Environmental Groups Sue to Halt Logging in Pisgah National Forest’s Nolichucky River Gorge

A coalition of environmental organizations has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to stop what they describe as an “illegal logging project” in the Nolichucky River Gorge, a scenic section of Pisgah National Forest.

MountainTrue, in partnership with the Center for Biological Diversity and represented by the Southern Environmental Law Center, announced Monday that it is suing the U.S. Forest Service over logging operations the group says violate federal environmental laws and the agency’s own management plan.

According to MountainTrue Deputy Director and General Counsel Gray Jernigan, the organization turned to legal action only after efforts to cooperate with the Forest Service failed.

“We believe lawsuits should always be the last resort,” Jernigan said. “We tried to work with the Forest Service, but it has moved forward with a logging operation that breaks its own rules, ignores federal environmental laws, and threatens one of the most cherished wild places in our region.”

The logging is reportedly underway in the Nolichucky Gorge — an area known for its rugged terrain, whitewater rapids, and old-growth forests. It is recognized as an eligible Wild and Scenic River and designated under the new Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Plan for backcountry and old-growth conservation.

MountainTrue claims the Forest Service is relying on an expired emergency order to move forward with the operation and did not notify the public, conduct required environmental reviews, or consult with state and federal experts.

Josh Kelly, MountainTrue’s Resilient Forests Program Director, said the project was conducted in secrecy.

“The Forest Service has moved forward with a logging project that violates their own Forest Plan in one of the jewels of Pisgah National Forest,” Kelly said. “They are doing so under the guise of an expired emergency order while attempting to complete the project in secrecy, without performing their legal duty to inform the public, complete rare species surveys, or consult with other agencies.”

MountainTrue said it only learned of the logging after being alerted by local residents in the area. The organization has since released a map identifying the affected portion of the gorge.

The lawsuit asks the federal court to halt the logging immediately and require the Forest Service to comply with environmental laws, the Forest Plan, and public input procedures before proceeding with any further activity in the Nolichucky Gorge.

“This is about more than one project,” Jernigan said. “It’s about whether our public lands are managed for the long-term health of our forests, rivers, wildlife, and communities.”

MountainTrue has encouraged the public to stay informed through its Vistas e-newsletter and to share information about the case as it moves forward.

The Nolichucky Gorge, which cuts through the Appalachian Mountains along the North Carolina-Tennessee border, is a popular destination for paddlers, hikers, and anglers, and is considered one of the most pristine sections of Pisgah National Forest.