Mortimer Trails Project will increase forest sustainability

Community, Press Release
Mortimer Trails Project
On November 23, 2020, the Pisgah National Forest’s Grandfather Ranger District approved the Mortimer Trails Project. Planned in coordination with local partners, this project will increase the sustainability of the trail system and add 10 additional miles of mountain biking and hiking trails to the Wilson Creek Area in Caldwell and Avery Counties.
This decision is the culmination of years of community-driven collaboration and volunteer work. In 2015 the Grandfather Ranger District began a partnership with the community of local mountain bike users and volunteers to improve maintenance of Wilson Creek trails. Over the next 5 years an amazing amount of volunteer effort went into maintaining those trails. This volunteer work was made possible through a strong partnership with the

Northwest NC Mountain Bike Alliance, a chapter of the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association (SORBA). Under this partnership, users saw restoration of some of their favorite area trails, including Woodruff Ridge and the “21 Jumps” section of the Wilson Ridge Trail.
Through these maintenance efforts, work began to formally assess needs for changes to the current trail systems, building off the needs identified in the 2013 Nantahala and Pisgah Trails Strategy. The strategy identified issues to address within the Mortimer area trails complex in order to provide sustainable trail experiences into the future. Specifically, the lack of connected mountain biking trails was highlighted as a need.
“The trails in Wilson Creek have long been loved by most who ride there for being the way they are,” said Paul Stahlschmidt, trail coordinator for the Northwest North Carolina Mountain Bike Alliance. “But there is a need for some changes, and this plan will make them even better.”
In 2018, the Northwest North Carolina Mountain Bike Alliance and the US Forest Service engaged stakeholders and users to gather feedback through a series of community meetings that focused on the vision of trail development in the area. From these visioning sessions three key goals emerged: (1) creating a more connected network of mountain bike trails to provide a better experience for users (2) relocating poorly aligned trail segments where there is resource damage to protect the health of the Wilson Creek Watershed, and (3) expanding trailhead access in sustainable locations.
In addition to the mountain bike community, a larger group of partners contributed to the project. These partners represent the local community of users, hiking groups, and watershed protection organizations working in the Wilson Creek area. Organizations include the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, Friends of the Mountains to Sea Trail, Trout Unlimited, and Wild South.
“The Mortimer Trails Project is a great example of how we can do more together,” said Lisa Jennings, Recreation and Trails Program Manager for the Grandfather District. “The partners put the hard work into making this project a reality. We are excited to bring more mountain bike trails and provide a better experience for users in this special piece of Pisgah.”
Work will begin this winter to construct new sections of trail on Yancey Ridge, Schoolhouse Ridge, and Jackson Knob Trails. This work is funded through a Santa Cruz Bicycles PayDirt Grant awarded to the Northwest NC Mountain Bike Alliance and a NC Recreation and Trails Program Grant awarded to the Grandfather District.
Additional work will take place on surrounding USFS roads through a partnership with Trout Unlimited.

Pisgah National Forest to begin reopening trails and roads

Outdoors, Press Release
Pisgah

The Pisgah National Forest will begin to reopen many trails and roads and partially lift restrictions for dispersed camping May 14, using a site-by-site approach, including assessment of facility cleanliness, maintenance status, and health and safety of recreation areas. Facilities and services may remain limited at some sites.

Popular recreation areas that will reopen include, but are not limited to:

• Catawba Falls, TR 225
• Brown Mountain Off Highway Vehicle Area
• Black Balsam Road, FSR 816, and associated trails
• Bent Creek Road, FSR 479 and most trails and trailheads

For a complete list of trails, roads, and recreation areas that are reopening please visit www.fs.usda.gov/goto/pisgahreopenings. The few roads that remain closed, are only closed to motorized vehicles, non-motorized use is allowed.

Restrictions on dispersed camping will be lifted for the entire Appalachian Ranger District. Dispersed camping restrictions will also be lifted for the Grandfather Ranger District with the exception of overnight camping within the Linville Gorge Wilderness Area on the weekends, which requires a permit. For the month of May, the Forest Service will not be issuing these permits. Dispersed camping restrictions remain in place for the Pisgah Ranger District. These decisions were made in coordination with county and local partners to ensure the safety of the public and employees.

Visitors can expect restrooms to remain closed and trash services to continue to be suspended. Please pack out what you pack in and remember to use Leave No Trace Principles.

Forest Service staff will continue to perform risk assessments to determine which recreation areas can resume operations in accordance with county and local partners and current public health guidance.

The Forest Service’s highest priority is ensuring the safety of the public and their employees while supporting mission critical functions. Please review current recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention along with local and state guidelines for social distancing and cloth face coverings.

For additional information please contact the Appalachian Ranger District at (828) 689-9694; Grandfather Ranger District at (828) 652-2144; Pisgah Ranger District at (828) 877-3265; Supervisor’s Office at (828) 257-4200.

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