Press & Testimonials
April 16, 2026
Roy DuVerger attended a public hearing about the removal of the Roadless Act at The Mule in Asheville, NC. Below is a copy of the statement that he made to the participants on behalf of the Smoky Mountains flora and fauna.
In North Carolina our economic benefit from national parks came to $3.5 billion dollars. The national forests, through the amount of cold, clean water they provide, added another $1.3 billion dollars from trout fishing, for a total of $4.8 billion dollars of economic impact.
The repeal of the Roadless Rule has the potential to seriously impact these economic gains.
The construction of new roads will give unprecedented access to previously untouched areas resulting in increased poaching of flora and fauna throughout the Smoky Mountains reducing personal safety and the appeal of being here.
Logging activity will result in uncontrolled runoff which could destroy our last remaining Southern Appalachian Brook Trout strongholds forever and have serious impacts on the trout streams below.
Logging will also cause the destruction of hiking trails and camping sites, increase forest fire danger, further the spread of chronic wasting disease, and drive wildlife into areas where the concept of coexistence is not understood.
Alteration of our environment at this level, and the resulting loss of revenue, has the potential to change the culture and way of life that is truly unique to the Smoky Mountains.
In closing, I am reminded that lasting, positive impact doesn’t come in a single moment or from a single action, but by people, communities, and partners working together over time. This collaboration is what makes conservation possible, from Indigenous leadership on the ground to scientists and organizations working across borders.
Protecting the Smoky Mountains means protecting one of the most important regions in our country, a region that supports biodiversity, regulates the climate, and sustains thousands of lives. And that kind of impact can only happen at scale, through collective action.
In the face of biodiversity collapse and wildlife populations plummeting worldwide, protecting intrinsically and ecologically valuable wild lives is more important than ever. Unfortunately, many species–especially wild carnivores–are targeted in wildlife killing contests, a bloodsport in which contestants compete for prizes and awards for killing the most, largest, or smallest animals.
These events are legal in most states and inflict untold damage upon ecosystems and the complex lives within them.
The power and influence of the wildlife photography industry can help end these bloodsports nationwide. Fellow photographers and videographers—please join us in our efforts to ban these cruel and ecologically destructive contests. Sign on and learn more.
Roy DuVerger's new non-fiction book, "The Unrecovered Country: Blue Roofs under Caribbean Skies" is a harrowing, moving, and compelling account of living through two-back-to-back Cat 5 Hurricanes, Irma and Maria, on St. Thomas, Virgin Islands in 2017.
It is a daunting tale of those days after and during the storms for Roy, his wife, and the surrounding wildlife that was severely affected by these natural catastrophes. It's an incredible testament to survival and resourcefulness. We hear detailed descriptions, like how Roy and 'beth "read" how the pummeling winds shift around the outside of their house -- to figure out where on the first floor to shield themselves and their two beloved cats. The winds and rains deluged the second floor.
This book is also an important first-hand account of how natural disasters affect local fauna and flora. When Roy and 'beth emerge from the storms, they see that NO LEAVES remain on the trees. They set out to feed as many of the local surviving birds as they can. Roy, a Master Wildlife Conservationist, gives facts and eyewitness sightings about the insect and bird life before and after the storms. (Also, he tells an amazing story about chickens that gives hope and a touch of lightness.)
I hope that this book is widely read and that scientists and environmental activists working in the fields of wildlife restoration find it.
- Donna Marie Decker - June 11, 2021
It is a daunting tale of those days after and during the storms for Roy, his wife, and the surrounding wildlife that was severely affected by these natural catastrophes. It's an incredible testament to survival and resourcefulness. We hear detailed descriptions, like how Roy and 'beth "read" how the pummeling winds shift around the outside of their house -- to figure out where on the first floor to shield themselves and their two beloved cats. The winds and rains deluged the second floor.
This book is also an important first-hand account of how natural disasters affect local fauna and flora. When Roy and 'beth emerge from the storms, they see that NO LEAVES remain on the trees. They set out to feed as many of the local surviving birds as they can. Roy, a Master Wildlife Conservationist, gives facts and eyewitness sightings about the insect and bird life before and after the storms. (Also, he tells an amazing story about chickens that gives hope and a touch of lightness.)
I hope that this book is widely read and that scientists and environmental activists working in the fields of wildlife restoration find it.
- Donna Marie Decker - June 11, 2021