MountainTrue, an environmental advocacy organization, has secured a substantial $750,000 grant to broaden its efforts in debris removal and river restoration across the region. This development marks a significant boost in the group’s mission to preserve local waterways.
The funding arrives just three months after MountainTrue received a $10 million grant from the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ).
Originating from the WNC Recovery and Resiliency Fund, this grant, backed by the Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s Truist Foundation, aims to facilitate the group’s expansion into the French Broad and Nolichucky watersheds in Eastern Tennessee. These areas were heavily impacted by Hurricane Helene.
“The rivers don’t end at the state line,” stated John Stamper, River Cleanup Coordinator for MountainTrue. “A lot of stuff washed out of North Carolina and made its way all the way down into Tennessee. We’re really grateful to be able to engage in and take care of that.”
Previously, financial support from NCDEQ has enabled MountainTrue’s river cleanup initiatives, which employ 79 displaced workers to rehabilitate regional river systems, including those within the Qualla Boundary.
To date, the organization’s efforts have resulted in the removal of over 4 million pounds of debris from several rivers, including the Broad, French Broad, Catawba, Green, North Toe, Rocky Broad, South Toe, Swannanoa, and Watauga.
The newly acquired funds will allow MountainTrue to continue its cleanup operations for an additional two years and to deploy technical crews skilled in navigating challenging whitewater sections.
