CROSSNORE, NC (July 24, 2019) — The N.C. Forest Service will host a community meeting Thursday, Aug. 8 at 7 p.m. at the Crossnore Mountain Training Facility at 6065 Linville Falls Highway, Newland, NC. The meeting will last up to one hour and include a presentation on the Linville River Restoration Project occurring on Gill State Forest starting in August. Attendees will also have an opportunity to ask questions about the restoration work.
This habitat improvement project will restore about 2,500 linear feet of river channel and enhance 500 feet of an unnamed tributary that flows into the river. All planned restoration work is on state-owned property managed by the Forest Service.
“This meeting is the first step in communicating the restoration efforts planned for the water resources at Gill State Forest, and the long-term benefits including improved aquatic habitat and an enhanced trout fishery,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler.
As construction begins, the Forest Service plans to have a representative onsite to answer questions about the restoration project. Once construction commences, updates about the project will be posted on a temporary kiosk in the visitor’s access parking lot near the restoration site, on N.C. Forest Service social media and online at www.ncforestservice.gov/LinvilleRiverRestoration. The river reach being restored will be closed to recreationists during construction for public and worker safety. The Mountain Training Facility and Linville River Nursery will remain open for business during the construction work.
Some of the restoration project partners include the Resource Institute, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, U.S.D.A. Forest Service and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.