BARNARDSVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Residents in the Big Ivy area are raising concerns about U.S. Forest Service plans to cut old-growth forests as part of ongoing recovery work from Tropical Storm Helene.
U.S. Forest Service officials will hold a public safety meeting from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday at the Barnardsville Elementary School gymnasium for an update on the Helene recovery efforts.
While the Forest Service says additional roads are necessary to support Helene recovery, residents and advocacy groups argue the work can be accomplished without destroying ancient forests. Friends of Big Ivy, a local conservation group, said the agency’s plan would cut down 300-year-old trees and build two roads that largely duplicate recently constructed routes…