“Greetings from the green slopes and laurel blooms of Pisgah summer, from the long days, afternoon storms, and cloud-bestrewn peaks that mark this special time in our unique corner of the world. June has been a month busy with bridge construction, non-native invasive species (NNIS) treatments and project planning, educational programs, river snorkeling, and more.” -Jeff Maitz, Chief Operating Officer and Program Director / Trail Specialist
Pilot Cove-Slate Rock bridge

Our Trail Crew has continued their work rebuilding trail bridges this past month, focusing on bridges destroyed by the high waters of Hurricane Helene on the Pilot Cove-Slate Rock and North Slope trails.
On Pilot Cove-Slate Rock, the Crew hauled in materials and constructed a new 24-foot-long trail bridge across the first stream crossing with approach ramps through a beautiful tunnel of rhododendron and mountain laurel.
In addition, the crew improved and hardened three drains on the way in and filled and regraded a large mudhole at the very start of the trail.
North Slope trail bridge
The Crew then moved up to the North Slope trail, where they are currently constructing a 35-foot-long trail bridge across a drainage that saw significant storm damage.
For site prep work, the Crew has constructed a large cribwall and excavated further into the existing cutbank to provide a solid foundation for bridge abutments.

Native logs have been chosen for stringers, with locust logs for sills and abutments and dimensional lumber for decking hauled to the site via our canycom trackhauler.
The Crew will fully shape and construct the bridge on a flat section of trail first, to get the detail work just right, before using rigging to fly the bridge across the span and into place on its abutments.

With its limited access, logistical challenges, and the highly technical rough carpentry and rigging operations involved, this is the kind of project our Trail Crew loves to complete.
Invasive Plant Management Crew updates

Our Invasive Plant Management (IPM) Crew has also been busy the past month managing multiple ongoing projects while responding to Helene recovery needs and planning for future IPM projects and collaborations.
They have been performing follow-up foliar treatments at Kuykendall Group Camp and at infestation sites across the Catheys Creek watershed, as well as continuing their initial treatment at Wash Creek Horse Camp.
In addition, the Crew has been assisting the Forest Service with Hurricane Helene recovery work, surveying and treating key project sites on the Pisgah Ranger District. Surveys and treatments for NNIS are crucial at these sites, as major projects with significant soil disturbance present a vector for infestation.
As we know, working to prevent potential infestations before they become established is very important in managing non-native invasive plants. Some examples include the recently completed roadwork on Avery Creek and Turkeypen roads and the English Chapel Bridge replacement project.

The Crew has also been working with Ben Balke of the NC Wildlife Resources Commission to develop a project to remove NNIS from a selection of Pisgah’s existing wildlife fields.
The intended purpose of these fields interspersed throughout the forest is to provide habitat diversity to a wide spectrum of wildlife species, but this goal is interrupted when these fields get grown in thick with autumn olive and when local plant biodiversity is replaced with invasive monocultures.
We are excited to work with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission and the Forest Service to help restore native plant communities in these wildlife fields to better serve the diverse wildlife of Pisgah.
Pisgah River Rangers updates

With their trainings and orientation complete, the Pisgah River Rangers are hitting the rhythm of their season serving as a constant presence on the forest with regular programming and stewardship activities.
Serving the public and serving the resource are at the heart of the Pisgah River Rangers program. Their consistent engagement with the public on a daily basis, as well as their educational outreach programs, guided hikes, and river snorkeling events connect members of the community to our national forest lands and educate them about proper stewardship of these resources.

Their resource stewardship work directly benefits Pisgah’s waterways, with trash removal and rock dam removal helping to keep our aquatic habitats clean and healthy and their participation in angler, brook trout, and hellbender surveys supporting ongoing research and accompanying fisheries management decisions.