View from the Highlands 2023 v.1

photo by Travis Bordley

Letter from the Executive Director

Carl Silverstein

372 Merrimon Avenue

Asheville, NC 28801-1222

828.253.0095 • FAX 828.253.1248

sahc@appalachian.org

Board of Trustees

Nancy Edgerton, President Asheville, NC

Sheryl Aikman, Vice-President Asheville, NC

Tom Williams, Secretary Fairview, NC

Pam Kelley, Treasurer Kingsport, TN

Allison Williams, At-Large Charleston, SC

Sarah Davis Asheville, NC

Mary Fanslow Kingsport, TN

Janet Garrett Asheville, NC

Miranda (Randy) Hunter Flat Rock, NC

John McLendon Pittsboro, NC

Larry (Pender) Pender Hendersonville, NC

Rich Preyer Asheville, NC

Chris Soto Johnson City, TN

Jay Leutze Senior Advisor to the Board

Staff

Carl Silverstein Executive Director

Kristy Urquhart Associate Director

Michelle Pugliese Land Protection Director

Jess Laggis Farmland Protection Director

Hanni Muerdter Conservation Director

Marquette Crockett Roan Stewardship Director

Sarah Sheeran Stewardship Director

Chris Kaase Stewardship Associate

Cheryl Fowler Membership Director

Lisa Fancher Finance Compliance Director

Angela Shepherd Communications Director

Pauline Heyne Director of Philanthropy

Chris Link Community Farm Manager

Kirin Battaglia Weddings & Events Coordinator

Travis Bordley Outings Program Manager

LaKyla Hodges Equity and Education Manager

Park Greer South Yellow Mtn Preserve Manager

Kyle Shute Land Protection Associate

AmeriCorps Project Conserve

David Hagler Stewardship & Volunteer Member

Corinna Mokotoff Stewardship & Volunteer Member

Katie Gray Community Engagement & Education

Next year we will celebrate the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy’s Fiftieth Anniversary since its incorporation!

The organization’s accomplishments in its first half-century are remarkable. This is an excellent time to celebrate the lasting impact of the dedicated volunteers, staff, supporters, partners, and Board leaders who have championed successful conservation efforts across the decades.

Thank you all for the irreplaceable role you’ve played preserving our mountains for the future!

In this edition of our View from the Highlands, we share a few stories and perspectives from SAHC’s leaders and members over the years. We invite you to share your thoughts and memories, too, as we prepare to celebrate the organization’s Fiftieth Anniversary next year. Please email any recollections you care to share with us to sahc@appalachian.org.

Over the past few months, we have closed on the purchase of one of SAHC’s longest standing conservation priorities (52 acres in the Highlands of Roan, pg. 4-6) and embarked on an exciting new project to secure public space atop a beloved mountain near Asheville, NC (Deaverview Mountain, pg. 12-13). As we to prepare to celebrate SAHC’s milestone anniversary, these old and new stories provide a snapshot of the immense effort required to accomplish conservation in the southern Appalachians. Your support helps preserve these important places and ensures their long-term protection through land stewardship.

We are particularly grateful to our Legacy Society members, whose commitments – when they are fulfilled – create an enormous impact. We recently received word of a $1.3 million estate gift which will go a long way toward helping safeguard the future of the region. If you have any questions about including SAHC in your estate plans, please reach out. We are happy to help and would love to recognize you for your commitment.

SAHC’s programs to connect people with land, including youth education, outings, and educational workshops, continue to grow and flourish. We are grateful to all of you who have expressed interest and support for these initiatives.

Please join us for the June Jamboree on Saturday, June 10 at the Nilsen homestead on SAHC’s Prices Creek Preserve. Following a day of free guided hikes in the Roan Highlands, we look forward to sharing more new conservation projects and celebrating the good work we continue to accomplish together!

Map: SAHC’s Conservation Focus Areas with New Conservation Projects in this Issue

Dry Creek pg. 8-9

Crabtree

Bald pg. 10-11

Deaverview Mountain pg. 12-13

AppalachianTrail

Appalachian Trail Countryside

Highlands of Roan

Toms Branch pg. 4-7

Smoky Mountains

French Broad River Valley

BlueRidgeParkway

Balsam Mountains

Black Mountains

Blue Ridge Parkway

Twelve O’clock Top pg. 14-15

Scott’s Ridge pg. 16-17

Protect Steward Connect

The mission of the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy is to conserve the unique plant and animal habitat, clean water, farmland, scenic beauty, and places for all people to enjoy outdoor recreation in the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee, enduring for future generations. We achieve this through long-term conservation relationships with private landowners and public agencies and owning and managing land. We are committed to creating and supporting equitable, healthy and thriving communities for everyone in our region.

Toms Branch

52 Acres near Carvers Gap

Persistence and patience reside at the core of conservation. Sometimes it takes years or even decades before the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, our partners, and/or landowners are in a position to permanently protect a high priority parcel.

Such was the case with the 52-acre parcel on Toms Branch that SAHC recently purchased in the Highlands of Roan. Located off TN Hwy 143 and adjoining Cherokee National Forest just north of Carvers Gap, the property is highly visible to hikers on the Appalachian Trail at Round Bald and Jane Bald. Its location, and the protection of water quality in Toms Branch, meant that it had been a conservation priority for SAHC, the U.S. Forest Service and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy for forty years.

“This is a case where SAHC took out a loan to secure a long-time priority for conservation, and

will hold it until the U.S. Forest Service can acquire it from us, which will enable us to repay the loan,” elaborates Executive Director Carl Silverstein. “We are really in the midst of this transaction – we have saved the property from immediate danger of development, but putting it into the hands of the public will take some additional time and funding. We are thrilled to celebrate this stage now, and look forward to

celebrating the transfer when that happens.”

The tract adjoins Cherokee National Forest, and SAHC plans to transfer it to the U.S. Forest Service to become part of the national forest.

“Because of its location, acquiring Toms Branch will have an outsized impact on protecting the southern Appalachian strain of Brook Trout,” says Cherokee Forest Supervisor Mike Wright. “SAHC has been a key partner to the Cherokee National Forest and we are grateful for their hard work on this.”

The Overmountain Chapter of Trout Unlimited contributed a $6,000 donation towards the

Toms Branch, a tributary of the Doe River, flows through part of the protected property.

The property adjoins Cherokee National Forest. SAHC plans to own and manage the land as a nature preserve until it can be conveyed to become part of the national forest.

protection and stewardship of the Toms Branch tract.

“The Overmountain Chapter Trout Unlimited is excited to partner with SAHC to protect the headwaters of the Doe and Watauga Rivers,” says Rhett Morris, chapter president. “Keeping these waters clean and cold will benefit trout and downstream communities for years to come. We are thankful for donors like the Tri Fly Tournament that make our support possible.”

Over decades, staff from SAHC built long-term relationships with landowners in the region, demonstrating a commitment to conservation and patience in

Perspective: Former Board President Joe DeLoach

“When the first focus area maps for what became the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy were drawn in the 1960s, high priorities were given to protection of the Appalachian Trail and its viewshed, high elevation tracts where threatened and endangered species were known or suspected, and tracts where development could compromise these attributes and mar the landscape. In much of the Roan Massif the 4,000 ft. elevation contour served as the general boundary, with tracts prioritized as our assessments became more refined. At least 40 years ago the headwaters of Toms Branch, high on Heaton Ridge along TN Highway 143, received such a priority.

establishing connections with people who have loved and lived in the region for generations.

“This has been a priority as long as I’ve worked with SAHC,” adds Associate Director Kristy Urquhart, who is in her 32nd year with the organization. “This is really an historic conservation success story. Many folks have been involved over the years in trying to protect this property and other priority tracts, including people who have retired or passed on. This acquisition is not just important to us, but to the people who came before us and those who will come after us. It’s an intergenerational story.”

These lands reach to 4,400’ elevation and contain pristine headwaters of Toms Branch, itself one of the headwaters of the Doe River flowing cold and clear through Roan Mountain State Park. Their proximity to TN Highway 143 made them quite developable, and as the highest elevation private land along the highway such development would have been very visible both from the valley below and the mountain crest.

It is a joy to see these lands preserved after so many years of effort. Many good adjectives can be used to describe SAHC, but none fit better than perseverant!”

New Conservation Property US Forest Service

Other SAHC Preserves / Easements State of TN or NC Land

Appalachian Trail

Overmountain Victory Nat’l Historic Trail

Roan Mountain State Park

Hampton Creek Cove State Natural Area

Map: The elevation and location of the tract make it highly visible from the AT.

Toms Branch

Landowner Perspective:

Wanda and Scott Greer

When Wanda Greer’s husband C.L. (Clayton Lloyd Greer) passed away last year, her son Scott assisted with the difficult process of scaling back, simplifying, and relocating closer to family. Part of that process involved selling the 52-acre Toms Branch tract off Hwy 143, just north of Carver’s Gap in Carter County, TN. The property had been inherited through the family from C.L.’s parents, John and Melissa “Lissie” Troutman Greer, carrying with it interesting memories of days gone by.

“C.L. was born in 1931 in the Burbank Community of Roan Mountain, TN, and the property was passed down by his parents,” says Wanda Greer. “We had talked with Carl at SAHC about conserving the land several years ago, and I’m really happy that the conservancy was able to buy it. We couldn’t afford to donate it – but I’m happy to have it conserved because it will always be there for the public to walk and hike on. I’d much rather see that than have it developed.”

“Dad had a lot of memories of time on the property,” adds Scott Greer. “My

grandparents owned the property when I was growing up, and I loved it as a kid. I remember as a boy of 1013 years old going there to pick apples, playing, and climbing. It was a great place to adventure. In the early 1900s, there was an old residence on the property where my grandparents once lived, but it was long gone. They had moved a little further up Burbank Road, and

there.”

I would go visit the Toms Branch property from my grandparents’ home – hiking across the fields and scrambling down a steep embankment to reach it. It was an adventure just getting there in the first place. We would cross the creek and look for crayfish and trout in the stream. When my father was growing up, his parents still used the Toms Branch property for farming, including apple harvests and growing cabbages to take to market. The lower part of the land was clear at that time, and an old barn stood

Wanda remembers that the old barn was made of wormy chestnut wood; it was taken down and the wood repurposed by someone else. She says there used to be a lot of American chestnut trees there, and C.L.’s father remembered when they started dying out. The family also used the tract for hunting and spent many summers camping and hiking across the Roan Highlands.

“We heard the story from Pop Greer that they lived at one time in a small house on the Toms Branch property, and their second child was born there,” shares Wanda. “That property, the old homeplace, had been split off of a larger piece that Mom Greer’s family owned. Mom and Pop Greer had some interesting stories to tell. The Old Hackline Road ran from Burbank to the top of Roan Mountain, and they operated a toll gate on the road, which was once used to access the Cloudland Hotel. It was called the “Hackline Road” because someone at the bottom in Roan Mountain ran a hack – a small wagon – and would pick up people there to take up to the top of the mountain and to the Cloudland Hotel. C.L. was just a boy when they opened the toll gate. By that time the hotel was

“The family has grown up there, enjoying many years and memories camping on the Roan every summer, and we want to see the natural beauty of the area preserved.” - Scott Greer

Scott Greer (left) with parents C.L. and Wanda Greer.

Protecting the tract helps preserve scenic views and habitat.

gone, but people used the road to get to the top of the mountain for sightseeing. The Greers would put Cokes in ice water and sell them to the people coming up the mountain. Mom and Pop Greer had an old timey telephone hanging on the wall, and there was another phone up at Carvers Gap. They would call back and forth to manage the toll gate. This was before Hwy 143 existed. Mom Greer was a good cook, too, and she liked to take care of people. Once, they brought J.C. Penney up to the top of the mountain, and he stopped in at the Greer house for dinner and had a good conversation.”

Love Letters to Land

The property that SAHC purchased reaches up to TN Hwy 143. When C.L. Greer graduated Cloudland High School in 1950, his first job was working on construction of the new Hwy 143, leading to the top of Roan Mountain. In fact, if you’ve driven to the Roan or around Carter County, you’ve probably set foot –or tire – on roads that C.L. Greer helped create.

“We didn’t want to see the property developed in a drastic way, which would have disrupted the surrounding area,” adds Scott. “The family has grown up

In our February e-News, we encouraged folks to share the reasons why they love and support conservation of the southern Appalachian mountains. Here are a few of your ‘Love Letters to Land.’ Thank you for sharing with us!

there, enjoying many years and memories camping on the Roan every summer, and we want to see the natural beauty of the area preserved. We still enjoy hiking the Appalachian Trail and other areas in the Roan Highlands. My parents had considered some options to sell the land years ago, but decided to hold into it. When the time came and they decided to finally sell it, they were happy to be able to come to an agreement with SAHC to purchase the land as one connected property and not have to break it up.”

“Dear SAHC... My girlfriend (now wife) and I were students at Duke in 1982, and that fall we went hiking and camping in the mountains. At the recommendation of the manager at Bear Den Camp Ground in Spruce Pine, we drove up NC 261 not knowing what we’d find. After walking the AT along the grassy balds, we realized we’d discovered a truly unique and special place. And when Stan Murray introduced himself as we returned to the parking lot, and asked us to consider becoming supporters of SAHC, we said ‘yes!’

~ Ted

Newton

“I appreciate SAHC’s recent Dutch Cove acquisition in eastern Haywood County. The 157 acre site was owned for over 150 years by members of the Smathers family, among the earliest white residents of the area. Three historic structures, seemingly unmodified since they were built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, sit on about 25 acres of cleared land used to raise cattle, farm, and grow apples. The two log barns and wood frame house with a field stone chimney are in remarkably sound condition for their age though some stabilization and restoration are needed. The ridge, where the land borders the future Pisgah View State Park in Buncombe County, is heavily forested, includes a number of notable native plant species and is part of an important wildlife corridor. As a volunteer conducting research and writing a site narrative for the property and its structures, I see opportunities to interpret the land through the experience of the Dutch Cove community and the generations who worked and resided on the land. I’m a new SAHC member and appreciate the opportunity to contribute to a project which combines my interests in land conservation, local history and historic preservation.”

~ Sharon Winters, Bakersville NC

“We moved to WNC in 2021, and I immediately entered the lottery for the synchronized firefly events in the Smokies. We had no fireflies in the west, and seeing them was a dream. Thousands of people from all over enter, but I won! The evening was beyond MAGICAL. The four of us, amongst the other lucky groups, sat in total silence for hours, amazed to speechlessness. Our faces were numb from smiling until the wee hours. I will never, ever forget the miracle of fireflies – precious jewels from Mother Nature.”

~ Janet Thew, Flat Rock

Dry Creek

67 Acres Donated in Carter County, TN

The forested property adjoins Cherokee National Forest.

“This place is very close to my heart, and I’m so glad to have it protected,” shares Margaret. “It became very clear to me early on that we were the temporary custodians of this place – and I’ve done everything I could do to keep the land healthy. We were so glad that we were able to connect with SAHC to make long-term conservation of the land possible. Working with SAHC’s Land Protection Director Michelle Pugliese was a joy.”

Margaret and Tom own a farm bordering the Dry Creek tract on the northwest slope of Little Mountain in Carter County, TN, less than a mile from The Laurels Picnic Area. Twenty years ago, they saw that the forested slope behind the farm was on a path to be subdivided and developed, so their family purchased it with the long term vision to conserve the property. In the ensuing years, they have cared for the land and set out on mindful projects to improve stewardship of the forest

Ever since Margaret Robbins and Thomas Schacht purchased their forested tract southeast of Johnson City years ago, they always hoped to permanently protect the land from ever being developed. In December, the couple completed the donation of the tract to Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, fulfilling their goal to preserve the land.

and wildlife habitat. In November, they donated the 67-acre parcel to Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, with the intent that it would become part of Cherokee National Forest in the future.

“That was always our original purpose in acquiring the land, to protect it,” says Tom. “And now we’ve reached a point in life where we are downsizing and want to ensure that the land is protected going forward.”

The tract shares a boundary with Cherokee National Forest and can be seen by visitors going to The Laurels Picnic Area. An ephemeral spring leading to Dry Creek runs along one edge of the property.

“A lot of water flows down into the creek from the mountain, especially in spring,” says Margaret. “There is an understory of rhododendron and a canopy of maple, hemlock, some pine, and oak coming through. The land was

logged about 60 years ago, and the forest has been regenerating since then. I was able to secure Lari beetles (Laricobius nigrinus) to help protect the hemlock trees on the mountain from the invasive hemlock woolly adelgid. We’ve seen a lot of wildlife getting pushed onto the tract as properties surrounding the area have been developed, so we set up wildlife cameras and have enjoyed watching the images of a mama bear with two cubs. We’ve also seen the usual wildlife – deer, skunks, raccoon, fox, and an occasional blue heron that comes through.”

Early Memories Foster Conservation Awareness

“I was raised in New Jersey, in an area that had lots of open space and a dairy farm located behind our house,” continues Margaret. “We loved finding all the interesting and spooky things in nature. Now, there are no longer any farms there. When we heard that this tract was up for sale about 20 years ago

Thomas and Margaret donated the land to protect it.

with the potential plans for subdivision and development, we wanted to preserve it. Having seen and experienced that loss of open space in my childhood home, I have a deep appreciation for the importance of undeveloped land and wanted to make sure it is available for future generations as well. We’ve seen what that loss looks like and didn’t want it to happen here.”

Tom also has a deep appreciation for nature and environmental care, stretching back to childhood.

“I grew up on 600 acres in Connecticut organically farmed by my father – before organic farming was even a thing,” shares Tom. “He had seven children and taught all of us to respect the land and respect nature. One of his favorite sayings was ‘I see God in every blade of grass.’ That’s one of the values I grew up with, and Margaret shares that value as well.”

“It is a property I have used as an escape,” adds Margaret. “I am so glad that it all came together and we were able to donate the land for it to remain protected.”

Conservation and Public Lands Partnerships

Tom and Margaret began the process of

conserving the land by contacting Cherokee National Forest and Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy about how to add the tract to the national forest. Such transactions can take years to complete, so the Conservancy often acquires land and holds it until the forest service is able to accept it. As a non-profit organization, we are able to move more quickly to acquire land – which can be an important factor for landowners. SAHC plans to own and manage this property as a nature preserve, until it can be transferred to become part of Cherokee National Forest.

“With gently sloping topography at elevations ranging from 1,900 feet to 2,100 feet, these 67 acres could have been lost to development if it were not for the generosity and dedication of Margaret Robbins and Tom Schacht,” says Land Protection Director Michelle Pugliese.

“We are grateful to Margaret and Tom for having the vision to preserve this property, and to our partners in the forest service for working with SAHC in order to add it to public lands. We deeply appreciate the generous contributions made by SAHC supporters to cover transaction costs so that this project could be accomplished.”

Personal Perspective: Former Board Member David

Ramsey

“I am thrilled to hear about this acquisition near The Laurels. As a kid I made many trips to the area for family, school and sports team outings.

We loved splashing around in Honeycomb Creek, catching crawdads and salamanders. Back then, at the top of the ridge above the picnic ground, was an abandoned old spring box, which we called The Wishing Well – a mythical place of secrets shared and scary stories swapped – until the anticipated call boomed up the ridge, “BURGERS ARE READY!”

Little Mountain and adjacent Stone Mountain, Unaka Mountain and Buffalo Mountain are part of the beautiful western rim of the Blue Ridge. They are the first mountains my youthful eyes ever gazed across; the first my feet ever climbed and the ones where I still make my home.

Congratulations and THANK YOU to all involved in this important conservation win!”

New Conservation Property

US Forest Service

The Laurels Picnic Area

Crabtree Bald

A Sanctuary for Wildlife, Plants and People

Ginger and Rich Lang knew that they wanted to protect their land, even before they owned it. When they began the search decades ago, the Langs purposefully sought out a tract with qualities which they wanted to help preserve for future generations. “We looked all over the United States,” says Ginger. “We looked for a place with green mountains, arable soil, streams, forests, and mild temperatures.”

The Langs describe themselves as country people, and after living in St. Louis for several years, they were ready to put down roots away from the city. They purchased their dream property in the Crabtree community of Haywood County in 1994 and spent a long time deciding on how to best protect the land for the future. Last year, the Langs donated a conservation easement on 102 acres of their property in Bald Creek Valley.

“From the beginning, we wanted to make sure the bulk of the property would never be developed,” explains Rich. “In our search, we had a list of nine traits that we were looking for - including available water sources, arable soil, and forested land. We spent a long time investigating options for permanent land protection; it has been a very thoughtful and deliberate process. We were looking for the best option for the land, for us, and for people who come after us to be able to continue to own and enjoy the

land. SAHC representatives came to meet with us several times, and we feel like we can trust the organization to protect the land in perpetuity.”

For years, Rich has enjoyed hiking all over the land as a way to “get back to nature”, and they wanted to be able to continue to enjoy the hiking trails — and for family and future owners to enjoy that experience as well.

“I walk the trails frequently, and love seeing the wildlife,” says Rich. “There

Scenic Bald Creek Valley in Haywood County. Photo by Travis Bordley.

French Broad River Valley Focus

Abundant streams cross the tract.

New Conservation Property

Other SAHC Preserves / Easements

are two families of ruffed grouse and other bird species up there that we’ve never seen anywhere else.”

“From the beginning, we wanted to declare the property a sanctuary,” adds Ginger. “We wanted to continue to have wildlife habitat, to take care of animals, and preserve the trees — which are important for carbon storage.”

An avid gardener, Rich says they also wanted to conserve land with great soil and plentiful water, which would be good for growing food and more.

“Another factor that drew us to this area was the friendliness of the people here,” adds Rich. “In the valley we live in, families have been there for 9-10 generations. They are amazingly talented and resourceful, and they care about keeping land in the family

In fact, friends and neighbors John and Ann Geers moved to the area, influenced by the Langs. The Geers donated a conservation easement on 120 acres of their property on the northwestern flank of Crabtree Bald in 2021.

so they can pass it down. We were very eager to have roots for ourselves and decided this is where we wanted to be. We love this valley. Now we are in our 2nd generation in WNC; all of my siblings and their kids live here as well.”

“We appreciate SAHC not pushing us, but allowing us the time to decide on the conservation easement,” says Ginger. “We found it easy to work with Conservation Director Hanni Muerdter and Stewardship Associate Chris Kaase. They were incredibly helpful and patient in answering our questions. We could tell that they were both invested in nature, and appreciated them sharing their knowledge and experience. We can’t say enough good things about SAHC, and we have faith that we made the best decision to protect the land and to benefit those who come after us.”

The donated conservation easement stretches up the side of Crabtree Bald from the Bald Creek Valley. Photo by Travis Bordley.

Permanently protecting the forested land was important to landowners Ginger and Rich Lang. Photo by Courtland White, Carolinas Nature Photographers Association.

Crabtree Bald Tract

Deaverview Mountain

A Beloved Mountain At Risk

Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy has signed an option agreement to purchase an iconic ridgeline overlooking the city of Asheville and much of the French Broad River valley. The property was recently listed for sale for $9,995,000 under the subdivision name “The View of Asheville.”

This is very much a project-in-progress. SAHC Executive Director Carl Silverstein explains, “We have been talking about protecting the summit of Deaverview Mountain for years, but buying land for conservation in the expensive Asheville market is not easy. In this case a friendly ‘conservation buyer’ negotiated the purchase, bought the property, and will hold it temporarily to give SAHC an opportunity to work out a permanent conservation solution.”

“The ridges surrounding Asheville are dotted with residential subdivisions, but this mountain begs for a different fate,” Carl continues. “It is part of our collective imagination and history –visible from Bearwallow Mountain, the Biltmore estate, the airport, and from the Blue Ridge Parkway. It’s the

backdrop for Asheville in ‘Land of the Sky’ postcards going back to the 1930s, and needs to remain for people in Buncombe County and the region to enjoy forever.”

The option gives Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy three years to complete the purchase.

“We’re excited about the potential for a park to expand access to recreation, educational opportunities, and conservation of a remarkable natural resource,” said Buncombe County Parks & Recreation Director Allison Dains. “We

look forward to working together to help make this vision a reality for Buncombe.”

SAHC Land Protection Director Michelle Pugliese adds, “We want to assist Buncombe County in their efforts to protect more farmland, link more trails, and, now, to create a park in this location. Land trusts are especially effective when helping public agencies meet their own conservation goals.”

Michelle emphasizes that part of SAHC’s mission is connecting people to land.

“We have a crisis related to people’s disconnect from nature,” she adds. “It leads to anxiety when people see a natural place they treasure altered by

Deaverview Mountain, photos by Travis Bordley.

Fall color in towering trees atop the 343-acre property.

road cuts and construction. Creating more public land on what is still untouched can really enhance public health. Connection to nature has been shown to reduce anxiety, and a new public park at Deaverview Mountain will offer both physical and mental health benefits to make our community stronger. ”

The online property listing touted ‘Outstanding views from the property extend[ing] to the horizon line over layers of mountain ridges in all directions. Clearly visible landmarks include the downtown Asheville skyline, Biltmore Estate, Mountain Mitchell, Mount Pisgah, the Grove Park Inn, Weaverville, the French Broad River, and more.’ The seller of the property had an approved 21-estate-lot development plan on file. The listing also described mature hardwood timber, multiple springs, open meadows and extensive existing soil roads or trails.

Buncombe County Commissioner Terri Wells says “I applaud SAHC’s initiative to conserve this community asset and to convene many partners. With its proximity to a significant portion of our population, this mountain forest has tremendous potential to provide recreational and educational opportunities. I especially love the idea that anyone will be able to enjoy the most spectacular view in Asheville. This will be an enduring legacy.”

“Deaverview Mountain will make a great addition to our county’s natural areas – it’s close to town, is still wild, and has views like no other,” says NC State Senator Julie Mayfield. “I am grateful to SAHC for its work to protect it and make it available for public use once full funding is secured.”

“Not only will this space be a wonderful resource for the community, we are excited about the enrichment opportunities and educational connections we will be able to provide our students with access to this beautiful property,” adds Angie Trantham, principal of Johnston Elementary School, which sits just below Spivey and Deaverview Mountains.

SAHC is continuing to seek partnerships for permanent protection

of the land, and we have begun fundraising from multiple sources. One partner who has already been vocal in support of saving the mountain is Jamie Ervin, a resident of East Asheville and a policy associate for Outdoor Alliance, a national organization focused on outdoor recreation.

“Deaverview Mountain is already loved by a lot of people,” says Jamie. “You can see that mountain from everywhere. It just seems like the perfect location for a park and I’m glad that’s one of the options. Being outdoors changes lives, and the idea that families might be able to take a hike somewhere this beautiful and close to town in the future is exciting.”

Preserving a mountaintop so close to town is a rare opportunity.

Stunning views of downtown Asheville, the Biltmore Estate, and surrounding area are just one of the reasons this property would make an excellent public park.

Twelve O’Clock Top

Above Dutch Cove in Haywood County

Ronny Birchfield grew up in Haywood County and enjoyed “running amok” in the woods with friends and neighbors; they cared for the land but enjoyed the freedom of hiking, hunting, and exploring. When the property came up for sale several years ago, Ronny and his wife Mary purchased it so that it would remain an undeveloped space for friends, family, and animals to roam. This year, the Birchfields closed on a conservation easement with SAHC, permanently preserving the 64-acre tract which stretches up to 4,800 ft. elevation at the crest of the mountain known as Twelve O’Clock Top.

“When I was growing up in Haywood County, the people who owned the property were friends of the family, and they had always been generous in allowing folks to use it,” shares Ronny. “Everyone was respectful and took care of the land while enjoying camping, hunting, and riding on it. Several years ago, when the time came that the land was going to be sold, we decided to purchase it because we didn’t want to see it bought and

developed. We wanted to keep it as it was, and for friends and family to still be able to access it for hunting and camping. It seems like more and more, homes are all getting closer together and we are losing our open spaces. That way of life is going away, where we were able to just run amok outdoors. We still need places where the land is just undeveloped.”

The tract is in an important wildlife corridor that runs across the mountains and ridges separating Haywood and Buncombe County, near the future Pisgah View State Park. Almost a half mile of streams cross the property, and it is almost entirely forested

“Protecting the peak and northern flanks of Twelve O’Clock Top is special,” says Conservation Director Hanni Muerdter. “The peak and property form the head of Dutch

Cove, and headwaters of Dutch Cove Creek originate on the tract. The peak separates the Dutch Cove watershed (to the north) from the Harley Creek watershed in Cruso (to the south). Twelve O’Clock Top is part of the high ridgeline that serves as the county boundary, making it visible from many vantage points in Buncombe and Haywood Counties.”

“We knew a little about SAHC and how conservation worked,” continues Ronny. “We’d heard about the efforts to conserve land at Pisgah View Ranch for a state park and how SAHC was involved with that. We are just over the hill, so we reached out to see if they would be interested in conserving more land in the area. We’d done research about the organization online first and read about other SAHC conservation projects, and we felt good about contacting and working

The Twelve-O’Clock Top tract with Pisgah Mountain in the background.

Drainages and streams on the forested property form headwaters of Dutch Cove Creek.

“We may not be your typical conservation easement landowner,” laughs Ronny. “This property wasn’t passed down to us, although generations of my family are from Haywood County. We went into debt to purchase it, because we wanted the land to stay undeveloped and wild. Our adult children continue to enjoy the property, and one day it will be theirs.”

Ronny and Mary donated more than half of the value of the conservation easement, and a private donor funded the rest of the easement purchase and transaction costs to make permanent protection of the land possible.

Ronny notes that the reserved timber rights in the conservation easement allow them to do positive impact forestry harvest later on, which could help the family financially to continue to own the property in the future.

“The logging would have to be done in a responsible manner, with an approved forest management plan and overseen by a certified forester,” says Ronny. “The way I see it, that actually helps ensure the health of the land. It has to be done the right way, with proper stream crossings, for example. Other places where timber is harvested may not be done in a sustainable way, so it would be better overall if wood

for production comes from sustainably harvested forests.”

Owning and managing land can be expensive.

Conservation easements help preserve networks of habitat while allowing landowners to reserve limited land use rights, including farming and sensitive timber harvest. However, each conservation easement and land management plan is unique. Reserved rights depend on the conservation values of the land being protected, conservation goals of the landowner, and standards for accredited land trusts. SAHC’s process for enacting reserved rights is administered by our Stewardship team. If you are the owner of a conservation easement, please be sure to reach out to your Stewardship contact before beginning any land management activity or transaction that involves your protected land.

Scott’s Ridge

A Community Comes Together

Last fall, Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy purchased 139 acres adjoining the Pisgah National Forest Bent Creek Experimental Forest in Enka, south of Asheville, NC. The property is known as Scott’s Ridge after its mile-long ridgeline bordering the national forest. In a ‘first’ for SAHC, a large portion of the funding to purchase the tract was essentially crowd-sourced, with hundreds of neighbors pitching in to donate towards saving the mountain.

“The property was being marketed for residential real estate development, and developers were making offers to buy the property,” explains Executive Director Carl Silverstein. “But thankfully, the seller Enka Land Development One LLC, sold the property to SAHC instead. With development continuing to intensify around Asheville, conserving these 139 acres is a major ‘win’ for wildlife

habitat, water quality and scenic views.”

The tract ranked as a high priority in SAHC’s conservation-planning process completed several years ago, because of its relatively large size and long boundary with the national forest. Conserving it provides an undeveloped forest buffer for Bent Creek Experimental Forest, improving connectivity for wildlife to move and migrate, and for plants and animals to adapt to climate change.

“Mature forests on the tract act as a sponge that soaks up and disperses water from increasingly intense rain events that

accompany the warming climate,” continues Silverstein. “Protecting these forests from development helps reduce flooding from storms and avoid creating runoff and sedimentation from development.”

The property contains headwaters of two streams.

“Development on this ridge could have degraded water quality in nearby streams and Enka Lake,” points out Stewardship Director Sarah Sheeran.

At 3,000-feet in elevation, the ridgeline is prominent in the view from all around Enka, including Hominy Valley Park, AB Tech Enka campus, and Enka High School. Scenic views of the mountain and its vibrant fall foliage will continue to be enjoyed by people in the area.

SAHC will own and manage the property for the long term as a nature preserve.

“We are in the process of creating a comprehensive land management

SAHC’s purchase protects the ridge and water quality in Enka Lake. Photo credit Bob Ware/SlowGlassPictures.com

Protecting the ridge helps protect water quality in Enka Lake. Photo by Michael Fredericks, Carolinas Nature Photographers Association.

plan for the property, following national Land Trust Standards and Practices,” says Sarah.

Although not generally open to the public, we look forward to hosting small guided hikes on the property as part of our education and Connecting People with Land programs.

“More than 430 households contributed to this conservation effort, raising $1.8 million towards the

purchase,” says Silverstein. “It was an SAHC ‘first’ in the amount of crowd-sourced funding for a major land acquisition. The total purchase price for the property was $2,500,000, with funding for the purchase made possible by this enormous crowd-

Getting the Word Out — Thank You, Interns!

funding effort and a wonderful gift by the Stanback family. We are grateful to all the generous conservationminded folks who made permanent protection of this land possible.”

Communicating about conservation via social media and email help people understand the importance of SAHC’s work. Interns this semester created content for our Instagram stories and more, including a story about Scott’s Ridge.

Claire Nadeau is interning during her final semester at the University of North Carolina Asheville. She is graduating with a degree in environmental studies focusing on ecology with a minor in biology. After college, she plans on doing conservation work and restoration ecology, or potentially wildlife rescue and rehabilitation. Her passion is in protecting the environment and organisms that call it home, and her relationship with nature motivates her to keep learning and developing her interests. “I am very excited to be working with SAHC and to have the ability to share what inspires me with others,” she says.

Cullen Harvey recently graduated from the University of Idaho with dual undergraduate degrees in business, economics, and marketing analytics, along with a minor in creative writing. As a passionate advocate for conservation and protecting natural habitats and wildlife, Cullen is excited to intern with SAHC and make a meaningful impact. “With my background in marketing and a keen interest in copywriting, I am dedicated to using my skills to raise awareness and support for charitable causes and conservation efforts that improve people’s lives,” he says. “I have developed a deep appreciation for the importance of conservation and preserving our planet’s biodiversity.”

Thank you Claire and Cullen!

New Conservation Property US Forest Service Land

Scott’s Ridge

Other Protected Land

The ridge will now remain forested for perpetuity.

SAHC Community Farm Conservation • Education • Celebration

Spring on the farm in the Alexander community has been busy, with a new agroforestry project improving and reshaping the future of land management in our pasture area. Thank you to the dedicated volunteers from Wicked Weed Brewing Company, University of Tennessee in Knoxville, and local residents who have helped in tree planting and other work days on the farm. Want to come see what’s new and exciting? Our Outings team now offers monthly farm tours, and more farm workshops are in the works. Check out the most up-to-date list of upcoming events at Appalachian.org and join us on the farm!

Silvopasture Project

In March, we hosted the first of a 2-part workshop series on planning, planting, and maintaining a silvopasture project.

SAHC received a $6,000 Catalyzing

Agroforestry Grant to support creating a silvopasture project at the SAHC Community Farm, and the nonprofit organization Contour Lines Corp. donated plant material and design expertise for hands-on workshops. This agroforestry plot is designed as an educational tool to demonstrate regenerative agriculture and soil conservation techniques. It will also serve as a model for larger scale land restoration projects including native species reforestation, diversified fruit and nut production, and silvopasture farming.

Silvopasture Workshop Part 2: Agroforestry Maintenance will be on Saturday, June 24 from 9 am to 5 pm. More details and registration at Appalachian.org

The Catalyzing Agroforestry Grant Program is focused on implementing silvopastures and forest farming practices. SAHC’s project is part of a growing Agroforestry Regional Knowledge (ARK) Exchange that serves as a framework for future growth of agroforestry adoption.

Our aim with the silvopasture acreage on the SAHC Community Farm is to make productive and demonstrative use of our hilly pasture. Swales cut into the pasture on contour were planted with a variety of trees and shrubs. Carbon sequestration, value-added products and perennial/ no till crops are a few of the beneficial environmental and economic factors in this multi crop plan, and we are confident it will be a great fit for our farm and the needs of our region.

University of TN Volunteers

Ten students from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville volunteered to help at the farm during VOLbreak, an alternative Spring Break of service. They assisted with our new silvopasture project by helping spread straw on exposed swales to protect recently planted fruit and nut trees and cover crops. SAHC’s

SAHC Community Farm work is funded in part by grants from The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, a grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, and a cost-share grant from USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

SAHC Community Farm Manager Chris Link (right) leads a guided tour and hike to point out different project areas on the farm.

resident Scottish Highland cattle ventured close to the working students, allowing them to snap a few selfies.

“I’ve never seen a Highland cow in real life,” said one student, excited about the encounter.

Community Farm Manager Chris Link provided an informative talk about the aim of the silvopasture project and the benefits this land management strategy.

“One of the goals of silvopasture is to capture rainwater, deterring erosion and thereby allowing water to absorb into the soil and eventually filter into local streams,” he explained. “ We envision pasturing poultry in the silvopasture project area in the future, where mast produced by mature fruit and nut trees can feed the animals.”

With the straw-spreading done, the students moved to the 26-acre stream restoration area, where they planted 300 bare-root trees, including false indigo, sycamore, and black locust – a nitrogen fixing species of tree native to the southern Appalachians. After lunch, the volunteers planted an additional 300 trees along the contoured swales of the 8-acre silvopasture project area. Future visitors to the farm can expect to see multi-species perennial crops of trees and shrubs taking root along the swales with a wide variety of species, including locust,

mulberry, paw-paw, hazelnut, sycamore, indigo, cottonwood, and elderberry. Thank you, volunteers!

Utopian Seed Project

The Utopian Seed Project has expanded their crop trial growing area at the farm.

“Access to farmland is definitely a large challenge for farmers in the United States,” says Utopian Seed Project founder and Executive Director Chris Smith. “As a young agricultural nonprofit, we’ve faced the same challenges. In 2022 one of our farm sites was sold and we lost access to that growing space. Having the ability to grow at the SAHC

“The Utopian Seed Project runs a lot of crop and variety trials and grows a lot of seed crops,” he continues. “I’m very excited to be growing a large taro variety trial at the Community Farm this year. It’ll be a little patch of Hawaiian-esque paradise! Taro is an excellent crop to grow in the region to support a climate resilient food system – it’s delicious, productive and easy to grow.”

SAHC Community Farm Manager Chris Link is also helping with the design for the Utopian Seed Project’s mobile seedsaving unit.

Community Farm really allows us to do our work of crop trials and regional adaptation seed work in an environment that feels safe, secure and supportive.”

“In 2022 we launched a WNC Seed Growers Collective as a response to the need to support more regional seed growers,” explains Chris Smith. “The aim is to supply regional farmers with regionally adapted seeds grown by regional farmers, a kind of by-farmersfor-farmers concept. Having regional seed sovereignty and access to varieties suited to our climate is really important, especially as the climate continues to change. One barrier to seed growing is access to seed cleaning equipment; the collective is in the process of outfitting a mobile seed processing trailer that will be a shared resource for our collective. We’re extremely grateful to have the support of SAHC and Chris Link as we work to support farmers in the region.”

(Left) Deep trenches dug out of red clay, contouring the pastures like the lines on a topographic map. A variety of trees and shrubs were planted in the swales. (Right) University of TN volunteers help spread straw to protect the new plantings as they get established.

Taro, growing in field.

Photo by Utopian Seed Project

Family names of those buried in the cemetery include: Barnard, Penland, Gudger, Lowery, Roberts, Horne, McElrath, McAfee, Whitson, Love, Stevens, Ferguson, Butler, and more.

History of the Site

According to a history pamphlet written by DoRothea Goodman Williams in 1984, “The beginnings of the Alexander Chapel Baptist marked the birth of an independent Black denomination in the Leicester Township of Buncombe County. On June 28, 1889, the Trustees of the Colored Missionary Baptist

History of the Land

Alexander Chapel Baptist Church & Cemetery

Tucked upon a hillside in northwest Buncombe County – near the SAHC Community Farm – stands an unassuming structure with an important link to the past. The Alexander Chapel Baptist Church and Cemetery are a testament to the diverse history of the region. The cemetery provides a permanent resting place for Black residents of Leicester, Alexander, and the surrounding areas who helped rural Buncombe County grow and prosper. Unlike many Black cemeteries that have been forgotten or lie hidden in the mountains, family members of those buried here still remember services and celebrate gatherings held on the property. They say that visiting the church site and cemetery is “going home.” Efforts to restore and preserve the site are growing, but much remains to be done.

Church were granted a parcel of land by John F. Alexander and wife of Leicester Township. In the deed recorded in the Buncombe County Courthouse, ‘one lot of land which adjoined the land of the Colored District School House’ was sold to the Trustees for one dollar.” Williams continues, “The Church was thriving in its early years as a result of the sizable Black population... According to the 1900 Census of Leicester Township, there were 131 Black residents. Most of the adults listed their occupations as farmers, washwomen, or day laborers.” Land for the cemetery was conveyed in 1907.

One notable resident buried in the cemetery is Robert Burton Roberts (1859-1943), son of Joseph Roberts and Rosa Carson. Just six years old at the time of emancipation, he grew up to be a farmer and owned about 100 acres at Bert Mountain, off Newfound Road. His granddaughter LaTiece Eggleston recalls, “The mountain was named for him. He’d say he’d ‘rather eat crabapples

than be a slave to you or anyone else’ –and he worked for himself, always.” She also remembers, “There was a spring about halfway up the mountain, and grandpa ran a pipe from there all the way to the back of the house. They got all the water they needed for the livestock and themselves from that.” This was LaTiece’s father’s family, from Leicester; her mother’s parents were from Madison and Rutherford Counties and had a farm off Haw Branch Road in Barnardsville. Their main crop was tobacco, like many families in the region. LaTiece helped with farming, too.

“It was hard in some ways – a hard life and hard work, but also good,” she says. “Kids played all day long on weekends, went to school together, were in the rows and fields together. The girls worked on the farm like the boys did.”

Black community members buried in the cemetery made significant contributions to the prosperity of the region, and their stories are important to the legacy of land and people in the southern Appalachians.

Preservation Efforts

Grieving the passing of her husband in 2015, Annette Penland Coleman took a

A new sign marking the historic site was installed in 2021.

The school building (right) is long gone, but the church building (background) remains, in need of preservation and repair. The school property was owned and sold by the board of education; a private residence sits there now. Photo shared by Charles Barnard.

trip over to the church to visit the graveside of her mother, Ruth Gudger Penland. “The grass over the graves was waist high,” she remembers. “I was just shocked, and thought, somebody has to do something.” And that someone was Annette. The property had been lovingly used for services and homecomings over the years, but as family members moved out of the area and elders caring for the property aged or passed away, the land and structure fell into disrepair. Annette began coordinating regular mowing at the site and inspired other folks to get involved. With their support, a new sign for the historic church was installed in 2021.

Last year, members of the Jamerson/Penland families visited the site during a reunion. Annette shared a memory written by one of the family members: “The first time I visited the church, I was a little girl visiting my Uncle Glenn and Aunt Gladys. Mama took us to see the church and I was in awe of the structure and pews and history of it all. The last time I visited, as a woman grown, we laid my granny to rest right there by that church. Seeing it still there, standing the test of time and bearing witness to the life of my family, brings a sense of “home” and foundation and roots. Thank you Annette and those who have contributed

to that foundation and keeping these memories alive!” ~ Tia, Lisa’s Daughter, Margaret’s Grandaughter.”

Most of the Black families who once lived in the Leicester and Alexander communities have moved out of the area. Support for significant repairs of the building structure and long-term care and maintenance of the cemetery weighs heavily on Annette’s mind.

“We have to do more preservation work on the church, so people can go there, and so that it will be around and the grave sites taken care of in the future. Many veterans, particularly WWI veterans, are buried there. These are our family, our people, and they cannot be forgotten.”

Recently, an anonymous donor contributed a matching grant from The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina to help improve the driveway to the site. According to Annette, the original access to the church and cemetery ran alongside the school at a gradual slope. With the school gone, the access had to be rerouted up a steep, curved drive, and maintaining the access has been an ongoing issue. Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy was proud to be the fiscal agent for this grant.

Annette Penland Coleman

Annette’s family moved from Leicester when she was six years old. As a student at Stephens Lee High School, she was part of the Asheville Student Committee on Racial Equality (ASCORE), taking action to desegregate public spaces in Asheville. An active leader in the community, Annette is an honoree of the 2023 Rosa Parks Award of The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Association of Asheville and Buncombe County.

Annette at her mother’s grave

For questions or more information, contact Annette Coleman at (828) 230-0629 or annette-coleman@att.net, or mail Alexander Chapel Baptist Church Cemetery Fund, c/o Annette Coleman PO Box 6082 , Asheville, NC 28816.

Henry Barnard, a well-known blacksmith in the community

Deacon Latta Frances McElrath (right) and wife Christine Harris McElrath (left)

Robert Burton Roberts (left) and Sam Penland (right)

“These are our people, and they cannot be forgotten.”

- Annette Penland Coleman

Pathways to Environmental Leadership

Allison Williams and LaKyla Hodges

Asheville has a reputation for being an environmental enthusiast’s dream. With gorgeous views, countless trails, and convenient waterways, many assume everyone who comes to Western North Carolina and East Tennessee can connect with the outdoors. Since moving to Asheville in 2018, it has become clear to Equity and Education Manager LaKyla Hodges that this is not the case.

“Like several other places around the U.S., access to enjoying the outdoors in our region is a privilege that not all people are granted,” says LaKyla. “Populations most likely to be excluded from access to nature are often limited due to aspects of their identity such as race, income, and physical ability. SAHC is one of the local organizations interested in exploring these gaps and working to create and support pathways to access and leadership in environmentalism and conservation.”

In Part 1 of a series, LaKyla and Board member Allison Williams reflect on their journeys of connection to nature and discuss how their career pathways were formed.

Both Allison and LaKyla have had a love for the outdoors for as long as they can remember. As children, they remember just being happy to be out in nature. It wasn’t until they got older that they both realized the inequalities in outdoor recreation and environmentalism.

Allison’s family was very passionate about spending time outdoors together. “This allowed me to have the comfort of being introduced to outdoor recreation with people who looked like me,” she says.

Between family outings and Girl Scout activities, spending time in green spaces became second nature to her. Allison has had several roles in the environmental field, including being an aquatics director for a Girl Scouts camp, a

NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) student in Tanzania, an AmeriCorps member serving with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and U.S. Forest Service, a tour guide at Hoover Dam, and a professional member of the NRPA (National

Service International programs. In addition, she teaches free yoga courses on her YouTube channel, Sunflower Collective Outdoors.

Like Allison, LaKyla also grew up with a love for the outdoors.

Recreation and Parks Association). Most recently, Allison has transitioned from a career working directly in outdoor recreation to be an operations specialist for U.S. Forest

“Although my family didn’t necessarily share that love, they were extremely supportive of my hobbies and career aspirations around environmentalism,” says LaKyla. “I grew up attending Junior Park Ranger camps, working at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s summer camp program, and traversing through the woods. As I got older, I was fortunate enough to intern in several areas of environmental education and advocacy with different organizations.”

“Overarching themes in our conversation on how to bridge this gap include comfort, patience, and community engagement.”

– Equity and Education Manager LaKyla Hodges

Board member Allison Williams teaches live streamed yoga classes @SunflowerCollectiveOutdoors

Though their paths differed, both LaKyla and Allison ended up with a strong passion for outdoor education and recreation.

However, in pursuit of their careers and hobbies related to the outdoors, it also became obvious to them that accessibility and representation are often overlooked in green spaces. In recent years, equity and inclusion have become more mainstream concerns for influential environmental organizations such as the National Parks Service, Sierra Club, and National Wildlife Federation. Although this is a huge step in the right direction, Allison and LaKyla

agree there is much work to do to “close the gap” in green spaces.

“Overarching themes in our conversation on how to bridge this gap include comfort, patience, and community engagement,” says LaKyla. “The outdoors can be a daunting concept for those who don’t have a strong or positive relationship with it. The importance of a slow, warm welcome to green spaces should not be overlooked. Meeting people where they are, accessing their comfort levels, and providing conservation-related opportunities at several different levels can be exactly what many people need to discover their love for the outdoors.”

LaKyla has seen this in practice in her work with SAHC, providing on-site environmental programming to communities around Buncombe County, as has Allison in her direct and indirect outdoor recreation work. Holding space for challenge by choice, needs assessments, and relationship building allows people to form positive memories with green spaces gently and to forge their own paths into the environmental world, just as Allison and LaKyla were able to do.

Donor Perspective: Gary and Teresa Landwirth

Gary and Teresa Landwirth support SAHC’s equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) initiatives with a grant to assist with youth engagement, relationshipbuilding with community groups, and internal organization efforts to break down inequities and create welcoming spaces for everyone to become involved. From farm-related projects in food security to youth rafting trips on the Nolichucky River, SAHC’s EDI initiatives engage with a variety of partner groups and programs endeavoring to make opportunities and resources more equitable for everyone. Each of SAHC’s program goals is impacted by historic inequities in the conservation field, including unequal access to land and ownership of land. These inequities cause imbalance in communities, and we are committed to taking purposeful action to help correct them.

“It is important for all of us – for SAHC and the environmental movement as a whole – to have equitable representation in leadership, land protection, and access to natural resources,” says Gary. “When people have greater connection to environmental resources, they have a more vested interest in helping to preserve and steward these resources. Access to land and enjoying nature leads to greater understanding, which in turn translates to appreciation for the environment and active participation in land stewardship. We are happy to support SAHC’s efforts in equity and inclusivity because education and diverse leadership are important for the long-term success of conservation.”

Equity and Education Manager LaKyla Hodges talks with students and other volunteers at A.B. Tech’s Earth Day celebration

LaKyla gives a demonstration during middle school programs with Buncombe County Soil & Water Conservation Environmental Educators

Roan

Stewardship Outdoor Recreation Updates

Our Highlands of Roan stewardship team is gearing up for a busy summer of active land management and education in this one-of-a-kind, ecologically important area. We encourage you to find out more about the challenges faced by SAHC and our partners as the Carvers Gap and grassy balds have exploded in popularity, and explore alternate places in the Roan for outdoor recreation — including updated trails at Hampton Creek Cove State Natural Area.

Hampton Creek Cove State Natural Area

We are thrilled to celebrate the completion of infrastructure updates to improve access and recreational use of the Hampton Creek Cove State Natural Area in TN. SAHC protected the 693-acre tract in 1986 and has co-managed it with the State of TN, which owns it. In 2018, SAHC was awarded a $200,000 grant from the TN Recreational Trails Program for the replacement of pedestrian bridges in Hampton Creek Cove. The project

was conducted in partnership with the Tennessee Division of Natural Areas and received additional monetary support from the Overmountain Chapter of Trout Unlimited and the Tennessee Trails Association Evan Means grant. Besides the two new bridges, the project also involved trail improvements, installation of an ADA parking access, new trail signs, information kiosk updates, and more, all to improve recreation access while protecting sensitive habitats. We look forward to celebrating the completion of this project, which will help more people enjoy hiking, birding, fishing, and connecting with nature in this special place. Join one of our June Jamboree hikes in Hampton Creek Cove (see pg. 30-31) to see for yourself.

We want to give a special “thank you” to volunteers from the East TN Trails Association and to long-time volunteer Otto Smith for conducting his Eagle Scout project as part of this recreational trails project. Otto and NC Boy Scouts Troop 61 extended the

size of the information kiosk and built a trail boardwalk up to the new lower pedestrian bridge.

Visitor Use Management

Over the past several years, the Carvers Gap access to the Appalachian Trail in the Highlands of Roan has seen dangerous levels of visitation, with people parking haphazardly in roadways, social trails causing erosion issues, and crowds walking across fragile plant populations. The Roan Highlands Visitor Use Management (RHVUM) Committee was formed in 2022 to bring together key management partners and stakeholders to collaborate and develop short-term and long-term plans to address visitor use management issues and to protect the ecological integrity and character of Roan Highlands – particularly Round Bald, Jane Bald and Grassy Ridge.

The RHVUM Committee is composed of representatives from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy),

Two new pedestrian bridges have been completed in Hampton Creek Cove State Natural Area, along with other recreational trail updates

Otto and Troop 61 volunteers on the boardwalk they built.

Pisgah National Forest (NC) & Cherokee National Forest (TN), Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy and the Tennessee Eastman Hiking & Canoing Club, as well as local representation from Roan Highlands communities in NC and TN. The committee’s mission is to develop and maintain an appropriate balance for the protection of wildlife and rare plant habitats while minimizing the detrimental impacts from heavy visitor use, in order to provide the public with an outdoor recreational experience in an outstanding scenic viewshed of the southern Appalachians.

In February, SAHC hosted an informative Lunch and Learn about Roan Visitor Use Management, available to watch on our YouTube channel at @SAHC. As partners, we have also launched a new website dedicated to share collective knowledge and resources about the Roan, to better educate visitors and manage threats to fragile ecosystems. Find out more at RoanHighlands.org.

2023 Roan Naturalist

The Roan Naturalist assists in grassy balds habitat management and educates hikers about the sensitive ecology in the Highlands of Roan and Leave No Trace principles. This position is hosted as a joint effort of SAHC and our Roan Highlands management partners. We welcome Adam Kluge to the team as our 2023 Roan Naturalist. Adam grew up in Fairview, NC and is currently a junior at Warren Wilson College, where he is studying Conservation Biology. He previously worked at Hickory Nut Gap Farms and at Ironwood Outdoors, helping to restore and build trails.

“I am beyond excited to be working as the Roan Naturalist this summer,” says Adam. “Growing up here, I developed a deep love for the southern Appalachian landscape and the plants and wildlife that make it so unique. I look forward to working in the Roan this summer so that I can give back to the land which shaped the person I am today.”

Adam is an avid backpacker and birder, and we look forward to putting those skills to use on the Roan this summer!

Roan Ecologist Perspective: Tom Gatti

In 1976, SAHC hired its first seasonal ecologist, but back then the position was called a Ridgerunnner. I know that because, and I’m very proud to say, I was that person. For the next 3 summers I would spend 10 nights camping out along the trail, sleeping in my van at Carvers Gap – or, thanks to the generosity of the late Bill Lowndes and his wife Kim, I would get a bed at their Yellow Mountain Ranch home. I carry the memories of those summers with me to this day. The sight of the clouds rolling across the mountains and filling the valleys below or watching a bobcat with 3 kits cross Highway 143 on a foggy morning on my way up the mountain. Watching a super moon come up over Big Yellow Bald from Grassy Ridge or riding out a ferocious storm in the center of my tent, wondering if this is when I’ll be taken to the land of Oz. Then there was a cold fall day camped in the “deadening” on Big Yellow and that night the clouds settled in, the temperature dropped so that the next morning every blade of grass was encased in ice, sparkling like diamonds in the morning sun. As I hiked out across the bald the ice-encased grass shattered like glass. Then there was the time I was sitting on Round Bald at twilight; the crowds had left, when out of nowhere a military jet comes right through the gap and I swear I was looking down on him. In that split second, he turned his head my way and to this day I believe we made eye contact.

What I enjoyed most was roaming the woods looking for anything of interest. I remember my first sight of the long cascades of Elk Hollow Creek that is now part of SAHC’s Elk Hollow Preserve. Exploring Hampton Creek Cove and finding a large round-leaf orchid and the orange fringe orchid along the creek. Wandering along the flanks of Roan out of Carvers Gap, slipping and falling and there in front of me was the tiny tray-blade orchid; and on that same wandering coming upon a moonshine still that was idle. I crept silently away.

I guess the long and short of all this is that job, the place, and most importantly the people I met along the way created a sense of community and family that I still feel today. After my 3 years I would spend some time with the seasonal that followed and have lasting friendships with many. These days I may get to meet and interact with the seasonal for a day or two on volunteer work days. Time has passed, but the issues they deal with today aren’t much different from 46 years ago. I’m thankful and proud of my long association with SAHC and what has been accomplished over these years. I hope the seasonal ecologists in the future derive as much joy from being on the mountain as I did. Happy Trails.”

Welcome to the Seasonal Roan Team

Seasonal Roan Technician

Olivia Dossett

Olivia was raised in Nashville, Tennessee and grew up hiking, biking, and kayaking throughout the rolling hills of middle and east Tennessee. She will graduate from Colorado College in May with a B.A. in Organismal Biology and Ecology. While at Colorado College, she conducted research on shade intolerance in the invasive species, Tamarix ramosissima, and developed an excitement to pursue a career in conservation ecology. Olivia will bring her enthusiasm for the outdoors and her passion for preserving the beautiful ecosystems of Appalachia to her work as the Roan Technician. The Roan Technician position assists Roan Stewardship Director Marquette Crockett in management activities throughout the summer.

Gray’s Lily Research Intern

Ellie Huber

Ellie grew up in Charleston, South Carolina where she cast nets, kayaked through salt water estuaries, and relished in the smell of pluff mud. She’ll be graduating from Appalachian State University in December of 2023 with a B.S. in Biology concentrated in Ecology, Environmental Science, and Evolution. In 2021, Ellie took a summer to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail which grew her love of the amazing biodiversity of the Appalachian Mountains. Since hiking the trail, she has since maintained a strong sense of curiosity and taken the initiative to learn to identify many native trees, herbaceous plants, and birds. This summer, she will be bringing her enthusiasm and passion for conservation to SAHC as an intern where she will be working alongside the conservation effort behind the elusive Gray’s Lily — an elusive perennial wildflower endemic to the high elevations of Roan and to some other small pockets in Southern Appalachia.

Graduate Research Fellows in the Roan Careers in Conservation

This summer we welcome two Stanback Fellows from the Duke Nicholas School of the Environment, Yuntian Bi and Suri Sun. Both of these Stanback Fellows will assist with projects related to the Roan Highlands Visitor Use Management committee, helping SAHC and our partners with research that can better inform efforts to manage and preserve ecosystem resources.

Yuntian Bi grew up in Tianjin, a coastal city in northern China. She has hiked and camped in 22 out of 34 provinces in China, and these landscapes kindled her passion for conservation. Yuntian graduated from the University of California San Diego, with a BS in Environmental Systems (Environmental Chemistry) and has volunteered for conservation projects in the Mojave Desert, lichen studies in California Sky Islands, and in the Danjiang Wetland Nature Reserve in China. She is currently pursuing her MS in Forestry, MS in Environmental Management in EcosystemScience & Conservation, and a Certificate in Geospatial Analysis at Duke.

Suri Sun was born in the northern suburb of Beijing, China. Reading works about natural history inspired her to do environmental work. Suri graduated from Mt. Holyoke College with a BA in Environmental Studies (minor in Biology). She has volunteered for a wide range of biological studies across China, including Horseshoe Crab surveys, shorebird studies, songbird studies, and wildlife camera data processing. A birdwatcher and amateur photographer, Suri is pursuing her Master of Environmental Management (Concentration: Ecosystem Science and Conservation) at Duke.

The Stanback Fellowship Program is a partnership between the Nicholas School of the Environment and non-profit environmental organizations. The purpose of the program is to provide students with significant project-based learning experiences in energy, conservation, advocacy, policy, research and applied resource management. The program is made possible by the generous support of Fred and Alice Stanback.

Saving Hemlock Trees

with Hemlock Restoration Initiative

Part of our long-term stewardship of protected land involves managing forest health on SAHC’s nature preserves. This sometimes entails battling invasive species that outcompete or extinguish native resources. One such invader that many people are familiar with is the hemlock wooly adelgid (HWA).

As a result of the hemlock wooly adelgid’s introduction to the eastern United States from Japan in the 1950s, nearly 90% of eastern and Carolina hemlocks along the east coast, Tsuga canadensis and Tsuga caroliniana respectively, have been affected. In response to the massive die-off that has been witnessed in the past decades, organizations like Hemlock Restoration Initiative (HRI) have focused solely on treating hemlocks and educating the public on the issue. SAHC has a longstanding relationship with HRI and has worked with them on several SAHC-conserved properties to help protect these iconic native trees.

In February, SAHC partnered with HRI, the Catawba Riverkeeper, the Swannanoa Valley Museum, and local residents to treat infested eastern hemlocks, Tsuga canadensis, on an SAHC preserve near Black Mountain, NC. Since the passing of the original grantors of the property, life estate holders Rick and Melinda Halford have been committed stewards of this property. Having paid close attention to the vitality of property over the years, the Halfords were able to guide SAHC and HRI staff to the largest hemlocks in need of the most

help during the planning phase of this project. Once the diseased trees were identified and mapped, both organizations and the Halfords set out to recruit volunteers for a treatment day.

“The property, which was protected by SAHC 20 years ago, makes up a portion of the headwaters of the Catawba river,” says AmeriCorps Stewardship and Volunteer member

like brook trout. As diseased hemlocks are no longer able to fulfill their role within an ecosystem, the impact of this loss is compounded downstream. This is especially true with headwater ecosystems.”

Through the recruiting process, other organizations with missions that aligned with the project were invited and eager to participate. This collaboration created an opportunity for representatives of each group to connect and establish relationships that may lead to future projects. The work day also provided a meaningful experience for new, local volunteer residents to learn about some of the non-profit work taking place within the region.

David Hagler. “The vitality and health of the Catawba River is in part dependent on the integrity of this forested preserve. Hemlock trees play vital role in maintaining an intact ecosystem and supporting water quality. For example, eastern hemlocks are often found in riparian zones and are crucial for holding stream banks in place. They also help to regulate water temperature for native species

“The day was a success, with numerous beneficial connections growing and nearly 300 trees successfully treated,” says David. “It’s no secret that many communities and organizations have a vested interest in the health of this species. Our volunteer work day provided an excellent example of how environmental groups with different missions can connect and each play a role in something greater. It was very powerful to be a part of this collaboration and witness the tangible impact that it can produce.”

SAHC volunteers and the Hemlock Restoration Initiative, Swannanoa Valley Museum, and local Black Mountain residents partnered in an educational day and helped save hemlock trees.

Volunteer treating a tree for hemlock wooly adelgid.

Thank You Corporate Partners!

Our Corporate Partner members are business supporters who contribute to SAHC at an annual level of $1,000 or more. We are so grateful that these businesses choose to give back to our communities by supporting land and water conservation in the mountains of NC and TN.

Corporate Partners

Mt. Mitchell: $25,000+

Wicked Weed Brewing

Witherspoon, Platt & Associates

Waterrock Knob: $15,000+

Biltmore Estate

Highland Brewing Company

Mast General Store

Salesforce

Roan Mountain: $10,000+

Hunter Automotive Group

Cold Mountain: $5,000+

Caleb Owolabi, Producer

Kee Mapping and Surveying

Industry Nine

Big Yellow: $2,500+

Appalachian Realty Associates

New Belgium Brewing Company

Parsec Financial Management

Max Patch: $1,000+

Altura Architects

Asheville Hiking Tours

Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter

BorgWarner Foundation

Equinox Environmental

French Broad River Garden Club Fnd.

Green River Preserve

HandUp Gloves

Joel Adams & Associates, Inc.

Jus’ Running

Mosaic Realty

Mountain Oak Properties

Roberts & Stevens, Attorneys at Law

Second Gear

Shoji Spa & Lodge

USA Raft

Webb Investment Services

Huge thanks to Hunter Automotive Group for supporting local land and water conservation at a leadership level! They are new Corporate Partners at the Roan Mountain level, and we are excited about hosting a volunteer work day with them later this summer.

“We choose to support SAHC because your mission aligns with ours to improve the lives of the people in our community through environmental stewardship and conservation,” says Tom Hunter, President/CEO Hunter Corporation. “In addition, we are very impressed with the SAHC staff and board of directors, particularly Carl and Cheryl.”

About Hunter Automotive Group

The Hunter Automotive Group has been a locally owned and operated business since 1940. They are a full service facility located in WNC providing new and used car sales, rentals, financing, accessories, parts, collision repair, and an award-winning service department. The Hunter Automotive Group has been serving the region for three quarters of a century and has cultivated deep roots in the community over the years. Cousins Tom and Randy Hunter are the owners and operators of Hunter Auto Group which encompasses Hunter Subaru, Hyundai, Hunter Volvo, Hunter Powersports and 1st Choice Auto Centers. They have been active members of community organizations and sponsor community causes in a variety of ways, including the Hometown Heroes program and Hunter Subaru Loves Pets.

Find out more at Hunterautogroup.com.

For information about becoming a Corporate Partner or participating in our Real Estate Partner Program, contact Cheryl Fowler at cheryl@appalachian.org or 828.253.0095 ext 209.

Partner Highlight: Hunter Automotive Group

Upcoming Events

Land Trust Day: Saturday, June 3 — Shop and Dine to Support Conservation

Land Trust Day coincides with National Trails Day and is celebrated on the first Saturday of June to recognize the incredible land protection accomplishments of land trusts in our region. Local businesses pledge to donate a portion of sales on this day, to support SAHC’s ongoing land and water conservation efforts.

“Each year as we approach Land Trust Day, it is our hope that by working together we can help people understand that we must preserve our environment – its beauty, its water, its open spaces, its inhabitants. It is what gives us life, both literally and figuratively,” says Lisa Cooper at Mast General Store.

Special thanks to Mast General Store in Waynesville and Asheville for donating almost $200,000 since 2003, and to many other local businesses for supporting SAHC on Land Trust Day over the years!

Contact Cheryl Fowler at cheryl@appalachian.org to find out more and participate.

Thank you to these 2023 Land Trust Day sponsors:

Asheville and Waynesville stores

Save the Date!

May 18 — Asheville Art Walk, with Haen Gallery and Mosaic Realty

May 20 — Homeplace Beer Company, Year of the Trail in Burnsville, NC

June 3 — Land Trust Day!

June 3 — Flying Squirrel Ten Miler in Asheville, NC

June 10 — June Jamboree in Highlands of Roan

June 24 — Farm Workshop: Agroforestry maintenance

July 15-16 — Grassy Ridge Mow-off

Visit Appalachian.org for details on these events and more!

Sign up for our E-News and follow us on social media for updates.

Want to volunteer?

We need folks to help with tabling at several of these events, especially the Asheville Art Walk, Homeplace Beer Company, Flying Squirrel Ten Miler, and Land Trust Day. To help out, email cheryl@appalachian.org.

June Jamboree 2023

Saturday, June 10 in Highlands of Roan

Join friends and family for SAHC’s signature day of FREE, guided summer hikes and outings in the stunning Roan landscape. Learn more about recent land protection in the area, and help celebrate our Volunteer of the Year!

Enjoy blooming rhododendron and gorgeous views as we celebrate the conservation of these globally important ecosystems. We offer a variety of outings for different ages, interests, and ability levels — from challenging treks to looking for birds or a simple stroll to a waterfall.

These guided outings are all free, but pre-registration is required, and space may be limited. Full hike descriptions and sign-up forms for all outings AND the afternoon social are online at Appalachian.org/june-jamboree-2023.

What to Bring: Water bottle, sturdy footwear, gear/clothing relevant for your specific outing, and a bag to carry personal items. Weather in the Roan can change quickly, so you may want to bring sunscreen, a rain jacket, and multiple layers. Most hikes will have an opportunity to stop for lunch along the way — please plan to bring your own lunch.

Hike #1 - Roll n’ Stroll Rhododendron Gardens

Location: Rhodendron Gardens, near Carvers Gap

Start Time: 11 am

Leader: TBD

Difficulty: Easy, paved trail, 1 mile

We anticipate that the Rhododendron Gardens on top of the Roan will be blazing with color this time of year. Participants will stroll approximately one mile across gentle terrain with stunning views of the Roan landscape. On this leisurely outing, participants will learn about a number of SAHC’s land protection projects that can be viewed from the gardens. This trail is paved and wheelchair/stroller accessible.

Hike #2 - Challenge Hike – Hackline Trail to Little Cove Creek

Preserve

Location: Carvers Gap trailhead

Start Time: 10 am

Leader: TBD

Difficulty: Difficult, 3 miles

For the adventurous, this never-before-offered Hackline Trail trek will be a bushwacking adventure. Starting at Carvers Gap, this route will descend the northern flank of Roan Mountain following the Hackline Road Trail (FS53281) and ending at SAHC’s Little Cove Creek Preserve, where we will be hosting our Drop-in Social. This challenge hike will literally end at a party!

Hikers at hampton Creek Cove State Natural Area

Hike #3 - Little Cove Creek Falls with Pathways to Parks

Location: SAHC’s Little Cove Creek Preserve

Start Time: 11 am

Leader: Pender and Tanya Marie, founders of Pathways to Parks

Difficulty: Moderate, 2 miles

Please join in this special collaboration hike between SAHC and our partners at Pathways to Parks! The vision of Pathways to Parks is to motivate Americans of color to get outdoors and enjoy the benefits of nature in our national, state, and local parks and to help make it easy and accessible for them to do so. This hike will start from the Nilsen Homestead and end at Little Cove Creek Falls. This route will traverse through SAHC protected land and end at the boundary with Cherokee National Forest. Participants will enjoy open fields, luscious forests, and a stunning waterfall.

Hike #4 - Hampton Creek Cove Loop

Location: Hampton Creek Cove State Natural Area

Start Time: 10 am

Leader: TBD

Difficulty: Difficult, 5 miles

Join us on this high-mileage adventure through Hampton Creek Cove State Natural Area. This hike will utilize three trails, the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail, the Shell Hollow Trail, and the Birchfield Creek Trail. This hike will cover lots of variable terrain in both open fields, cool creeks, and deep forested habitats. Participants should expect to hike 5 miles before returning to their car.

Hike #5 - Hampton Creek Cove Birding

Location: Hampton Creek Cove State Natural Area

Start Time: 9 am

Leader: TBD

Difficulty: Moderate, 3 miles

Have you ever wanted to go birding or wondered what type of birds live in the Southern Appalachians? Birds are everywhere but they’re particularly abundant in Hampton Creek Cove State Natural Area where neo-tropical migratory songbirds, like the Golden Winged Warbler, come to spend their summer. Join us for this beginning birding walk to learn tips on how to listen for birds, spot their movements, then look for marks to help you identify them. This hike will be led by experienced birders but designed for beginners.

Post-Hike Drop-in Social

Location: Nilsen Homestead at SAHC’s Little Cove Creek Preserve

Time: 1 to 4 pm

Enjoy an afternoon drop-in social at SAHC’s Little Cove Creek Preserve. We invite everyone to join in celebrating friends, family and shared hike experiences while learning about SAHC’s recent land protection news. Not able to join an outing in the morning? You are still welcome to stop by the social for fellowship and celebrate conservation with us! Drinks and light refreshments will be provided, so please RSVP so we have enough for everyone.

For questions, contact Travis Bordley at travis@appalachian.org.

On the Trail with Katie Gray

Outings Program Update

If you’ve joined a guided group hike or farm tour with us recently, you probably know that Travis Bordley has now become SAHC’s new Outings Program Manager. You’ll recognize his name from the exceptional photography on our website and in newsletters, as well as his work in Roan Stewardship over the past five years. Now, he is stepping in to coordinate our hikes and outings program.

AmeriCorps Community Engagement & Education Member

We welcome Katie Gray to the team as an AmeriCorps Project Conserve member. Katie grew up on one of the first foothills of the southern Appalachian Mountains in Georgia. Her family introduced her to the great outdoors on horseback, 4-wheelers, and hikes in the woods surrounding her home. In 2013, Katie graduated with a Bachelors of Science in biology from Kennesaw State University. Since graduating, she has worked seasonally for the National Park Service, Tennessee State Parks, and several of Asheville’s most reputable guiding companies. She is thrilled to be a part of SAHC’s team where she supports the Outings Program.

AmeriCorps, a federal agency, brings people together to tackle the country’s most pressing challenges, through national service and volunteering. AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serve with organizations dedicated to the improvement of communities. AmeriCorps helps make service to others a cornerstone of our national culture. Learn more at AmeriCorps.gov.

Project Conserve is administered by Conserving Carolina and funded by an AmeriCorps grant from the North Carolina Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service in the office of Governor Roy Cooper, and the critical support of our host sites and community partners.

More info and application instructions at: Conservingcarolina.org/americorps

SAHC’s founding members started off leading guided hikes in the Highlands of Roan, and over the decades many talented volunteers, AmeriCorps members, and staff have expanded our outreach across the mountains as we expanded conservation areas in NC and TN. We are excited to take this program to a new level.

“The outings program has always existed at SAHC, both formally and informally,” says Travis. “Folks reading this newsletter can probably recall a SAHC outing where we hiked through the forest or strolled across mountain tops. For many people, getting outside with SAHC is what brought them into the organization to begin with. Our outings aim to connect people with the beautiful lands you have helped protect. For the past 6 months I have been operating under a new job title: the Outings Program Manager. I believe connecting people with land is what makes conservation real to people. At SAHC, we have a lot of dates, numbers, and protected acreage to be proud of — a rich, evolving history that we try to communicate through photos and writing. But two dimensional space only serves us to a certain point. To get outside and have boots (sandals, muddy sneakers, or bare feet) on the ground... well, that experience is what really helps people connect the dots, between the stories you hear and where you can literally feel the significance of conservation work. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then to stand on top of a mountain is worth a thousand pictures. And I say that as a photographer.”

“My goal as the Outings Program Manager is to maintain the tradition of guided hikes offered by SAHC with a steady consistency that showcases our many conservation success stories throughout the southern Appalachians,” he continues. “Bringing people into the great outdoors can be a life-changing experience, an opportunity we hope to share with you in the coming year.”

Congratulations, Travis!

Pathways to Parks

Pathways to Parks encourages Black, Hispanic, Native American, and other People of Color to become interested in and take care and ownership of America’s public lands.

“The vision of Pathways to Parks is to motivate Americans of color to get outdoors and enjoy the benefits of nature in our national, state and local parks and to help make it easy and accessible for them to do so,” says co-founder and president Tanya Marie Pender. “Pathways to Parks’ founders are active outdoor enthusiasts, and by our example we will help inspire others and allow them to feel comfortable branching out into this new sphere of activity. We plan to highlight the history of Black, Native American, and American Hispanic heritage in the parks and other publicly-owned lands. Our overarching goal is to connect communities to these assets so that they will come to love them and seek to protect them for the benefit of this and future generations. We engage leaders and communities for better understanding of diversity and inclusiveness in our public lands. To understand racial inequities in these spaces and effectively begin to dismantle it requires a committed and consistent effort. Our experience is that Pathways to Parks’ effort to get people of color into the outdoors helps to realize the health benefits from utilizing public lands that belong to all of us as we learn how to protect them.”

SAHC partnered with Pathways to Parks for our 2019 “It’s Your Backyard” series of events, and we have been grateful to continue our partnership efforts since then. We are particularly excited to support Pathways to Parks in hosting several outings this year, including one of June Jamboree hikes. For more information, visit Pathwaystoparks.com

Partnerships Create More Places to Connect with Nature

Last fall was an exciting time for outdoor recreation in our region! Southern Appalachaian Highlands Conservancy, The Conservation Fund, Conservation Trust for North Carolina, The Nature Conservancy, and dedicated conservation philanthropists were recognized at a special event at the Waterrock Knob Visitor Center, celebrating the pending expansion of this area on the Blue Ridge Parkway. When completed, the effort will transfer more than 5,200 acres into National Park Service ownership.

We celebrated the opening of the new Strawberry Gap Trail with our partners at Conserving Carolina and the generous funders, landowners, and volunteers who helped create this newest section of the Upper Hickory Nut Gorge Trail System. The trail creates a connection to Blue Ridge Pastures and the Trombatore Trail from a gravel parking lot on Drover’s Road Scenic Byway (US 74) in Gerton; it was dedicated to the memory of Susie Skinner Clarke Hamilton. SAHC periodically leads guided group hikes on the trail, which crosses SAHC conservation easements and a corner of our Strawberry Gap Preserve, but you can hike it at any time! The trail is a total 6-mile out-and-back, with a 3 mile strenuous climb from the parking lot. Enjoy a view of Fairview halfway up and stunning views of Hickory Nut Gorge at the top.

Waterrock Knob expansion celebration on Blue Ridge Parkway

Strawberry Gap Trail opening ceremony with Conserving Carolina

Members’ Corner

Tributes — as of April 11, 2023

Tributes are gifts made to SAHC that celebrate a person, achievement, or special occasion.

In honor of John Bowman

Charles & Mary Bowman

In honor of Peter Bowman

Charles & Mary Bowman

In honor of Tom & Jo Brock

Art & Charlotte Ellis

In honor of Bruce Byers

Scott & Meryl Lawrence

In honor of Chuck & Lisa Carver

Joe Morris

In honor of Elizabeth Cheesborough

Jeanne & Charles Cummings

In honor of JoAnn Cremata

Simmons Gardner

In honor of Nancy Edgerton

Lia & Pat Reagan

In honor of Dave & Elizabeth

David Goforth

In honor of Dr. Art & Charlotte Ellis

Tom & Jo Brock

In honor of Bob Gault

Ruth G. Wells

In honor of Arthur & Joanna Griffith

Chuck Bowling

In honor of Alan & Chrissy Householder

Glenda & Darrell Eastridge

Gary Householder

In honor of Randy Hunter

Gail Cooke

In honor of Malcolm Kendall

Jeanne & Charles Cummings

In honor of Jay Leutze

Michael Andrews

In honor of Sue & Ed Mahoney

Wade Kammin

In honor of Dee Dee & Bill Maxwell

Fielding & Julia Lewis

In honor of Peg Mercier

Anthony Suchman

In honor of Blake & Hudson Miller

Dr. Ellen Flanagan & Dr. John Cheesborough

In honor of Pamela Fry Mitchell

Happy Rieth

In honor of Judy Murray

Brent Gatti

In honor of Judy Murray & Tom Gatti

Art & Charlotte Ellis

In honor of Len Pardue

Nancy Casey

In honor of Bernard Petosa

Jennifer Petosa

In honor of Penny Ponder

Jean Schroeder

In honor of Poppy

Amy Pickard

In honor of Ryland & Steve Quinn

Art & Charlotte Ellis

In honor of Bill Ryan

Lee Ryan & Nancy Aalberg

In honor of Ali & Dave Schuetze

Caroline & John Clark

In honor of Carl Silverstein

Jeanne Conerly

In honor of Carl Silverstein and the SAHC staff

Randy Hunter

In honor of Zane & Rebecca Scott

Art & Charlotte Ellis

In honor of David & Melissa Smith

Lee Ann Smith

Jennie Smith-Pariola

In honor of Jasper & Ellis Tait

Megan Sutton & Andy Tait

In honor of Tom & Vivian Todd

Art & Charlotte Ellis

In honor of Harrison & Pat Turner

Art & Charlotte Ellis

In honor of Gail Underwood

Ryan Cooper

In honor of Frony Ward

Cindy Spangler

In honor of Frony Ward & Allan Morgan

Sylvia Dry

In honor of Tom Ward

Harold & Libby Ward

In honor of Jonathon Warner

Sandra Rogers

In honor of Wayne & Helton Wood

Art & Charlotte Ellis

Highlands of Roan, photo by Michael Pittman (Carolinas Nature Photographers Association)

Memorials — as of April 11, 2023

Memorial contributions to SAHC honor the memory of special individuals. A memorial gift is a gift of flowers in perpetuity. You can remember your loved one by making a gift to SAHC to help permanently protect the places they loved.

In memory of Mary Ann Beasley

Julia Gaskin

Valerie Wells

In memory of Mike Byrd

Bob & Judy Byrd

In memory of Jane Christiansen

Christine Aull

Parsec Financial Management, Inc.

Robert & Sharon Smith

In memory of Carol T. Coffey

Murray Evans & Dee Montie

Sarah Fraser

Inman & Christy Majors

Nora McNeill

Judy Murray & Tom Gatti

Carolyn Novak & Don Johnson

Bill Ryan & Lynn Bledsoe

John Shaw

Neala Wakefield

In memory of Judy Coker

Sima Cooperman

In memory of Mary Bailey Gray

Patricia Divine

Valerie M. Goff

Nathalie M. Morgan

Ron Morgan

Stephanie M. Winter

In memory of Joanna Griffith

Jay Leutze

In memory of Will & Susie Hamilton

Popsie Lynch

Members’ Corner

Maggie Schlubach: Passionate About Conservation!

In memory of William Hamilton

Mary Grier

In memory of Dr. Miles O. Hayes

Joy Hayes

Mya Hayes

Jacqueline Michel

In memory of Riley Howell

Nancy Blevins

In memory of June Huddleston

Mountain View Garden Club

In memory of Kay Hultquist

Kathy & Jim Overholser

In memory of Kathleen Leutze

Barbara & Ellis Aycock

Charles & Mary Bowman,

Ellen & Rountree Collett, Jr.

In memory of Bill Lowndes

Charles & Mary Bowman

Sarah Fraser

Kim Lowndes

In memory of John Lowndes

Christopher Jones

Kim Lowndes

In memory of Charles Mauldin

Jane Moein

In memory of Archie Mixon

Melodie Friedman

In memory of Jamie Page

Dave & Debbie Charlton

In memory of James H. Parks

Brenda Hughes

In memory of Sallie Paar’s Dad

Ellen Foltz

In memory of Melissa Pope

Nancy Blevins

In memory of Ralph Prevost

Marty Watkins Prevost

In memory of Vicki Lee Solomon

Michael Solomon

In memory of Rod Wright

Muriel Wright

Maggie first learned about Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy when she joined a hike in 2016 at Upper Catawba Falls. She was so excited about our conservation work that she became part of our Legacy Society, including SAHC in her will. Since then, she has enjoyed several hikes with SAHC. Maggie is a longtime volunteer at the John Wilson Community Garden in Black Mountain, helping to harvest organic vegetables, herbs and flowers to donate to Bounty & Soul. She also serves on the Treasured Tree committee, which has honored over 60 trees in the community.

“I greatly appreciate SAHC for its extraordinary contribution towards preserving our natural world for future generations,” says Maggie. “I am passionate about our beautiful Earth and deeply grateful to Mother Nature for making our planet livable for all species. I want to do all I can to slow down human interference by preserving the land. Thank you SAHC for your amazing work on behalf of all of us.”

Thank you, Maggie, for your passion and commitment to conservation! Want to find out more or become part of SAHC’s Legacy Society? Contact pauline@appalachian.org.

Gray’s lily, photo by Jorja Smith (Carolinas Nature Photographers Association)

ANNUAL REPORT 2023

2022 was another banner year for local conservation efforts across the mountains of Western North Carolina and East Tennessee. With your help, Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy protected 1,611 more acres across most of our six geographic conservation focus areas — from the Highlands of Roan to the Balsam Mountains. These conservation projects protect streams, farms, forests, wildlife corridors, and places for people to get outdoors. Thank you to our donors, partners, and volunteers who helped make conservation success possible!

Map: 2022 Completed Projects in SAHC’s Conservation Focus Areas

BlueRidgeParkway

Land protection projects may take years to complete. In the past year, our dedicated team worked on more than 40 different concurrent projects in progress!

During the 2022 calendar year, your support helped complete projects that ranged widely in geographic location. Together, we secured natural resources worthy of protection such as high elevation headwater streams, scenic mountaintops, and healthy forests. Landowners fully donated two tracts of land and two conservation easements. Thank you for helping to save the places we love and need!

Biological surveys and land management activities to benefit Golden-winged Warblers, Gray’s lily and other endemic species rose to the top of exciting stewardship highlights over the past year.

However, most of our monumental stewardship efforts involve annual monitoring and administration of conservation easements and SAHC-owned preserves, ensuring the land remains protected in perpetuity. This commitment involves almost 300 properties (totaling more than 55,600 acres) and grows every year as we continue to protect more land.

Protect Steward Connect

Connecting people with protected land helps foster healthy communities and encourages more people to become involved in long-term stewardship and protection of natural resources. From youth education programs to expansion of in-person guided hikes in remote areas, including challenging cold-weather hikes in the Highlands of Roan, we strive to provide ways for people of diverse skills, backgrounds, and abilities to enjoy connecting with nature.

Green River Preserve campers on a field trip to the Highlands of Roan

Donated conservation easement on 63 acres at Ballard Cove. Photo by Michael Fredericks, Carolinas Nature Photographers Association

Mars Hill College student volunteers assist habitat management

Not including $3.8 million for purchases of land & conservation easements.

Hikers explore the SAHC Community Farm in Alexander, NC.

Photo by Travis Bordley

Grants and Supporting Funds

Thank you to the following organizations and foundations for their critical support that make our conservation work possible. (Funding provided in the 2022 calendar year)

Appalachian Trail Conservancy — $5,500 for a Seasonal Roan Naturalist, $1,558 to support grassy bald management volunteer efforts, $672 to support the installation of educational “peakfinder” signage on Round Bald and install two boot brush stations to combat invasive species.

The Beattie Foundation — $4,000 to support our conservation and stewardship efforts.

Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter — $15,000 for restoring and managing Golden-winged Warbler habitat in the Highlands of Roan.

Buncombe County — $88,273 to help fund conservation easement acquisitions in Buncombe County.

Conservation Trust for North Carolina — $20,000 awarded for transaction costs for SAHC’s purchase of Hawk Spur property in the Highlands of Roan.

The Dorothy Cate and Thomas F. Frist Foundation as recommended by Senator Bill and Tracy Frist — $1,000 for general operating support.

French Broad River Garden Club Foundation — $1,500 to support conservation and stewardship efforts.

J. Crayton Pruitt Foundation — $5,000 to support conservation and stewardship efforts.

Joseph Weintraub Family Foundation — $3,000 to support conservation and stewardship efforts.

Henri Landwirth Family Endowed Fund — $10,000 to advance SAHC’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion related goals.

McLendon Family Foundation — $10,000 to support active stewardship and management in the Highlands of Roan.

North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources: Land and Water Fund $1,200,000 to permanently protect and steward Chestnut Mountain.

Paulsen Family Foundation $5,000 to support conservation and stewardship efforts.

Pigeon River Fund | The Community Foundation of WNC $25,000 to support the permanent protection of land in Cruso and protect water quality in Haywood County.

RSF Social Finance: Hearth Arts and Environmental Fund $1,500 for general operating support.

Saxer Family Foundation $30,000 to support conservation and stewardship efforts.

Sibley - Saltonstull Charitable Foundation $7,500 for general operating support.

Tennessee Trails Association: Evan Means Grant Fund $1,307 for trail signs at Hampton Creek Cove.

TN Dept. of Environment and Conservation — $196,609 Recreational Trails grant for pedestrian bridge installation, parking lot improvements, and trail work at Hampton Creek Cove State Natural Area.

Wilkinson Foundation $1,000 for general operating support.

Golden-winged Warbler in Flight

Photo by Travis Bordley

372 Merrimon Avenue Asheville, NC 28801-1222

(828) 253-0095

Leave a Legacy...

Return Service Requested Printed on responsibly forested paper. Appalachian.org

Follow

Have you considered including SAHC in your estate planning?

Legacy gifts help ensure the permanent protection of beloved conservation lands for the future. If you have included SAHC in your estate plans, please let us know. We would like to thank you for your generosity and recognize you as a member of our Legacy Society.