To the Editor:

The Nantahala Hiking Club requests that Macon County commissioners reconsider or rescind the resolution passed on July 8, 2014, opposing the designation of additional wilderness areas within the Nantahala National Forest in Macon County. We believe that this resolution was passed prematurely and bypassed input from many interested citizens. Your minutes state that only one person, who represented the interests of one sector of forest users — namely small game hunters — spoke at that meeting.

Our club members do not recall this resolution having been publicized prior to this meeting such that we could have provided our perspective on additional wilderness areas. 

Mr. Kevin Corbin, commission chairman, has been quoted in the press saying that the commission merely expressed its opinion in passing the resolution, a right the members have as other citizens do. Further he is said to have pointed out that a public hearing is not required to pass a resolution and that the vote did not result in a decision, only an agreement on an opinion. Also, the board had not jointly researched the matter prior to approving the resolution. 

Our 290-member strong club is one of the official maintaining clubs of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, caring for nearly 60 miles of the venerable Appalachian Trail from the North Carolina-Georgia border to Wesser in the Nantahala area. Forty-seven of these miles are in Macon County and 13 of them are in the Southern Nantahala Wilderness Area running from Deep Gap to Mooney Gap. Our club officially was begun in 1968 by the Rev. A. Rufus Morgan after decades of work in creating the trail by him and other Maconians.

Our club has been active in the life of Macon County for many years, participating in Pumpkin Fest, the Christmas Parade, the Walking with Spring program at the Franklin Library, and the spring celebrations for AT thru-hikers including the Hiker Bash at a local motel and Easter gifts at local trailheads, among others. The club presents Hiking 101 programs in elementary and middle schools a few times each year and then takes children on hikes in their own backyard. We work closely with many businesses in our county including two major outdoor outfitters. 

Our long-standing and close relationship in the community resulted in Franklin becoming the first officially-designated Appalachian Trail Community by the AT Conservancy. 

We believe that the passage of the resolution ignored the relationships our club has built over the years throughout our county and the sizable financial and publicity contributions stemming from the network of hiking trails in the Nantahala Forest that our members maintain for the use and enjoyment of Maconians and countless visitors from throughout our nation and even the world. 

The club is presently reviewing the U.S. Forest Service proposed plans for forest use in the Nantahala Forest and, based on preliminary study, think that preserving the integrity of our trails will require supporting some of the proposed additions to wilderness areas by the forest service and that there are other areas that should be considered for wilderness based on various factors. We think the Macon County Commission should have studied this complex issue in depth and sought input from various sectors, including hiking and outdoors representatives. Furthermore, we believe that passing a resolution opposing new wilderness designations in the manner it was done actually ignored the democratic process where all interests are heard and relevant voices have their say. 

As we humans continue to change the natural landscape, preserving some land in its untouched state may prove essential for our survival in understanding the interrelationships of organisms, obtaining cures for diseases, and preserving our connections to the earth and creation. Thousands of AT thru-hikers and hikers attest to the human need for being in nature, for solitude, and for getting away from “civilized” life. Not all things have a monetary value, some things have value beyond the profits that may be derived from cutting down old trees. 

When the Macon County Commission passes a resolution it does more than express the individual opinions of its members. Because it is a governing body and because of the weight and respect that is accorded to it by citizens, the opinions embodied in a resolution exert a strong influence on other government agencies and their actions and may sway the viewpoints of many citizens. 

For these powerful reasons, the Nantahala Hiking Club reiterates that this resolution opposing the designation of additional wilderness areas must be reconsidered, brought up to the public, discussed and examined, and only then will the commission take a position reflecting the views of Macon County citizens.

Olga F. Pader, President

Nantahala Hiking Club