The Little River

Watermark

If you would like to write an article about the Forest or would like to submit pictures of the For-est, please submit your suggestions, ideas, and articles to the Newsletter Editor, Nancy Kay at vetmama@sonic.net or telephone (707)-477-6683.

Within this newsletter I am starting a new series that will

describe the wildlife found in the DuPont State Recrea-

tional Forest. The accompanying pictures are taken by

hand-held cameras or by game cameras placed in the

Forest and baited to bring in various animals. If you have

a favorite wild critter, inform newsletter editor, Nancy

Kay and I might be able to depict it.

Blond Coyote

The blond colored coyote (Canis latrans) pictured here

was photographed off of the DSRF's Rocky Ridge Trail

in January 2015. According to the mammal experts of

the NC/Wildlife Resources Commission, this color varia-

tion is not rare but it is uncommon. Color is typically

dark gray, but blond, red, and black coyotes have been

observed. In North Carolina, coyotes may be mistaken

for dogs or red wolves, and the existence of both dog-

coyote hybrids and red wolf-coyote hybrids can make

identification difficult.

Historically, coyotes were a western species and, until

1965, none were known to exist east of the Mississippi

River. They are now in all of the eastern states. Coyotes

can be useful in controlling rodent populations, and they

also prey on feral cats, which can be very destructive to

our native birds. Coyotes also prey on game species, and

sometimes livestock and pets. This is the reason so many

people dislike them.

But, the important question is, “Do blonds really have

more fun?” This blond certainly looks happy.

(continued on page 8)

Blond coyote resides in DuPont

Coyote in DuPont with more typical coloration

A Walk on the Wild Side Article & Photos by Alan Cameron

Friends of DuPont Forest (FODF) is a non-profit, volunteer organization dedicated to enhancing the

public’s enjoyment of the forest while protecting its natural and historic resources.

Page 2

Figure 1: Ben Cart Senior in 1978 with his Beechcraft A36 Bonanza. Photo

courtesy, Ben Cart Sr.

This is the first in a two-part series about the history of the airstrip in DuPont State Recreational Forest. Part two will appear in the July FODF Newsletter.

Summit Airstrip Was Built for Business and Pleasure by Kent Wilcox

In the fall of 1967, Ben Cart purchased more than 1,400 acres in Cedar Mountain from private landowners and the DuPont Corporation. The mostly-forested land, locally referred to as Buck Forest, encompassed portions of the watersheds of the Little River and Reasonover Creek and was adjacent to a large tract of more than 6,000 acres owned by the DuPont Corpora-tion. Soon thereafter, Mr. Cart built a dam on Reasonover Creek to create a lake. Called Lake Julia, it became the center-piece for two summer camps, one for boys and one for girls, called Summit Camps. By the mid 1970's, youth from 25 states and several foreign countries were enjoying their summer va-cations at Summit Camps.

Figure 2: Well worn bulldozer in front of Summit Airstrip hangar. Photo cour-tesy, Ben Cart Sr.

During the off season, Mr. Cart traveled extensively around the country to promote Summit Camps. He gave presentations about Summit Camps and met with parents and their children

This issue

A Walk on the Wild Side 1 & 8

Summit Airstrip History 2,4 & 5

Trail Patrol 3

I Spy with my Naked Eye 3

Winter Wonderland 6

Friends of the Falls 7

Website receives a Facelift 9

President’s Report 10

Calendar of Events 10

Forest Supervisor’s Report 11 & 13

Volunteer Appreciation 12

Business Memberships 13

Membership Form 14

Mr. Cart recruited local friends to assist in construction of the airstrip, which began in 1975 and was completed in 1979. His business partner, Dick Garren helped with the engineering phase. Mr. Garren also built a house on the east side of the airstrip, where he lived while he worked at Summit Camps. The house is currently used as a residence for Forest Service staff. Mr. Garren’s two nephews, Kit and Tom, spent a year on-site clearing brush and doing other chores while the air-strip was being built.

Ron Hubbard, who currently owns Hubbard Grading in Pis-gah Forest, NC, oversaw the grading operations. Mr. Hubbard and his crew (including Ben Cart and Dick Garren) used heavy equipment such as bulldozers (Figure 2) and scrapers (Figure 3) to carve through a large hill at the south end of the

(continued on page 4)

Figure 3: Motor scraper in front of hangar; note hill at north end of runway.

Photo courtesy, Ben Cart Sr.

at expositions sponsored by youth camping associations. Three of Mr. Cart’s children had private pilot’s licenses and encouraged their father to obtain the same. Mr. Cart at-tended ground school at Blue Ridge Community College, obtained his pilot’s license, and purchased a Beechcraft Bonanza airplane to use for business and pleasure (Figure 1).

To make his frequent travel-ing more convenient, he built a runway and hangar at Sum-mit Camps, both of which are still highly visible landmarks for those who hike to Bridal Veil Falls from the Fawn Lake parking lot.

Page 3

I Spy With My Naked Eye

By chance have you spotted this Elmo impersonator in the Forest? I’ll give you a hint- it can be seen along a very popular trail. The exact whereabouts of the Elmo look-a-like can be found on Page 12.

I Spy With My Naked Eye Photos & Trivia By Nancy Kay

Trail Patrol Rolling in the Forest By Nancy Kay, Photos by Bev Parlier & Jenna West

The next time you’re in the Forest, see if you spot a member of the newly formed DuPont Trail Patrol. Patrol volunteers in-clude hikers, cyclists, and equestrians. They all have CPR and first aid certification, and their backpacks and saddlebags are filled with all kinds of useful stuff, from first aid supplies and Forest maps to spare bicycle tubes and snacks. Trail Patrol members provide assistance and education to Forest visitors. They also serve as extra sets of eyes and ears on DuPont’s 80-plus miles of trails.

How can you identify a Trail Patrol volunteer when you are in the Forest? They (and their bikes and horses) don the official DuPont Trail Patrol emblem pictured here. When you see a Trail Patrol volunteer, please stop and say hello. Ask any questions you have about the Forest, and let the patroller know if you need any assistance. Lastly, don’t forget to thank them for all their hard work.

If you have questions about the DuPont Trail Patrol, contact Jackie West at horsenut54@yahoo.com or 828-777-3954.

DuPont Trail Patrol logo

Some of the Trail Patrol Volunteers from left to right: Jackie West on Gus, Alan Kay on Cal, Bev Parlier, Marty Spencer on Dot, Rella Allred on Brandy

Page 4

Figure 4: Excavated hillside at south end of runway. Photo courtesy of Kent Wil-cox

Figure 5: Looking north at level foundation of runway. Photo courtesy, Ben Cart

Sr.

Figure 6: Discarded construction equipment. Courtesy of Kent Wilcox

runway (Figure 4) and to level a smaller hill at the north end of the runway. These hills were composed mostly of soil and loose rock, but removal of the last layers required dynamite. For this task, Mr. Cart hired a professional who lived for six months in a tiny trailer near the north end of the runway while blasting rock. The contents of the two hills were sufficient to create a level foundation for the entire runway (Figure 5). On more than one occasion, a truck or bulldozer slipped down the steep slope on the west side of the airstrip and had to be hauled back up by winch. The three-year project left a legacy of worn out equipment that is slowly rusting and rotting away in DuPont Forest (Figures 6 and 7).

The asphalt-paved Summit Airstrip is 2,800 feet long and 40 feet wide with a bearing of 340° NWN (Figure 8). This is ex-actly the same bearing as the Asheville Airport runway, which, for comparison, is 8000 feet long and 150 feet wide. The iconic view of Mt. Pisgah from the north end of the runway (Figure 9) was purely coincidental. Although the Summit Airstrip was intended for private use only, it was listed on FAA charts and could be used for emergency landings. Mr. Cart installed lights for night landings, but after a few attempts, he decided that night landings were too risky due to inadequate lighting and frequent fog. Night landings were banned after the lights were removed, but Mr. Cart continued to use Summit Airstrip for night departures. Aircraft fuel was available on site from a 5,000 gallon aviation refueler truck (Figure 10). The airstrip was frequently used by Mr. Cart, his family and friends, and his parents who brought their children to Summit Camps in single and twin-engine planes.

In the mid 1980's, Mr. Cart decided to close the Summit Camps and sell his properties. At that time the DuPont Corporation, located immediately west of Summit Camps, was using the Little River to supply water for its employees and for the pro-duction of X-ray film. One consequence of amendments to the Clean Water Act in 1987 was that the Little River could not be used for drinking water when local rains increased the turbidity above permissible levels. In addition, increased nitrate levels in the Little River from fertilizers used by farms, homes, and a golf course upstream of the DuPont plant were causing blem-ishes in the X-ray film. The plant manager decided that the solution to these problems was to purchase the portion of Sum-mit Camps that included Lake Julia and use the lake water for drinking and film production. In 1990, DuPont hired Kit Gar-ren to drive a film crew around Mr. Cart’s property as they documented the importance of Lake Julia and the surrounding watershed. The resulting video must have been effective, be-cause in 1991 the DuPont Corporation purchased all of the 1,400 acres that Mr. Cart had purchased in 1967, including Lake Julia, the facilities of the Summit Camps, and the Summit Airstrip.

(Figures 7-10 continued on page 5)

Summit Airstrip was Built for Business and Pleasure (Continued from page 2)

Page 5

How do you want your Friends of DuPont newsletter delivered?

The Little River Watermark is published quarterly. We send out an electronic copy of the newsletter to all members with a

valid e-mail address. You can also read the current issues and archived issues on the dupontforest.com website. Click on

Newsletters on the left of the screen. For members who do not have an e-mail address or who have not requested e-mail deliv-

ery, we send a printed copy by first class mail. We are happy to supply The Little River Watermark in the form you like best.

If you wish to receive an e-mail copy instead of the printed version or if you are currently not receiving a printed version and

wish to request that form of delivery, let us know at membership@dupontforest.com. We will update your profile so you get

the news that is the best way for you!

Summit Airstrip was Built for Business and Pleasure (Continued from page 4)

Figure 7: Tire from construction equipment. Photo courtesy of Kent Wilcox

Figure 8: Aerial view of runway taken from NC Forest Service Helicopter Photo courtesy, Bruce MacDonald

Figure 9: View of Mt. Pisgah from north end of airstrip. Photo courtesy of Kent Wilcox

Figure 10: Refueler truck at Summit Airstrip. Photo courtesy, Ben Cart Sr.

We certainly received a good amount of snow this past winter. While the snow can be a hassle for some, it makes for some incredible Forest photos.

Check out these images of DuPont Forest captured by profes-sional photographer Robert Travis (www.RobTravis.com). Rob has lived in Cedar Mountain since 2001. He moved to the area to work as a glass artist in his family’s glass business, the Glass Feather. This month, Rob will be exhibiting his photography and other art in his own studio gallery within the Cedar Moun-tain Business Park (next to the Cedar Mountain Volunteer Fire Department).

Page 6

Winter Wonderland By Nancy Kay, Photos by Robert Travis

Where does the beginning begin? It begins where seeds of thought are planted.

“STATE SHOULD GRAB LAND NEAR DUPONT FOR-EST.” So ran a March 2, 2000 headline in the Hendersonville Times-News quoting Attorney General, Mike Easley. On March 9, an editorial in the same newspaper declared, “STATE SHOULD CONDEMN LAND” and ended with the suggestion that, “People interested in buying the former Sterling property should write to Attorney General Easley.”

A few days later, a “Be Our Guest” column written by Dr. Ken Shelton, appeared on those pages and urged the public to sup-port the state in acquiring the 2200 acres known as “The Heart of the Forest.” Doug Coggins, a former employee at the DuPont plant, suggested a public meeting to rally support for the cause and put a plan in motion. The auditori-um at the Hendersonville Public Library was reserved, invitations were sent to core supporters: hik-ers, bikers, equestrians, and conser-vationists who viewed the falls to be rare jewels of the forest. Word of mouth worked to fill the room at the April 6th meeting with support-ers who pledged to fight for those acres.

Several weeks later, a core group of 23 advocates banded together and meshed as a cohesive unit to lead a public campaign to save the land from development. We dubbed ourselves, “Friends of the Falls,” formed a 501-C-3, and began the crusade.

In early June, a rally for public backing was held at the Cedar Mountain Community Center. Acting chairman, Jeff Jennings, laid out a plan of action to a standing room only crowd of 120 people. The fervor of the fight for the falls took hold as silver-haired retirees stood beside young mountain bikers pledging to champion the cause.

That night, a question about eminent domain, or the right of the government to “take land from its rightful owner” was asked. Raising her hand, a woman in the audience stood up and deli-

Page 7

Friends of the Falls By Aleen Steinberg

vered a powerful message. She described how her grandfather's family had been forced to sell acreage needed by the national government to establish a portion of Pisgah National Forest.

Although the family felt a loss as they moved out, they grew to recognize what the relinquished land meant in terms of conser-vation as well as to the thousands that flocked to it’s mountains, trails and waterfalls to find inspiration and recreation. She hoped we’d remember her words as we fought on, and we did.

“Save the land for the people, not a privileged few,” became our rallying cry. Publicity began to flow. Friends of the Falls mem-bers stood on street corners handing out literature about their campaign. Our message was delivered at community centers,

civic and social clubs. More support was enlisted, not only from those groups who had initiated the cam-paign, but also from hunters and fisherman, religious congrega-tions, photographers, artists, Audu-bon and Sierra Club members, and leaders of the local chapters of Girl and Boy Scouts. Hundreds of letters were written to the Governor and editorials appeared in newspapers in both North and South Carolina, all urging the state to conserve those acres.

For the next five months, Friends of the Falls continued to meet weekly to share ideas, encouragement, as-signments, and disappointments. They dissected rumors and found strength in their common cause as they forged ahead.

On October 23, 2000, the North Carolina Council of State voted to take the forest land by eminent domain. The fight we fought was won, once again proving Margaret Meade’s powerful asser-tion, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

When Friends of the Falls disbanded, its leadership established the organization you know today as Friends of DuPont Forest. To learn more about the history of DuPont State Recreational Forest, visit http://www.dupontforest.com/about/history-of-the-dupont-state-forest.

Wood Rat

Never heard of a wood rat? Well, pack rats and trade rats are

the same thing. They all like to pick up bright shiny objects

that they then incorporate into their nests that are located in

underground burrows or underboulder overhangs.

The Eastern Wood Rat (Neotoma floridana haematoreia) is

listed by the federal government as a Species of Special Con-

cern. The NC/Wildlife Resources Commission also has it on a

watch list of animals requiring monitoring because of declin-

ing numbers.

In October of 2011, not far from the barn on Bridal Veil Falls

Road, pink flag tape used to mark rocks where endangered

Green Salamanders were spotted was disappearing. Suspecting

that some animal was stealing the tape, a Havahart live-catch

trap was set up and baited with flag tape. Two days later a

wood rat was caught, photographed, and then released. It

hopped away like a kangaroo, not at all like most rodents scur-

ry. A year later it's nest, colorfully decorated with pink tape,

was found under a nearby rock overhang.

Flag tape adorning the Wood Rat’s nest

The Wood Rat caught in the Havahart trap

Eastern Fence Lizard

Look around just about any rock outcrop in the DSRF on a sun-

ny day and you're apt to see one or more Eastern Fence Lizards

(Sceloporus undulates). Adults of both sexes can show blue on

the throat and along the belly but the coloration is brighter on

the males. They can get to over seven inches in length. With

rough pointed scales on their backs, they look rather prehistor-

ic. They are so fond of pine trees that their nickname is “pine

lizard.”

If you move slowly you can get very close to these lizards, and

they'll rapidly get used to your presence and resume hunting for

the spiders, beetles, ants and grasshoppers they eat.

An up close look at the lizard’s pointed scales

Brilliant blue coloration on the lizard’s underside

A Walk on the Wild Side (Continued from page 1)

Page 8

Holiday Gifts That Benefit the Forest By Nancy Kay

Page 9

Website Receives a Facelift By Jeff & Elizabeth Jennings

DSRF Website Receives a Facelift Thanks to New Corporate Sponsor-

ship

When the original DuPont State Forest was established in 1996, most people didn’t understand how powerful a website could be as a means of conveying information and rallying support. Fortunately, DuPont had a strong internet presence from the start, and today a new corporate spon-sorship will help ensure that www.dupontforest.com will continue to provide accurate and timely information to forest users into the future. Around 1997, the non-profit Environmental & Conservation Organiza-tion (ECO) began hosting a webpage about the newly created DuPont State Forest. At the time the Forest was much smaller and less well known than it is today. Moreover, many of its major attractions such as High Falls, Triple Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls were still in private hands. “The page on ECO’s website was generally the first publicly available information about the original forest,” noted Jeff Jennings, who has served as president of both ECO and Friends of DuPont Forest and who, for many years, volunteered as webmaster for both organizations. “The page included maps with hand-drawn trails.” In 2000, the website took on added importance as the Friends of the Falls advocacy group was launched to persuade Governor Jim Hunt to condemn the private housing development being constructed around the waterfalls. Jennings reserved the domain www.dupontforest.com and arranged for it to forward users to the appropriate page on the ECO website. Thousands of Forest visitors and advocates easily found this aptly named page, signed up for notifications, and then sent emails, cards and faxes urging the state to purchase the property. At the time, this grassroots campaign was the largest public response to the execu-tive branch for any issue.

The groundswell of support initiated by the website undoubtedly played a huge role in Governor Hunt’s decision to make the land surrounding the waterfalls part of DuPont State Forest. Conservation leaders in Ra-leigh declared the Friends of the Falls campaign to be the first land con-servation battle waged primarily through the Internet. One year later, Friends of DuPont Forest incorporated as a non-profit and www.dupontforest.com became an independent website. For a long time it was essentially the only reliable source of information about Forest resources, policies and programs.

Today DuPont’s website has come full circle as Jen-nings resumes the role of webmaster. In the past year, the site has been updated to the modern WordPress plat-form to make it easier for volunteers to edit. The new site is much more graphical and supports larger, richer images of the Forest from local professional and semi-professional photographers. “It is one of my dreams that the website be so full of large beautiful images that visi-tors lose themselves as they would visiting the Forest in reality,” says Jennings. In addition, Jennings’ technology company, EQUILI-BAR (www.equilibar.com), is serving as corporate sponsor for the site, underwriting the hosting and other expenses. “Many of Equilibar’s employees enjoy the natural heritage of the area, especially DuPont, so it seems like an appropriate way to give back to our com-munity,” Jennings said. While there are now many Internet sources providing information about specific aspects of the Forest, www.dupontforest.com presents a unique per spec-tive due to having been active since the Forest’s incep-tion. This website will continue that legacy by serving all Forest users for years to come.

The new color and website layout

Old website

Page 10

If you are feeling the urge to get outside and enjoy the awakening of our forests as much as I am, I encourage you to visit Holmes

Educational State Forest, located just a short distance up the road from DuPont State Recreational Forest (DSRF). In my opinion,

Holmes Educational State Forest is one of the best places to view the incredible array of wildflowers native to this region. It is also a

great place to take young folks who will love the Talking Tree Trail, nature exhibits, and the chance to climb aboard a real Forest

Service helicopter.

As I search for a theme to help weave my words into a coherent message, I find myself gazing out my office window watching a light

frost melt and evaporate into the early spring air. It is a reminder of things to come. While March, April, and even the beginning of

May can see freezing temperatures and sometimes snow, the overall warming of the seasons is undeniably present, along with a case

of spring fever!

Just as the changing of the seasons seems to somehow awaken a new energy within us, causing us to change and adapt to new condi-

tions, the North Carolina Forest Service and the Friends of DuPont Forest are rapidly adapting to unprecedented visitation numbers-

more than 450,000 visitors in DSRF in 2014. The current infrastructure and staffing model are simply inadequate to handle such visit-

ation and the impacts that come along with it. Much is being done to help curb the negative impacts to the natural resources and visi-

tor experience.

Parking lot improvements to increase capacity and safety, additional restroom facilities, increased visitor information, more educa-

tional programs, trail maintenance, updated DSRF maps and apps, a new FODF website (dupontforest.com), and many other projects

are underway or on the horizon. The reality is that these projects require time, money, and people to implement. This is where your

financial contributions and volunteer efforts really make a difference. So, thank you for being a member of the Friends of DuPont

Forest, and please encourage those around you to join us in our efforts as we adapt and change, just as we do with the seasons, to

what lies ahead. I hope you will join the FODF Board of Directors and fellow members at our annual meeting from 6:30- 8:30 at the

Hendersonville Library on April 21st to connect and learn more.

See you on the trails,

Devin Gentry

Friends of DuPont Forest President

President’s Report By Devin Gentry

Monthly Trail Work Days Rella Allred 864-663-4111 None

Volunteers' work days are scheduled the second Saturday of each Month to maintain trails at DuPont

4/11/15 The Cherokee of DuPont -- what evidence do we have of the natives in our area? Aleen Steinberg 885-2477 20

Led by Dr. Keith Parker Steinberg Ctr classroom, followed by walk up Cedar Rock.

4/18/15 Litter Pick-up Dan Bresnahan 884-6806 None

Join the Litter-Haters! Meet at Lake Imaging parking lot at 9:00 AM

4/21/15 Annual Friends of DuPont Membership Meeting Devin Gentry 553-5021

Henderson County Library, Hendersonville (unless otherwise published), 6:30 - 8:30

4/25/15 What's Popping Up? Wildflower Walk at Holmes Educational State Forest Fred Roane 595-4181 20

Bring your wildflower I.D. books and magnifying glasses. Meet at Holmes Educational Forest at 10:30 AM

May 2 & 3 2015

Tour de Falls (Check DuPontForest.org for updates.) Many Volunteers needed. Lyle Burgmann Dan Bresnahan

864-399-3071 884-6806 None

5/26/15 Friends of DuPont Forest Board Meeting Devin Gentry 553-5021

Meet at 6:30 at Aleen Steinberg Center

5/27/15 Litter Pick-up Dan Bresnahan 884-6806 None

Join the Litter-Haters! Meet at Lake Imaging parking lot at 9:00 AM

May 29 & 30 Blue Ghost Firefly Walk Aleen Steinberg 885-2477 25

2015 Learn about and see these enchanting blue-light resident insects. High Falls parking lot at 9:00 PM

6/18/15 Endangered Species in DuPont Allen Cameron 692-0518 20

Classroom presentation on critters that need our help to survive. Steinberg Center classroom, 1:00-3:00 Members

6/27/15 Litter Pick-up Dan Bresnahan 884-6806 None

Join the Litter-Haters! Meet at Lake Imaging parking lot at 9:00 AM

This is the quarterly schedule of planned events for 2015. The full 2015 Calendar of Events can be found in the January FODF Newsletter.

Reservations are taken one month before the event where there is a limit of participants. All events are open to the public unless noted "Members".

Contact the FODF member listed for your reservation. We are always looking for new ideas, so please volunteer your suggestions and exper-tise.

Date Event Contact Phone (828) Limit

NC, supporting local law en-

forcement agencies with their

Military Police Company,

providing a Counter Drug

Program in central North Car-

olina, and engineering and

constructing capital improve-

ment projects at military bases

across the state. NCNG has

capabilities that far exceed

anything the DSRF on its own

could afford to put into action

in a short amount of time.

It just so happens, we have had an NCNG collaboration project in

mind, fresh from a year of accommodating the ~440,000 people

(equivalent to ~127,000 vehicles) that visited the Forest. The pro-

ject centers on improving the conditions at the High Falls Access

Area. The plan is to build a gravel road above the current parking

lot to provide a circular, one-way route for vehicles.

To implement this project in time for 2015’s needs and to get high-

quality results, we needed partners. For their part, the NCNG has

agreed to provide the specialized equipment and qualified

(continued on page 13)

Page 11

Dear friends,

As we head down the stretch to 2015’s busy season (May

through October) the DSRF staff is working hard to meet the

Forest’s mission in every endeavor. As with any accomplish-

ment on the Forest, collaboration is a key ingredient. In this

newsletter I want to highlight an important project that the

Friends of DuPont Forest have made possible.

Back in the fall of 2014, the North Carolina National Guard

(NCNG) approached DSRF with the offer to be a partner for

any upcoming projects that would further the missions of both

agencies. The NCNG and the NC Forest Service (NCFS) have

had a long-standing relationship as fellow “emergency response

agencies” for North Carolina. The NCFS and NCNG have re-

sponded to natural disaster emergencies such as hurricanes,

tornadoes, flooding, and wildfires; often working side by side to

assist citizens or in Incident Command Posts across the state. At

DSRF, we have coordinated with the NCNG on numerous train-

ing scenarios and various aircraft operations, as we have with

several branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.

If you are like me, you’re aware of the NCNG’s capabilities in

extreme circumstances, but you may not know much about the

diverse civil services provided by this agency. Examples in-

clude constructing soccer fields for the YMCA in Mooresville,

DuPont State Recreational Forest Supervisor’s Report By Jason I. Guidry

No one is more deserving of volunteer appreciation than Chuck

Ramsey! He is a true friend of the Forest. Chuck is one of those

people who works tirelessly behind the scenes. Not only does

he invest hours and hours into DuPont Forest, he brings a re-

markable skill set to everything he does. This guy deserves a

standing ovation! Here is how Chuck responded to my ques-

tions.

1. What are your volunteer activities, past and present?

I've done trail work with several organizations, including

FODF, Blue Ridge Bicycle Club, the International Mountain

Biking Association, the Professional Trail Builders Association,

and Pisgah Area SORBA. I've done trail design/relocation pro-

posals, including GPS work and mapping, with and for DuPont

Forest staff. I've been a tour guide and a parking attendant for

several Tour de Falls events and have helped with a couple

Bring Your Own Bus Tours. I'm presently serving my second

term on the FODF Board of Directors, and am a member of the

Nominating Committee. I was recently appointed to be the mountain biking representative for the DSRF Advisory Committee. I track

trail conditions and help the Forest staff have a first aid presence on the trails by volunteering with National Mountain Bike Patrol and

the newly formed DuPont Trail Patrol. When the Forest first opened to the public, I helped a group called Tobacco Free for Life or-

ganize annual fund-raiser mountain bike rides on Forest trails.

2. How long have you been donating your time to these projects?

I was doing volunteer work on the trails while they were still the property of E. I. duPont (for whom I worked), and continued my

volunteer efforts after the first property transfer to the state. An early major volunteer effort was when the “falls district'” was added to

the Forest and the lower segment of Triple Falls Trail needed work before opening the additional property to the public. We hosted a

big workday in December of 2000 for that work.

3. What fuels your desire to volunteer in the Forest?

The rewards of playing here when the work is done!

4. What is your favorite way to recreate in the Forest?

I was mountain biking, hiking, camping, hunting, and fishing on the property

before it became a state forest. When parts of the property transferred from cor-

porate ownership to state ownership, I continued to bike and hike on the Forest. I

also enjoy wildflower photography.

5. Do you have a favorite trail? If so, which one and why is it your favorite?

My favorite trail is the one I'm on when asked! DSRF favorites include Hickory Mountain Loop, Ridgeline, Grassy Creek, Hilltop,

Jim Branch, Turkey Knob, and Reasonover Creek. Each is fun to ride or walk, each has an individual character, and each has some

great wildflowers. Working on a trail gives me a sense of ownership, and I frequently find myself stopping to check trail conditions in

areas where I've been part of a work day, a relocation, or a trail design.

6. If you could be granted one wish for the forest, what would

it be?

Continued harmony between the various users.

Chuck Ramsey doing trail work

FODF Newsletter Committee: Nancy Kay - Newsletter Edi-

tor, Nancy Black - Copy Editor, Kent Wilcox, Aleen Stein-

berg, Jerry Brown & Helen Lee.

Newsletter Contributors: Alan Cameron, Ben Cart Sr.,

Devin Gentry, Jason Guidry, Elizabeth & Jeff Jennings,

Nancy Kay, Bruce MacDonald, Bev Parlier, Aleen Stein-

berg, Robert Travis, Jenna West & Kent Wilcox

FODF Appreciates Volunteers By Nancy Kay

Page 12

Elmo is located along the edge of Buck Forest Road just south of where it inter-sects with the south end of Thomas Cemetery Road.

FODF Business Memberships

Deer Ridge Property Management Black Forest Family Camping Resort

McCrary Cabins

Shoal Creek LLC

Valley View Cabins

Looking Glass Realty LLC

Page 13

personnel to construct the road as part of their annual training

requirements. Experienced heavy equipment operators from all

over the state will be part of our team from mid-April to mid-

May. They will be comprised of the NCNG’s 875th Engineering

Company of the 505th Engineer Combat Battalion, based in

Gastonia, NC.

The intent of the project is to alleviate the bottleneck of vehicles

that occurs near our main entrance. During high visitation days,

this creates an obstacle for emergency vehicles and DSRF staff

needing to enter or leave the Forest. Too many times we have

had to direct traffic and order the movement of vehicles just to

allow other vehicles into DSRF. The 2014 increase in reported

medical and law enforcement incidents on the Forest (up by

~40%) adds weight to the argument that access by local first

responders needs to be as efficient as possible.

Those who will be participating are very excited about the pro-

spect of helping DSRF, both as a change of pace from working

on a military base and the opportunity to enjoy the Forest while

they are here.

As a critical piece of the plan, I approached the Friends of

DuPont Forest in December 2014 to help with the funding for

materials needed for this project. The Board agreed to provide

$6000 towards the new construction. Without this contribution,

the project would have likely not proceeded. The money will

allow us to incorporate more gravel, erosion control fabric, and

directional signage into the project than we could have other-

wise afforded. With an estimated 70,000 vehicles set to use this

road over the next eight months, we need the best possible out-

come.

I want to sincerely thank all of the Friends of DuPont Forest for

making this special project possible for the betterment of the

Forest. The safety of the public, our staff, and the volunteers at

the Aleen Steinberg Visitor Center is what pushed this project to

the top of my priority list, and I appreciate that FODF recognized

its importance. Granted, it will not be as enjoyable as the trail

work we are used to doing- I recognize that “road-work” may be

an acquired taste.

I will say that the challenges we face today at DSRF are not any

more daunting than those faced by the FODF during the 15 years

it took to establish our world-class trail system. Our challenges

today are just different. That time period averaged 160,000 peo-

ple visiting the Forest per year. We are now experiencing that by

three-fold. I’ve expressed to the FODF Board the need to bal-

ance our efforts and diversify our investments back into the For-

est together. The High Falls parking improvement project is

proof of the FODF doing that, and is an indicator of how our

relationship will continue to prosper.

In closing, very few state government work-units would have

been able to accomplish this project in such a short period of

time. But, then again, very few have partners like the FODF, and

now, the NCNG.

Thank you for your continued support,

Jason I. Guidry

Forest Supervisor

DuPont State Recreational Forest Supervisor’s Report (continued from page 11)

Friends of DuPont Forest

PO Box 2107

Brevard, NC 28712

Membership Get Involved

Friend (1 Year) $25 I would like to volunteer

Family (1 Year) $35 Trail Building & Work Crew

Partner (1 Year) $50 Adopt-a-Hwy Litter Pick-Up

Supporter (1 Year) $100 Special Events (Tour de Falls, Canoe Day, etc)

Hooker Falls Contributor (1 Year) $ 250 Special Forest Interest/Educational Programs

Triple Falls Contributor (1 Year) $ 500 Membership Services

High Falls Contributor (1 Year) $1000 Grant Writing

Forest Angel (1 Year) $1500 DuPont State Forest History Program

Additional Donation $___________________ (Donations are tax deductible)

Fundraising Efforts

Save the stamps. E-mail my newsletter to the address listed below Other ___________________________________________

Name ______________________________________________ Address___________________________________________________

(Please print clearly)

City ________________________________________________ State___________ ZIP_______________________________________

Phone (_______)_____________________________________ E-mail ____________________________________________________

Mail this form to: Friends of DuPont Forest ~ P.O. Box 2107 ~ Brevard, NC 28712

Devin Gentry, President

Helen Lee, Vice President

Jerry Clouse, Treasurer

Rella Allred, Secretary

Bev Parlier, Past President

Dan Breshnahan

Jerry E. Brown

Lyle Burgmann

Dick Childs

Carmen Durham

Donna Hakala

Nancy Kay

Valerie Naylor

Chuck Ramsey

Kathy Reiff

Brian Spotts

Aleen Steinberg

Fred Weed

FODF Board of Directors

EC Friends of DuPont Forest (FODF) is a non-profit, volunteer organization dedicated to enhancing the public’s enjoyment of the forest while protecting its natural and historic resources.