. |
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To learn more about us and what we do, visit our website by clicking Mountain Valley's logo below. |
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