More than 200 cyclists are expected at this year’s event. Photo: Christy Sutton Rouse

OCEAN — Sarah Phillips and April Clark each have a single favorite moment of the the N.C. Coastal Federation’s Cycling for the Coast event.

For Phillips – a federation educator and ride organizer – it is the moment her day gets easier. For Clark – a major sponsor and race participant – it is the moment her day gets harder.

It is the start of the race.

The two women’s favorite moments always intersect one another. They will do so for the third time on Saturday, Sept. 21, when the federation hosts its annual cycling event.

The bike ride benefits the federation’s education programming and begins and ends at Fort Macon State Park in Atlantic Beach.

It is here that Phillips said she takes a sigh of relief as the parking lot full of bikes and riders empties. Peddling away, Clark said her nerves start to jitter – in a good way – as she takes off with 200 others.

Clark, the owner of Second Wind Eco Tours and Yoga Studio in Swansboro, has been involved in the event alongside Phillips since its inception.

At its humble beginning, she recalls Cycling for the Coast’s struggling double-digit entries. Many of the event’s first participants were friends and family members, such as Phillips’ own parents. Other riders were loyal, staple volunteers and members.

Dogs are allowed as long as they fit in a basket and wear goggles.

Clark’s father and his girlfriend will bike beside her this year. Her daughter, just 14, will volunteer. “It is still a family effort,” Clark said.

Now, the local community, sponsors and cyclists throughout the state will join these federation families in embracing the event.

At check-in time, riders will receive free coffee from Starbucks and mechanical support from The Bicycle Gallery. Backstreet Pub in Beaufort will donate water and Gatorade. Together, Public Radio East in New Bern and Swansboro’s Tideland News have tackled publicity.

Such efforts by sponsors will enable event dollars to be driven back into the organization, Phillips said. A host of other businesses like Emerald Isle Realty and Wells Fargo have also joined an expanding list of supporters.

Because the course will wind its way down public streets and through busy intersections in the direction of Emerald Isle, local police will stand guard for the safety of cyclists. Atlantic Beach will post caution signs, letting drivers know of a ride in progress.

Along the route, a small army of volunteers will provide water, snacks and first-aid. Later, registrants will enjoy free beer at the event’s after-party, courtesy of Natty Greene’s Brewing Co. of Raleigh.

Phillips said she hopes to see more than 200 riders in this year’s event, estimating that nearly half of Cycling for the Coast’s ridership will arrive from out-of-town. From places like Raleigh, Wilmington or Greenville.

“Riders will travel here to see the beautiful coastline, to spend a weekend at the beach and to do something for a good cause,” Phillips said.

Cyclists line up to await the start of the 2012 event, This is a true ride, not a competition. Photo: Christy Sutton Rouse

It is for these very reasons that the event has been able to maintain its low-key, leisurely spirit. Both Phillips and Clark agree that Cycling for the Coast is a true ride, not a race. Only a handful of those biking even 50 miles take the tour so seriously.

“There is no sense of competition. No one is timed,” Clark said.

Clark described the atmosphere as all-inclusive, fun and festive. Flags, bells and baskets adorn bikes of every variety. Much like the ride’s pool, bikes of the event range from the traditional to the ten-speed.

“Some bikes you will see and think they must be worth $2,500,” Clark said. “Others will look like they were saved from the salvage yard.”

As the event has grown in scope and size, so has the federation’s learning curve.

In the ride’s inaugural year, Phillips said she quickly figured out the difficulty of doing everything alone. She learned to start asking.

In planning for the third Cycling for the Coast, Phillips wanted to host an after-party at a venue where riders could celebrate their accomplishments and compare experiences. But, she knew the federation could not afford to provide meals for everyone.

“So, I just called McCurdy’s and explained the event and my needs.”

The restaurant, on the Atlantic Beach Causeway, agreed to help. As a result, an after-party will be held there from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and lunch will be provided for every race registrant.

A small army of volunteers will serve water and snacks and provide first aid.

The party will mark the close of Cycling for the Coast, another favorite moment for both Phillips and Clark.

According to Clark, the whole day captures the purpose and mission of the federation by partnering outreach with the outdoors.

“Riders become a part of the environment the federation protects,” she said. “There isn’t a prettier place to ride along than this coastline.”

Clark believes the relationship between the federation and cyclists is a symbiotic one, a sentiment echoed by Phillips – a cyclist herself.

“Cyclists depend on us to maintain and restore bike paths and pristine waterways,” Phillips said. “So, they might make the most of their endeavors.

“As a cyclist, I wish that I could ride in the event.”

Go here for more information or to register for the 2013 Cycling for the Coast or email Phillips or call her at 252-393-8185.

WILMINGTON — Cliff Cash just won a Pelican Award from the N.C. Coastal Federation for his extraordinary commitment to stop a cement plant from opening in nearby Castle Hayne. But, he doesn’t think he deserves the recognition.

Even after five years of fighting Titan Cement, fundraisers, scrap metal drives and comedy shows, the N.C. native still thinks he could do more.

After attending the University of North Carolina at Asheville, Cash ventured into sales and real estate investing for six years. When the housing market crashed, he wanted to do something he could feel good about. Something that would make a difference.

“I used the last bit of my money to start Green Coast Recycling,” Cash said. “And I’ve been broke ever since.”

Cliff Cash receives his Pelican Award from Sarah Gilliam, the Stop Titan coordinator.

Six months after launching the Wilmington recycling company, rumors of Titan America’s plans to expand in the region ran rampant. With a handful of others, Cash started Friends of the Lower Cape Fear, a small collection of neighbors who would create StopTitan.org.

In the spring of 2008, Green Coast Recycling sponsored the group’s first fundraiser. Money from the event went to initial shipments of bumper stickers and the now-famous Stop Titan yard signs.

Cash and Green Coast Recycling have continued to support the federation’s efforts to prevent the Titan plant. He hosts several fundraisers each year. One of his recycling trucks features a large ad. Today, Green Coast will sponsor a scrap-metal drive encouraging Wilmington residents to recycle the rusty remains of mowers, washing machines and other appliances. All proceeds from the event will go to Stop Titan.

Altogether, Cash estimates that he has generated about $10,000 for the fight.

By day, Cash manages Green Coast Recycling. By night, he stands on stages sharing jokes with large crowds in the Southeast. Until recently, his two worlds rarely, if ever, collided.

At the rally in May marking the five-year anniversary of the Titan showdown, Cash arrived dressed as a cement executive. Donning a Titan America hat and business attire, Cash answered mock questions from the audience. His satire poked fun at some of Titan’s claims, such as the company’s boasts about building beside the Appalachian Trail and its claims of environmental consciousness.

Sometimes, he feels as though his comedy is a bigger success than his recycling company.

While his own perception of his success is underestimated, basing his livelihood on counting on people to care about the environment hasn’t been easy for him.

Because when Cash thinks about his business, he is often discouraged. He grows frustrated by futile efforts to talk others into recycling. He is reminded daily of the challenges of managing a small business, with little community support, trucks that break down and employees who call in sick.

“When I started Green Coast, I thought I could change the climate,” he said. “I thought I could really get the message to people.”

He talked of the Azalea Festival, a huge outdoor event that welcomes more than 250,000 visitors to Wilmington each spring and generates million of dollars for the local economy. According to Cash, there is never a single recycling container available at the festival. Despite his efforts in reaching out to city leadership, Wilmington has made no move to recycle the waste of a quarter of a million people.

“That’s what I’m up against,” he said.

Consistent struggle has defined his role in the Titan fight and community. If Wilmington had an efficient recycling program, Cash admits that he would not have started Green Coast. If the city opposed Titan, he admits that would not have become an advocate.

“I’m not sure what I would be doing or what I would be involved in. To some degree, that’s some kind of twisted, weird, dysfunctional blessing,” he said.

“But, I’d rather Wilmington get it together.”

Cash went on to say he would like to see change before he gives up completely, sells the business or commits to stand-up comedy full-time.

“I don’t want to walk away from it until I feel like I’ve made more of a change,” he said. “All jokes aside, I could do more everyday.”

The Northeast Cape Fear River lumbers for about 130 miles through the state’s southeastern coastal plain before joining its larger sister, the Cape Fear, north of Wilmington.

CASTLE HAYNE — Andy Wood leads our two-person pilgrimage to see a 1,000-year-old cypress along the Northeast Cape Fear River. The mighty tree has lost her neighbors. One went down with Hurricane Fran in 1996. Hundreds more have dropped away from pollution and saltwater intrusion. It used to be a more robust-looking canopy. Ten years ago, it looked better than that,” Wood admits. “She’s one of the last of the big ones here.

Wood, director of the Coastal Plain Conservation Group, is armed with a dipping net and glass jars as he walks along the trail near Hampstead. The path is just a thin strip of land separating the swamp and the Northeast Cape Fear. The roadbed dates back to the 1800s when we might have travelled, not on our feet, but instead by horse and carriage.

The Northeast Cape Fear runs for about 130 miles through the southeast coastal plain of North Carolina, twisting and meandering along a path of least resistance. Not quite as big as its neighbor, the Cape Fear River, the Northeast Cape Fear is a true tributary. The river is amber-colored– dark due to the organic debris that settles at its bottom.

From top: Bald eagles, alligators and red-cockaded woodpeckers are some of the endangered or threatened species that live along the Northeast Cape Fear River.

Wood walks along the trail, pointing out several species that make this river special. We pass a manmade impoundment, which Wood notes the N.C. Wildlife Resource Commission staff manages with the aid of Castor canadensis – beavers.

We nearly miss a brown water snake sunbathing. Wood observes rake marks in the mud nearby and guesses a black bear was looking for its next meal. American holly, a treat for many of the area’s songbirds, abounds.

According to Wood, a conservationist, several species found in or around the Northeast Cape Fear are threatened or endangered. These include the bald eagle, the American alligator and the red-cockaded woodpecker.

Wood moved to Wilmington in the mid-1980s and worked as the education curator for the N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher. Now, he teaches others in hopes of illustrating the connection between land and water. For example, the wetlands we hike along today are soaking up harmful pollutants and filtering water before releasing it back into the river.

“Like the liver and kidneys,” Wood said. “Or a giant sponge.”

His return to his first love – freshwater – was motivated by the time spent as a kid in swamps. “I was fortunate to grow up outdoors,” he said. “My friends wanted to play war, and I wanted to look for salamanders.”

Chances are, had they grown up together, Andy Wood and Charles “C.R.” Robbins would have been the best of friends. Robbins, the owner of Cape Fear River Adventures, remembers getting lost in surrounding swamps at just nine years old.

After working in the northwestern part of the United States as a wilderness area guide, he returned to this region. Today, on his guided river tours, Robbins also teaches about the Cape river basin. He discusses stricter fisheries management and pollution policies adopted on the Northwest river system.

He encourages boaters to exercise “take-in, take-out” practices. It is simple, really: Everything you bring onto the river should leave with you.

Yet by Wood and Robbins’s accounts, the Northeast Cape Fear resembles a war-torn soldier. In recent decades, the river has combated heavy pollution from hog farms and an oil spill from a metal recycling plant. The results are obvious, Robbins said.

“You can drive up I-40 where several drainages used to be. There were cypress tress growing, along with swamp gums and the pines. They were living areas,” Robbins said.

“I’ve watched them over the last ten or twelve years die away,” he said. “They deteriorated quicker than any areas of trees I’ve ever seen.”

This deterioration has been due, in large part, to the region’s heavy concentration of large poultry and swine farms. Pollution regulations are present, but policing is not.

“The waste ends up in the water table and in the runoff and in the creeks,” Robbins said, nodding toward the Northeast Cape Fear. “Everything drains into another creek and another creek and finally here.”

Now, the Northeast Cape Fear faces perhaps its biggest challenge: Titan America. The cement manufacturer has plans to build one of the largest cement plants in the country along the river’s banks in Castle Hayne, near Wilmington.

By Wood’s estimate, the destruction of more than a thousand acres of surrounding bottomland swamp would be only an initial consequence of the plant’s construction. Cement production would also emit harmful air pollutants, a risk to public health, and stress surface and ground water resources.

Together with the N.C. Coastal Federation, average citizens like Wood and Robbins have worked tirelessly to stop Titan for five long years. Their successes have been hard-won.

In 2010, the federation joined other organizations to successfully sue the state to force the cement company to conduct a required federal comprehensive review before it received any state permits. Because Titan had received public funding for their project, a review was required. Following the court’s ruling, Titan decided not to accept public funding, thereby evading any review. The court was forced to reverse its decision.

In November 2011, New Hanover County commissioners voted to require heavy industry like Titan America to apply for an additional special-use permit. The permit requires Titan to publically address potential adverse effects to public health and safety, as well as surrounding land values.

Naturalist Andy Wood worries what destroying wetlands for the proposed Titan Cement plant will do to the river.

The proposed Titan plant will occupy the site of an old cement plant.

More than 240 local doctors and health care providers have voiced their opinions on public health issues related to Titan’s proposed plant move-in. More than 15,000 citizen signatures opposing the Titan Cement project have been collected.

At any opportunity, Robbins says he will continue to plant more seeds, by educating others and getting the word out.

“I have signs up at my house. I talk to my neighbors,” Robbins said. “I show up in my ‘Stop Titan’ shirt.”

Wood’s advice for people is simple, too. “We have to lead by example,” he said. “We must recognize that what we do depends on the ecosystem services provided by the Northeast Cape Fear.”

The battered and bruised struggle that belongs to the Northeast Cape Fear is also a story of its own survival, despite everything. Robbins relays stories from older residents, who frequently witnessed the now-threatened sturgeon running into nets stretched across the river. Just last year, Robbins saw a six-foot sturgeon.

“I would like to see them come back here. It’s their natural way,” he said. “They want to get back.”

In a sense, people like Wood and Robbins all want to get back. To their childhoods. To the sturgeon. To the living cypress. It is the reason they support the work of the federation. It is the reason they continue to fight against Titan America.

“If it does happen, it’s going to change this area dramatically. Permanently,” Robbins said. “It’s not going to be something you can fix.”

“This is such a special place out here,” he said. “You can’t replace it.”