Our Projects
Forests are vital. We focus on sustainable forestry practices and invasive species removal.
Join us in stewarding our forests for future generations.
Sandy Mush Forest Restoration
The Sandy Mush community, located just northwest of Asheville, has a rich history of land use. Here, a patchwork of long-term farming families and newer landowners came together to recognize the challenges their landscape was facing. In the face of non-native invasive species, extreme weather, and development pressures, the Sandy Mush Coalition was formed by EcoForesters and key partners to form an action plan for the region's forest management. This was the pilot project that started it all. From our time in Sandy Mush, we knew that accessible education, forest management planning, and implementation were crucial in getting landowners engaged in active stewardship. More importantly, we saw the impact that community-based forestry has on landscape-scale restoration.
How Do You Engage a Community In A Conversation?
From our time providing forestry services in the Sandy Mush region of Western North Carolina, we knew that the rich soils and past agricultural history made for suitable conditions for Non-Native Invasive Species (NNIS). Pasture lands converting back to forest and other areas impacted by humans were opening the door for Oriental bittersweet, multi-flora rose, kudzu, tree of heaven, and other NNIS to flourish. Left unchecked, they can take down healthy trees and blanket the shrub layer of a forest, rendering it incapable of regeneration. We also have a healthy appreciation for the time, expense, and planning involved to mount a defensive and control these aggressive plants.
Knowing that this issue impacted both private and conservation lands, we set out to engage the Sandy Mush community. To seek solutions and learn more about how to help with the stewardship of an area with high conservation and cultural value. To do so, would require partners, expertise, and a group willing to identify the needs of the community and seek innovative solutions. The Sandy Mush Forest Restoration Coalition was formed by EcoForesters and our key partners, the Forest Stewards Guild and the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy. Our three groups brought together a coalition of government agencies, nonprofits, private businesses, and members of the Sandy Mush community to formulate an action plan that would sustain landowners while outwardly showing a community what was possible.
Coalition members met three times in year one to discuss the stewardship challenges facing landowners. Through those meetings, a Coalition Action Plan was written that included a vision for Sandy Mush that maintained vibrant forests, cultural heritage, and a quality of life for community residents. It also provided clear strategies to engage landowners in stewardship training and assistance while helping them meet their individual stewardship goals. Hard work was put into year one planning and we are excited about year two filled with implementation opportunities.