Blue Ridge RC&D - Natural Resources
The seven counties of the Blue Ridge RC&D area (Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, Watauga, Wilkes, & Yancey) are in the Appalachian Highlands Eco-region. More specifically, they are in the Central Appalachian Broadleaf Forest, Coniferous Forest, and Meadow Province.
A portion of Wilkes County further to the east is in the Southern Mixed Forest Province of the southeastern United States.
Climate in the Central Appalachian Province is temperate with distinct summers and winters and subject to frost. The Province is composed of subdued low mountains and open low mountains with valleys. The valleys support a mixed oak-pine forest. Above the valleys lies the Appalachian Oak Forest. Above this zone lies the Northeastern Hardwoods Forest. 
Spruce-fir forests and meadows are found on higher peaks. The vegetation pattern is complicated by topography and substrate. Soils found on ridge crests, areas of gentle topography and in intermountain basins are Ultisols Soils on steeper landforms are Inceptisols. Fauna of the province are among the most diverse in the U.S. For example, 27 species of salamanders are found in the region.
Climate in the Southern Mixed Forest Province is dominated by mild winters and hot, humid summers. This province comprises the Piedmont where 50-80 percent of the area slopes gently toward the Atlantic Ocean. Local relief is 900 to 2,000 feet above sea level. Climax vegetation is composed of medium-tall to tall forests of broadleaf deciduous and needle leaf evergreen trees. Soils of the province are dominantly Ultisols with local intrusions of Vertisols formed from marls or soft limestones. Soils on floodplains along major streams are Inceptisols and are among the better soils for crops. Numerous numbers of fauna are found in the province. Fauna vary with the age and stocking of timber stands, percent of deciduous trees, proximity to openings, and presence of bottom-land forest types.
The Blue Ridge RC&D area contains the headwaters of the following rivers, the Toe, New, Watauga, Mitchell, Yadkin, Cane, Linville, Roaring, and Nolichucky. The topography includes elevations ranging from 6,684 at Mt. Mitchell (the highest peak east of the Mississippi) down to 900 feet above sea level in Wilkes County. Annual precipitation amounts (1971-2000) range from 58 inches at Mt. Mitchell in Southern Yancey County to 45 inches in Wilkes County. Combining these elevation ranges with productive soils, a moderate climate and ample precipitation creates one of the most biologically significant ecoregions in the United States, the Appalachian Highlands Ecoregion. Most of the Blue Ridge RC&D area lies within this ecoregion.
The natural resources described above, with seemingly endless hardwood and evergreen forests, have caused many people to marvel at the spectacular beauty of the region. This beauty has drawn settlers and visitors here for many generations. Much of the area has been linked to tourism and farming. The growing tourist industry along with rapid retirement homes development, are providing service-related jobs, which are becoming a large part of the employment structure.
This influx of people has created increasing development pressures on the continued integrity and beauty of the area’s natural resources. In the 1800s and early 1900s, timber harvesting, land clearing and farming with related transportation development deeply impacted natural resources. Since World War I, manufacturing has become a larger part of the economy. Water quality degradation resulted from industrialization. Technical improvements to manufacturing processes were developed to reduce water pollutants but, at the same time, additional commercial and residential development have delivered larger volumes of nonpoint source pollutants to streams and lakes.
Historic development in the floodplains of mountainous and hilly terrain have resulted in huge historic losses of property and lives during flood events. Improved floodplain management is greatly needed for the future as rapid land development continues in the watersheds of the area.
The most recent natural resource issue causing concern for many people and thus, units of government, is steep slope mountainside and ridge top development. The natural beauty of mountain views is being altered with roads and houses covering complete mountainsides. The additional problems of potential landslides, greatly increased erosion and storm water runoff, ground water depletion (deep wells), and placement of adequate septic filtration fields on shallow, steep slopes are all of great concern.
Energy conservation issues in the RC&D area, as in many parts of the world, are of high concern for many local leaders. Potential locations for traditional coal-fired electric generation plants bring extremely critical opposition from the public. There is growing local interest in alternate fuel sources such as biodiesel. There is growing interest in “green” building techniques for commercial and residential construction. Wind energy development is a largely unqualified and unevaluated source of supplemental power, but there is growing interest in learning more about its full potential.