Could reservoir watersheds be used for recreational purposes? Why does Richmond Hill Park remain closed? Reduced hours at some Buncombe libraries? • Asheville Watchdog
Today’s round of questions, my smart-aleck replies, and the real answers:
Question: Now that many of us have newfound expertise regarding Asheville’s water supply, I’d like to pivot slightly and ask: What prevents the watersheds owned by the city of Asheville from being opened to limited recreation? Other city-owned watersheds and reservoirs, e.g. Canton and Greensboro, are available for limited use, so our closure seems not to be a requirement foisted by Raleigh. And the risk of contamination from day use, non-motorized recreation can’t be much higher than what’s already emitted by existing wildlife.
My answer: Well, we humans do have a history of treading ever so lightly on our recreational lands. It’s like you can’t even tell we were there, other than the bike tracks, portable toilets, throngs of tourists approaching wildlife with cell phone cameras, discarded dog poop bags, and a few hundred mountain bike ruts.
Real answer: I suspect it would take less than a week for some idiot to accidentally, or intentionally, start a fire in the watershed, and that is one of the considerations. More about that in a second.
Asheville Water Resources Department spokesperson Clay Chandler put the kibosh on this one pretty quickly. He said both the North Fork and Bee Tree treatment plants, in Black Mountain and Swannanoa, respectively, are both designated as “Water Supply-I.”
“That designation carries a lengthy list of regulations, but it essentially prohibits any kind of commercial development to protect the quality of the water flowing into our reservoirs,” Chandler said. “Asheville is unique in that the city owns the actual watersheds, so we’re able to implement a few regulations ourselves.”
Chandler said the reader is “probably correct” in that light use for recreation would not have any more impact than wildlife does.
“Our primary concern lies with fire risk,” Chandler said. “In its current condition, the amount of fuel on the forest floor from downed timber and other dead vegetation would allow even a small fire to spread quickly.”
A fire in the watershed would increase sediment runoff, could alter soil properties “due to things like ash clogging soil pores, and generally increase flood risk and decrease erosion control,” Chandler said. “That would obviously have an adverse effect on water quality.”
He cited the 2020 Cameron Peak fire in Colorado, which severely damaged the watershed.
That fire had a 32-mile long perimeter, burned more than 41,700 acres of wilderness and 32 miles of wild and scenic river corridor, and affected three watersheds. It also destroyed 492 structures.
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality notes that the state has five water supply classifications — Water Supply-I to Water Supply-V — “that are defined according to the land use characteristics of the watershed.”
“The Water Supply-I classification carries the greatest protection for water supplies,” DEQ states. “No development is allowed in these watersheds. Generally, WS-I lands arepublicly owned.”
By contrast, Water Supply-V watersheds “have the least amount of protection and do not require development restrictions. These are either former water supply sources or sources used by Industry.”
Question: We have been hiking at Richmond Hill Park for years. After Helene, someone or some group came out and cleared trees along all the paths so you could continue to hike. Now the park has been closed and the entrance is blocked. We are wondering what the issues are, and what is the outlook for reopening? Also, we’re wondering whether this is happening at other parks that are not along the river and really devastated.
My answer: I’d like to find this “someone or some group” to help with branch and debris cleanup in my yard. Please hook me up!
Real answer: City of Asheville spokesperson Kim Miller directed me to the city’s Parks & Recreation webpage, which in part states that if a park is listed as being closed, “PLEASE stay away.”
“Though some spaces look safe, there may be broken equipment, sinkholes, or other ‘unseen’ dangers following unprecedented damage from storms in September,” Parks & Rec states. “Disaster relief agencies continue to assess damage that may be eligible for grants and other recovery resources; unauthorized ‘help’ may make some parks ineligible for this vital funding.”
Richmond Hill Park is one of several that remain closed following Tropical Storm Helene. // Credit: City of Asheville
The city asks if you’re interested in volunteering to send an email to parks@ashevillenc.gov.
As of Monday, the city listed these parks as still closed: Azalea (including the John B. Lewis Soccer Complex), Carrier, French Broad River, Jean Webb (including Craven Street Bridge Boating Access Area), Recreation, Richmond Hill, Riverside Cemetery and the Wilma Dykeman Greenway.
The city notes that the cemetery is open to those attending services.
In addition, “Memorial Stadium and Mountainside Park are closed for community improvement projects unrelated to storm damage and should reopen soon,” the city states.
The city also noted that riverfront parks were the hardest hit, “with massive destruction left by this unprecedented event and are closed indefinitely.”
“While these spaces look devastated, they also represent the prospect of reimagining and rebuilding smarter, stronger, and in ways that make our city more resilient in the face of natural disasters such as floods,” the webpage states.
As far as organizing volunteer teams to help with the cleanup, the city notes that this gets more complicated than you might think, in part because, “disposal of storm debris is subject to strict federal and state regulations.”
Question: I was recently told that the Buncombe County commissioners are proposing to revise the library hours at certain facilities. Is this true? I really hope not, as I can say I know the manager of one of the branches being proposed for shortened hours, and they go in when the library is closed to process returns and holds because it is so busy when they reopen for the week.
My answer: I stopped working off the clock a while back, just as a matter of principle. OK, it was about 30 years ago. Seriously, you just shouldn’t do that.
Real answer: Unfortunately, some cuts in hours are on the horizon for the library system.
Buncombe County spokesperson Lillian Govus told me via email that the county has an anticipated revenue shortfall that could reach $20 million this fiscal year, which runs through June 30. As with most bad news these days, the shortfall comes from impacts of Tropical Storm Helene, Govus said.
The county already has implemented a hiring freeze on all positions, with the exception of those in 911 services.
“We are reopening Swannanoa Library for the first time since the storm on Jan. 25, which is great news,” Govus said. “However, we also have 14 vacancies in our libraries, so in order to keep all of our branches open, we’ve worked with library staff to develop a schedule that meets library demand but unfortunately, does reduce some hours in some locations.”
For full schedules of your library, go to the county’s news page on the issue.
“This is not a move that is intended to be permanent, and we’ll continue monitoring our regular recurring revenue projections,” Govus said, noting that the Board of Commissioners will hold a full-day budget meeting Thursday, available at www.facebook.com/buncombegov.
Govus noted that the decision is “a county operational adjustment, not anything that commissioners will vote on.”
Additionally, Library Services Director Jason Hyatt will join the community briefing at 11 a.m. Wednesday to share more information on this, Govus said.
Asheville Watchdog is a nonprofit news team producing stories that matter to Asheville and Buncombe County. Got a question? Send it to John Boyle at jboyle@avlwatchdog.org or 828-337-0941. His Answer Man columns appear each Tuesday and Friday. The Watchdog’s reporting is made possible by donations from the community. To show your support for this vital public service go to avlwatchdog.org/support-our-publication/.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Alan Wooten | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-05-01 08:16:00
(The Center Square) – Taxpayers in North Carolina will face an average tax increase of $2,382 if the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act expires at the end of the year, says the National Taxpayers Union Foundation.
Results of analysis were released Thursday morning by the nonprofit organization billing itself a “nonpartisan research and educational affiliate of the National Taxpayers Union.” Its four state neighbors were similar, with South Carolina lower ($2,319) and higher averages in Virginia ($2,787), Georgia ($2,680) and Tennessee ($2,660).
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of eight years ago was a significant update to individual and business taxes in the federal tax code. According to the Tax Foundation, it was considered pro-growth reform with an estimate to reduce federal revenue by $1.47 trillion over a decade.
Should no action be taken before Jan. 1 and the act expire, the federal standard deduction would be halved; the federal child tax credit would decrease; higher federal tax brackets would return; the federal estate tax threshold will be lower; and some business tax benefits will be gone.
The foundation, in summarizing the impact on North Carolina business expensing, says the state conforms to Section 168(k). This means “only 60% expensing for business investments this year and less in future years. State policymakers could adopt 100% full expensing, particularly since the state conforms to the Section 163(j) limit on interest expense and the two provisions were meant to work together.”
The foundation says business net operation loss treatment policies in the state “are less generous than the federal government and impose compliance costs due to lack of synchronization with the federal code and are uncompetitive with most other states.”
The National Taxpayers Union Foundation also says lawmakers “should at least be conscious of any retroactive provisions when selecting their date of fixed conformity.” North Carolina is among 21 states conforming to the federal income tax base “only as of a certain date” rather than automatically matching federal tax code changes – meaning definitions, calculations or rules.
The foundation said nationally the average filer will see taxes raised $2,955. It estimates an increase for 62% of Americans. The biggest average increases by state are in Massachusetts ($4,848), Washington ($4,567) and Wyoming ($4,493) and the lowest are in West Virginia ($1,423), Mississippi ($1,570) and Kentucky ($1,715).
Individual wages, nationally, are expected to go down 0.5%, reducing economic growth by 1.1% over 10 years.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Right
The content primarily reports on the potential impact of the expiration of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, relying heavily on analysis from the National Taxpayers Union Foundation, which describes itself as a nonpartisan organization but is known to advocate for lower taxes and limited government intervention, positions typically aligned with center-right economic policies. The article uses neutral language in presenting facts and data and does not explicitly advocate for a particular political viewpoint; however, the emphasis on tax increases and business expensing challenges following the expiration suggests a subtle alignment with pro-tax-cut, business-friendly perspectives associated with center-right ideology. Thus, while the article largely reports rather than overtly promotes an ideological stance, the framing and source choice reflect a center-right leaning.
www.thecentersquare.com – By David Beasley | The Center Square contributor – (The Center Square – ) 2025-04-30 21:25:00
(The Center Square) – Authorization of sports agents to sign North Carolina’s collegiate athletes for “name, image, and likeness” contracts used in product endorsements is in legislation approved Wednesday by a committee of the state Senate.
Authorize NIL Agency Contracts, known also as Senate Bill 229, is headed to the Rules Committee after gaining favor in the Judiciary Committee. It would likely next get a full floor vote.
Last year the NCAA approved NIL contracts for players.
Sen. Amy S. Galey, R-Alamance
NCLeg.gov
“Athletes can benefit from NIL by endorsing products, signing sponsorship deals, engaging in commercial opportunities and monetizing their social media presence, among other avenues,” the NCAA says on its website. “The NCAA fully supports these opportunities for student-athletes across all three divisions.”
SB229 spells out the information that the agent’s contract with the athlete must include, and requires a warning to the athlete that they could lose their eligibility if they do not notify the school’s athletic director within 72 hours of signing the contract.
“Consult with your institution of higher education prior to entering into any NIL contract,” the says the warning that would be required by the legislation. “Entering into an NIL contract that conflicts with state law or your institution’s policies may have negative consequences such as loss of athletic eligibility. You may cancel this NIL agency contract with 14 days after signing it.”
The legislation also exempts the NIL contracts from being disclosed under the state’s Open Records Act when public universities review them. The state’s two ACC members from the UNC System, Carolina and N.C. State, requested the exemption.
“They are concerned about disclosure of the student-athlete contracts when private universities don’t have to disclose the student-athlete contracts,” Sen. Amy Galey, R-Alamance, told the committee. “I feel very strongly that a state university should not be put at a disadvantage at recruitment or in program management because they have disclosure requirements through state law.”
Duke and Wake Forest are the other ACC members, each a private institution.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
The article primarily reports on the legislative development regarding NIL (name, image, and likeness) contracts for collegiate athletes in North Carolina. It presents facts about the bill, committee actions, and includes statements from a state senator without using loaded or emotionally charged language. The piece neutrally covers the issue by explaining both the bill’s purpose and the concerns it addresses, such as eligibility warnings and disclosure exemptions. Overall, the article maintains a factual and informative tone without advocating for or against the legislation, reflecting a centrist, unbiased approach.
SUMMARY: Donald van der Vaart, a former North Carolina environmental secretary and climate skeptic, has been appointed to the North Carolina Utilities Commission by Republican Treasurer Brad Briner. Van der Vaart, who previously supported offshore drilling and fracking, would oversee the state’s transition to renewable energy while regulating utility services. His appointment, which requires approval from the state House and Senate, has drawn opposition from environmental groups. Critics argue that his views contradict clean energy progress. The appointment follows a controversial bill passed by the legislature, granting the treasurer appointment power to the commission.
