By David A. Ramsey
First things first: Local, regional, state and national organizations, including armies of volunteers, are still extremely busy, all across the southern Blue Ridge and Great Smokies region, addressing the critical needs of our Helene-impacted families and communities. Their epic mission is laser-focused on helping to restore basic property and infrastructure and working tirelessly to meet the daily living challenges of the thousands who suffered Helene’s massive, three-day onslaught. This year, and likely for the next few, this must and will be priority one.
However, as the basic life-needs of the region’s people are more substantially met, more attention can be given to those aspects of the disaster a little further down the priority list, such as impacts on our outdoor recreation facilities and natural resources. Of course, this includes our trout streams, lakes and their all-important supporting resources. What kind of attention and assistance is needed to help the fish, their habitat and all those places we cherish in pursuit of our sport? All kinds…and a helluvalot of it.
It’s pretty well accepted now that, in this corner of the world, we’ve never seen the kind of catastrophic flooding we experienced September 25–27, 2024. Particularly in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee, virtually every mountain river and all their tributary creeks and branches were turned into raging torrents, blown out to many times their normal size and flow. Unprecedented streambank and land erosion, extensive channel alteration, large object obstruction, household and property debris and pollution, heavy brush and log jams, damaged or destroyed roads, parking lots, access points and launch areas are among the many forms of destruction that savaged our region.
While there will be numerous groups and organizations who will soon be stepping up to address these problems, they will likely be looking to expand their volunteer ranks. Maybe you’ve thought or talked about pitching in for years. And maybe, like most everyone, you’ve just been busy—work, family, life, fishing. Well…here in the southern Blue Ridge, if ever there was a time for doin’ instead of just thinkin’ or talkin’, 2025 would probably be it. Although there are plenty of others, here are a few groups and organizations who might appreciate your help:
TROUT UNLIMITED GROUPS
Cherokee Chapter – Greeneville, TN
Little River Chapter – Sevierville, TN
Great Smoky Mtns. Chapter – Knoxville, TN
Overmountain Chapter – Johnson City, TN
Land O’ Sky Chapter – Asheville, NC
Cataloochee Chapter – Waynesville, NC
Table Rock Chapter – Morganton, NC
Pisgah Chapter – Brevard, NC
High Country Chapter – Blowing Rock, NC
Tuckaseigee Chapter – Sylva, NC
WESTERN NC GROUPS
Haywood Waterways Association – Waynesville, NC
Mountaintrue – Asheville, NC
Riverlink – Asheville, NC
Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy – Asheville, NC
Pisgah National Forest – Asheville, NC
Samaritan’s Purse – General NC Helene recovery
TN GROUPS
Appalachian Paddling Enthusiasts – Jonesboro, TN
Tennessee Eastman Hiking and Canoeing Club – Kingsport, TN
Friends of Rocky Fork State Park – Flag Pond, TN
Cherokee National Forest – Cleveland, TN
Great Smoky Mtns. National Park – Gatlinburg, TN
United Way of East TN Highlands – General TN Helene Recovery
David Arthur Ramsey is an outdoor photographer, writer and conservationist, born and raised in the mountains of northeastern Tennessee. His outdoor writing and photography have been published locally, regionally and nationally. Field and Stream Magazine and Toyota Motor Company named David the National Hero of Conservation in 2011 for his leadership in saving the 10,000-acre Rocky Fork watershed in northeastern Tennessee. His newly published book, Rocky Fork: Hidden Jewel of the Blue Ridge Wild, tells the story, of the battle to preserve this Appalachian and American treasure.