In the Community

MESCO’s own Mike Trew, is the President of the Boone Climber’s Coalition (BCC) and Northern Mountain Representative and Board Member of the Carolina Climbers Coalition (CCC).

“We’ve been working with both the National Forest Service and the National Park Service for years on mitigating our impact to the climbing areas we frequent that they manage.  It’s taken years but we have developed a very solid relationship with them so much so that now they contact us when they see a need for our expertise and help in sustainability.

That was the case in this project.  My friend, Kristian Jackson, who teaches trail sustainable construction and management at Appalachian State University was approached by the NFS to perform a project at one of our climbing areas called “The Dump”.  I had already met with the NFS so he asked me to help him come up with a Master Plan.

I’ve developed a good relationship with the Town of Boone.  We’ve adopted a climbing area on their property.  We added anchors, performed a clean up project, designed a sign and I have Kristian’s class lined up to do a sustainable trail design and installation.

I also worked with Alexander County to convert an old quarry into a climbing area (Rocky Face).  The County Commissioners tasked the Economic Development Director with this project and he reached out to the CCC for help.  Since this was in my area I coordinated a rebolting project and assisted the County in promoting the resource.  It has become a popular climbing area as well as a community park.

Currently I’m working on a new climbing area in western Watauga County.  The CCC purchased 54 acres and obtained a recreational easement on 2 acres.  I coordinated easements and sustainable trail construction to the 54 acres.  We’ve obtained permits to construct a parking lot and are shopping for a contractor to build it.  With this project I’m most excited and proud of our acquisition of the recreational  easement.  I see this as the future in recreational opportunities on the east coast where so much of the property is privately owned.”

~ Michael P. Trew PE, Senior Engineer