Blogs

I have received information of a mother and cub sighting in the Rockhold #2 area on Monday; this pair also was seen lower down the mountain late last week.  Dr. Tom Weil also has reported seeing a juvenile bear on his property in recent weeks.  Since installing the electric fence, we haven't had any sightings in our yard, thank goodness!

Hello!  This is Rob Montague, and I have offered to maintain the Bear Blog.  As many of you know, we've had our share of "bear challenges" since last fall.

There apparently is at least one juvenile who had been traveling with his sibling last year, and he's back this year.  Polly, my dog, ran him out of the yard last Friday.

Proposed Changes to the The Buncombe County Development Ordinance will be on the agenda of the Planning Board at their Monday, December 1, meeting.  Some of the proposed changes would reduce the protection of our mountains.

FoTM is looking for a member who would like to author a blog on the wildlife of the Town Mountain area for our website.  The author would be the contact person for residents when there is a bear incident or an unusual sighting of wildlife in the TMR area.  If you are interested please call me at 255-8218 or email at gumpecho@bellsouth.net  

Joe Sechler, former president of FoTM, was appointed to a three-year term on the Buncombe County Planning Board by County Commissioners at their Nov. 4 meeting.  Joe was nominated by Commissioner David Gantt and approved unanimously by the board.  Congratulations Joe!

There is nothing quite so unsightly as the discarded bags, cans, bottles and fast food containers that seem to multiply along our beautiful Town Mountain Road. FoTM is interested in starting an ongoing clean-up along TMR.

In 2006 and 2007 the Buncombe Board of Commissioners adopted a Development Ordinance that provides protection for the steep slope areas of our mountains during development.  On April 7, 2008, the county Planning Board voted to recommend to the Commissioners changes to the Development Ordinance that would reverse some of these protections.