Great Craggy Mountains

Here in western North Carolina, more than 150,000 acres of roadless land are protected in the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests.

That includes forests around beloved places like Graveyard Fields, Craggy Mountain, and South Mills River, just to name a few.

Mountain True is urging people who oppose the repeal to take action and submit public comments on the proposal before the comment period closes on September 21, 2026.

You can learn more about that in our show notes or at mountaintrue.org. And I can attest that it only takes a few minutes of your time.

We talk about the connection between roads and wildfire, as well as the challenges of building roads in undeveloped forests.

We also discuss what Josh sees as a larger debate over the role of the Forest Service.

Josh also discusses the National Park Service's hazardous fuel debris removal project along the Blue Ridge Parkway, plans for the Craggy Mountain National Scenic Area, what a healthy southern Appalachian forest actually looks like, and how growing up in Madison County helped shape his relationship with these mountains.

But our conversation begins with the roadless rule and why Josh believes it's worth protecting.