North Carolina's treasured mountain landscapes need our help

The Blue Ridge Parkway brings millions of visitors to Mount Mitchell, Looking Glass Falls and the most beautiful vistas and scenic overlooks in America.

As a result, driving down the Parkway feels like a trip through a national park, just what its creators intended when they built it 75 years ago. We have North Carolina's conservation efforts partially to thank for the incredible views. Since 1986, the state has purchased undeveloped parcels in western North Carolina and preserved them forever.

Preservation funds cut by 85%

In the last session, the General Assembly cut land conservation funds by 85%. It also prevented the state from purchasing threatened land along the Parkway. As a result, thousands of acres of undisturbed mountain landscape hang in the balance.

As Gov. Perdue weighed the General Assembly’s first budget draft, she received more constituent feedback regarding environmental concerns than any other aspect of the document.

As the General Assembly and governor finalized the budget, Gov. Bev Perdue received more constituent calls, emails and postcards concerning environmental issues than any other aspect of the spending plan.

Looking ahead to the next legislative session, Environment North Carolina will continue to build long-term support for conserving the Parkway’s surrounding lands, and other critical green spaces around the state.

Join our campaign, and urge your leaders to save the Blue Ridge, by clicking here.

Preservation updates

Report | Environment North Carolina

Environment North Carolina 2011 Legislative Scorecard

The scorecard tracks ten contested votes from 2011 in the House and ten in the Senate on a range of bills that have largely become law, including those that push back a key deadline in the Jordan Lake clean-up plan, remove protections for a unspoiled Western North Carolina trout stream, and drastically limit the conservation of important greens spaces across the state, such as those that surround the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Find out how your legislators voted by downloading the full scorecard.  

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News Release | Environment North Carolina

Nearly half of all legislators score a “zero” on the environment

Raleigh, NC— A record 55 representatives and 24 senators failed to cast a single contested vote in favor of the environment in 2011, a reflection of the repeated attacks waged by the General Assembly on the state’s air, water, and open spaces last year.  

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News Release | Environment North Carolina

This Earth Day, electeds and advocacy groups stand together for the environment

Raleigh--On the eve of the 41st Earth Day, with many of our core environmental laws under attack in both Raleigh and Washington, Environment North Carolina stood with U.S. Congressmen David Price and Brad Miller, along with NC Representative Jennifer Weiss, to speak out against these threats to North Carolina’s air, water, land and quality of life.

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News Release | Environment North Carolina

House budget guts critical conservation programs

RALEIGH – State conservation and environmental leaders say that the impacts of the proposed House budget would be dire for the environment—eroding protections for air quality, rivers and streams, and green spaces statewide.

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News Release | Environment North Carolina Research & Policy Center

NC falls short of goal to protect 1 million acres

Raleigh--In ten years, North Carolina has permanently protected more than 640,000 acres of parks, forests, farmlands, and such critical areas as Grandfather Mountain, Chimney Rock, and the banks of the Haw River.  Yet, according to a new Environment North Carolina study, the state fell well short of a goal set by legislators and former Gov. Jim Hunt to reach the million-acre mark by December 31, 2009.

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