About EAC 

Environmental Action Community of WNC is a non-profit organization founded in January 2023. We were formed through the joining of two pre-existing organizations, the Outdoor Mission Community (OMC) and WNC Climate Action Coalition (CAC).

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OMC and CAC found natural connections in our missions and overlapping efforts across Western North Carolina (WNC). We first came together to work on reducing single-use plastic bags through a joint project launched by OMC called, “Bring Your Own Bag Haywood.” Next, grants were received from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to clean up informal campsites at Lake Fontana. OMC joined with Haywood Community College, HIGHTS, and later CAC and Shining Rock School to work side by side "Returning Campsites to the Wild." This grant partially funded Creation Care Camp also, a free, one-week summer camp for youth focused on care for the environment. They worked on efforts to clear trails, restore stream banks, and clean up creeks. In working closely together and combining our efforts, the Environmental Action Community of WNC was born.

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EAC is influenced and inspired by the local mountains, home to a unique temperate rainforest with outstanding biodiversity. The dynamic region is home to two pristine watersheds and is surrounded by protected lands: Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Pisgah National Forest, and Nantahala National Forest. Importantly, this area is the ancestral homeland of the Cherokee people and the still current home of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. We are dedicated to protecting this important ecosystem and the people who live here.