Create the Craggy Mountain Wilderness and National Scenic Area

The United States only has ten national scenic areas. Craggy could become the country’s eleventh.

A coalition of hikers, farmers, mountain bikers, business leaders, hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts are leading a campaign to create the Craggy Wilderness and National Scenic Area in the Appalachian Mountains of Western North Carolina.

The Craggy Wilderness and National Scenic Area will permanently protect 16,000 of ancient forests, waterfalls, trout streams, world-class trails, and panoramic vistas less than 15 miles from downtown Asheville. Over half of Craggy will be designated as wilderness, the highest protection possible.

In February, the U.S. Forest Service released a draft forest plan that recommends stronger and more permanent protection for Craggy in all of its alternatives. We are encouraging the Forest Service to protect all 16,000 acres of Craggy in its final plan.

The Craggy section of Pisgah National Forest is one of the oldest, wildest, and most popular forests in the East. Over the past five years, a coalition of over 120 organizations and thousands of supporters has rallied overwhelming public, scientific, and political support for the Craggy Wilderness and National Scenic Area.

The coalition—led by Forest Keeper, I Heart Pisgah, and Friends of Craggy-Big Ivy—is working with Congress to introduce the Craggy Mountain Wilderness and National Scenic Area Act. It will permanently protect the stunning vistas from Craggy Gardens, the most popular and most photographed spot along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Hollywood blockbusters have been filmed in Craggy’s enchanted forests, including The Hunger Games and The Last of the Mohicans. Dozens of cascades — including 70-foot Douglas Falls — thunder down its rugged slopes. 

Craggy’s old-growth forests are cherished by everyone: Republicans and Democrats, old and young, longtime local families and recent arrivals. The Forest Service has received more comments supporting permanent protections for Craggy than any other area. Buncombe County Commissioners and Asheville City Council both passed unanimous bipartisan resolutions supporting the Craggy Wilderness and National Scenic Area.

Craggy could become the first national scenic area in North Carolina. Momentum for the Craggy Wilderness and National Scenic Area has carried it onto the national stage. This is Craggy’s big moment. It is a rare and unique opportunity to permanently protect one of the wildest and most ancient forests in the East.

Learn more and take action at iheartcraggy.org.

You can also voice your support for the Craggy Mountain Wilderness and National Scenic Area below. You can copy the comments below or add your own.

Dear Forest Supervisor Allen Nicholas and Planning Team Leader Michelle Aldridge,

I support the Craggy Mountain Wilderness and National Scenic Area. The entire Craggy-Big Ivy section of Pisgah National Forest should be permanently protected as an 8,693-acre Wilderness and 16,000-acre National Scenic Area.

The Craggy-Big Ivy section of Pisgah National Forest is home to the wildest and most important recreation and conservation lands in the East. It shelters over 4,000 acres of old-growth and at least 44 rare and endangered species. Craggy-Big Ivy is also home to waterfalls and world-class recreation—and it’s located only 15 miles from downtown Asheville.

The complete 8,693-acre Craggy-Big Ivy Wilderness and 16,000-acre Craggy National Scenic Area have unanimous bipartisan support from the Buncombe County Commissioners and the City of Asheville. The complete Wilderness also is endorsed by the Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Partnership. In addition, the complete Craggy Mountain Wilderness and National Scenic Area are supported by a broad and diverse coalition of over 100 organizations, dozens of Buncombe County businesses, and thousands of local supporters.

The complete Craggy Mountain Wilderness and National Scenic Area will permanently protect the panoramic viewsheds from Craggy Gardens, the most popular and most photographed spot along the entire Blue Ridge Parkway. It also will protect one of the largest old-growth forests in the East and iconic trails like the Mountains to Sea Trail. Its pristine headwaters are home to native trout and part of the protected watershed of the Ivy River, an important tributary of the French Broad and the drinking water source for the cities of Weaverville and Mars Hill.

Craggy has globally significant botanical, zoological, geologic, scenic, and recreational resources that are currently underrepresented across the Pisgah-Nantahala National Forest. The Craggy Mountain Wilderness and National Scenic Area offers some of the best opportunities for primitive recreation and solitude in Pisgah National Forest, with rugged, remote peaks surrounded by 100,000 acres of contiguous wildlands.

The North Carolina Natural Heritage Program has identified over 3,000 acres of the Craggy Mountain Wilderness and National Scenic Area for highest priority protection, and it has been highlighted by The Nature Conservancy as one of the most important core forests in the Southern Blue Ridge.

Already, the Forest Service has received more comments supporting permanent protections for Craggy than any other area in the Pisgah-Nantahala National Forest. I applaud the Forest Service for recognizing the rare and special natural heritage of the Craggy-Big Ivy Forest and for recommending stronger protections for this area. In the final plan, I ask the Forest Service to expand its wilderness recommendations to 8,693 acres as endorsed by the Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Partnership. I also ask that the special interest area acreage include the entire 16,000-acre Craggy-Big Ivy Forest, including Coxcomb Mountain, Snowball Mountain, and Shope Creek.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment.