Honorable Members of Congress

United States Senate

United States House of Representatives

Washington, DC 20515

Dear Members of Congress,

 

As the representatives of recreation and tourism-dependent businesses affected by the health of our national forests, we strongly urge your immediate leadership in Congress to ensure the designation of the Grandfather National Scenic Area. We support  community-based campaigns to protect threatened wild habitat, especially where outdoor enthusiasts recreate. The communities of Western North Carolina have demonstrated strong support for permanent protections within the Ranger District. We urge you to  consider the broad support for this designation as private citizens, public officials and, now, local, regional, and national  businesses have all expressed a strong desire to protect this vulnerable stretch of forest.

 

The Grandfather National Scenic Area would help preserve the very best of this region, setting aside 25,000 acres of scenic vistas and robust recreational opportunities  that only intact, healthy forests can provide. Our customers depend upon our national forests for unparalleled wilderness experiences, but those opportunities are rapidly disappearing as timber practices expand across our public lands. We believe that  the current federal timber program is incompatible with the needs of our customers. The Pisgah National Forest is one of the most heavily visited national forests in the United States, providing a recreational outlet for millions of our customers. The recently proposed Globe Forest Timber Sale reflects a substantial step in the wrong direction.

 

Just south of Blowing Rock, N.C., and adjacent to Julian Price and Moses Cone Parks, lies the Globe Forest, a popular recreational destination for residents of nearby Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Asheville, and Boone, N.C. The Forest Service has proposed to log over 210 acres of the Globe Forest, which contains trees over 300 years old. We insist that forests of such caliber be managed for their recreational and scenic value, not for timber extraction. Logging projects like the Globe project will have widespread impacts on the scenic and recreational resources of the Pisgah National Forest. Cuts will be visible from the community of Blowing Rock, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and Grandfather Mountain. Those who venture into the forest will encounter an unnatural landscape, neither inviting nor appealing to those who choose to recreate in our national forests. The scenic and recreational resources in Western North Carolina support our businesses; destroying these resources will have a long-term impact on local communities, regional users, and, ultimately, businesses like ours.

 

Success in the business world depends on good information and sensible planning. Public policy should be no different. By designating the Grandfather National Scenic Area, Congress will ensure that recreational users will get to enjoy all that the Pisgah National Forest has to offer for generations to come. This, in turn, will protect our business interests and the recreation and tourism-dependent economy of Western North Carolina.

 

Sincerely,