View from the Highlands
2023 Vol. 2
Protecting the World’s Oldest Mountains
Deaverview Mountain photo by Gary Hurley, Carolinas Nature Photographers Association
Conserving Mountains • Farms • Streams • Habitat
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 Sheryl Aikman, Vice-President Tom Williams, Secretary Pam Kelley, Treasurer Allison Williams, At-Large Sarah Davis Mary Fanslow Kevin Fitzgerald Janet Garrett John McLendon Maria Palamar Larry (Pender) Pender Rich Preyer Chris Soto Jay Leutze
Asheville, NC Asheville, NC Fairview, NC Kingsport, TN Charleston, SC Asheville, NC Kingsport, TN Waynesville, NC Asheville, NC Pittsboro, NC Asheville, NC Hendersonville, NC Asheville, NC Johnson City, TN Senior Advisor to the Board
Staff Carl Silverstein Kristy Urquhart Michelle Pugliese Jess Laggis Hanni Muerdter Marquette Crockett Sarah Sheeran Chris Kaase Cheryl Fowler Lisa Fancher Angela Shepherd Chris Link Kirin Battaglia Travis Bordley LaKyla Hodges Park Greer Kyle Shute Emma Goldrick Tim Arrowood Olivia Dossett
Executive Director Associate Director Land Protection Director Farmland Protection Director Conservation Director Roan Stewardship Director Stewardship Director Stewardship Associate Membership Director Finance Compliance Director Communications Director Community Farm Manager Weddings & Events Coordinator Outings Program Manager Equity and Education Manager South Yellow Mtn Preserve Manager Land Protection Associate Development & Communications Manager IT Manager Roan Technician
AmeriCorps Project Conserve David Hagler Leigh Siracusono Riney Woodbridge Katie Greer
Stewardship & Volunteer Member Stewardship & Volunteer Member Stewardship & Volunteer Member Community Engagement & Education
Thank you for being a conservation champion! You’ve empowered the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy this year to secure hundreds of acres for people to enjoy visiting for a hike, a picnic or fishing. You’ve helped protect clean water all around our mountains . . . in Cane Creek and Little Rock Creek in the Roan, at Blue Hole Falls in Carter County TN, and in Beaverdam Creek near Canton, and many more. From the craggy head of Hawk Spur in the Roan to shaded coves in Haywood County, we have worked with willing landowners to permanently preserve important habitat for wildlife. Your support has enabled SAHC to help landowners resolve difficult decisions about the future of properties that they have inherited, making it possible for them to achieve a conservation solution for the land which benefits our entire region. Thank you for making this critical work possible. Working in partnership and building on past successes strengthens our conservation efforts and enhances our efficiency. SAHC has closed several new land protection projects this year which add to existing preserves or public lands that we have previously helped protect – a testament to our longevity and reputation. We continue to lead stewardship efforts in the remarkable Highlands of Roan, and engage with partners new and old in research and land management projects across our six conservation focus areas. As you peruse these stories, I hope you will feel a sense of pride in helping to accomplish this work. These mountains teem with life, and we are grateful for your support in preserving places where people and nature thrive. We are excited about celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy in 2024. We are planning celebratory events and a new outdoor experience challenge to help even more people connect with and enjoy the places that SAHC has preserved over the past five decades. Please be sure to subscribe to our e-News list and check for event updates at Appalachian.org. From the history and beauty of conserved land to new education programs for a young generation of environmental leaders, you are helping to craft a full, diverse legacy in the Southern Appalachians.
Map: SAHC’s Conservation Focus Areas with New Conservation Projects in this Issue Blue Hole pg. 14-15
Split Pine Cove/ Hawkins Cove pg. 20-21
Little Cove Creek pg. 8-9
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Beaverdam
Highlands Appalachian Trail of Countryside Roan
pg. 22-23
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French Broad River Valley
Smoky Mountains
Black Mountains i Blue R
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pg. 7
Gouge Cove
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Broad Branch
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pg. 12-13
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Balsam Mountains
Sandy Mush Hawk Spur Little Rock Creek Game Lands Cane Creek pg. 4-5 pg. 16-18
Protect
pg. 6
Steward
pg. 10-11
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. Land Protection Updates | 2023 Vol. 2 View from the Highlands | 3
Highlands of Roan Focus Area
Hawk Spur and Cane Creek Preserving Mountaintop Habitat and Clean Water View from SAHC’s new Hawk Spur Preserve, looking into Yellow Mountain State Natural Area
SAHC recently accepted a gift of 229-acres of land from 130 of Chatham LLC. The land is in Mitchell County, east of Bakersville, NC and just north of the community of Hawk. It includes a high elevation spur ridgeline off of Hawk Mountain, with rocky terrain and exceptional habitat and water sources. SAHC plans to own the property for the long term and manage it as a nature preserve. “The ridgeline, which runs through the center of the preserve, is known as Lightwood Mountain. It rises to 4,600 feet,” says Land Protection Director Michelle Pugliese. “It’s visible throughout the Yellow Mountain State Natural Area, and its slopes contain four headwater streams that feed into Cane Creek, a significant trout stream.” The uniquely steep ridgeline is situated between the streams of Dry Branch and Laurel Branch. Located within the Grandfather Unaka Priority Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Area (PARCA), with the northern portion of the property in the Audubon Society’s Roan Mountain Important Bird Area, the mountainous land provides excellent habitat for diverse plant and animal species.
The Hawk Spur tract contains interesting geologic features.
“This new preserve has some interesting geological features both natural and historical,” says SAHC Roan Stewardship team member Park Greer. “While walking the
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steep slopes, huge sections of exposed amphibolite bedrock, house sized boulders, and large crumbling cliffs greeted us at every turn. While sometimes making the trek difficult, the powdery gray hue of this metamorphic rock is beautiful as it often shows swirling patterns of the rock layers being bent and stretched under immense heat and pressure. On other parts of the property we could find outcrops of mostly white pegmatite, an igneous rock that intruded into the faults of the gray amphibolite. Pegmatite resembles a large-crystal granite with the feldspar, quartz, and mica components being many inches or feet across.”
Roan Technician Olivia Dossett examines a piece of mica (above) in the rocky terrain (right) of SAHC’s new Hawk Spur Preserve.
“Pegmatite fueled one of the largest industries of the region,” continues Park. “Many early colonial settlers and later entire industries flocked to these mountains to mine mica for use in electrical insulation, cosmetics, and even fighter plane window tints. Feldspar was also mined for use in glassmaking and ceramics. On Hawk Spur we have found three of these defunct mine pits, now long abandoned and being reclaimed by nature. The mines were cut mines, meaning that there are no underground tunnels; the miners just dug, or cut, into the hillside to extract the minerals from the pegmatite. Even though the fragile mine walls are slowly fracturing, breaking, and filling in the cuts, we could still see some drill marks and the veins of shiny mica that the old miners worked so hard to collect.”
Historic Perspective: From the Mitchell County Historical Society “The community of Hawk sits at the confluence of the right fork of Cane Creek and the left fork of Cane Creek, beneath Hawk Mountain, which derived its name from the abundance of hawks in the area. A little west of Hawk on Cane Creek Road is a community called Clarissa, which was named for Clarissa Baker Buchanan, the daughter of NC state Senator Thomas and Susannah Wiseman Baker. She was born in 1812 and married Arthur James Buchanan in 1836. Although they were large landowners, they were opposed to slavery. When Arthur died in 1863, Clarissa became head of the family and a leader in the community. According to a plaque dedicated to her at the Clarissa Community Center, “Her intelligence, leadership ability and speaking ability were feared by the Confederate Home Guards who illegally confiscated property, livestock, and food from the families who fought with the Union.” After the war, Clarissa discovered a huge piece of mica one day while looking after her livestock, which ultimately led to the launch of the Clarissa Mica Mine, one of the three oldest mica mines in Mitchell County. She later sold the mine to a company from England; mica from this mine was used until the 1950’s. Clarissa died in 1877 at the age of 64 and was buried beside her husband in the Chestnut Hill Cemetery, in the community which bears her name.” Land Protection Updates | 2023 Vol. 2 View from the Highlands | 5
“We are expanding protection around the Yellow Mountain State Natural Area,” adds Michelle. “This Natural Area is a rugged 3,800-acre unit of the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation, created by the State in 2008. Receiving a donation of this size significantly furthers our conservation goals because large connected tracts of land provide a range of microclimates and variability within the landscape.” We are grateful to 130 of Chatham LLC for donating the new preserve, and to the Stanback family for their generous gift for transaction costs and future stewardship and management of the property. SAHC was also awarded a grant from the Conservation Trust for NC’s mini grant program for a portion of the transaction costs.
Cane Creek Not far from Hawk Spur, SAHC also recently purchased a 30-acre farm from a landowner whose family owned it for generations. This parcel on Cane Creek shares ecological and geological characteristics with Hawk Spur:, including a 4,200 foot ridgeline. and habitat for birds, amphibians and reptiles. This new preserve reaches all the way from the valley floor to the
Hawk Spur Tract
Cane Creek Tract
New Conservation Properties
US Forest Service
Other SAHC Preserves / Easements
State of TN or NC Land
ridge, and includes both sides of Cane Creek. “Preserving both Hawk Spur and this farm on Cane Creek, so close together, is an exciting step forward in our conservation mission,” says Michelle. “The public benefit includes expanding protected habitats,
protecting sensitive high elevation natural communities and climate resilient ecosystems, and protecting pristine headwaters. This opportunity is thanks to the previous landowners who have cared for the land, and we appreciate their confidence in transferring that care to SAHC.”
The recently protected 30 acres on Cane Creek contain high elevation forested habitat as well as gently laying topography on both sides of the creek.
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Highlands of Roan Focus Area
Broad Branch 17 Acres Added to SAHC Preserve SAHC’s purchase of the land expands protection of native forest and pristine waterways.
Near the Buladean community of Mitchell County SAHC purchased 17 acres expanding a 97-acre preserve that we purchased previously. Adding to SAHC’s existing nature preserves helps strengthen conservation of habitat, viewsheds, and water sources.
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“When I visited the land with Judy, I realized how meaningful this land was to her and her late husband,” adds Land Protection Director Michelle. “It was an honor to share time on the mountain with her. Adding this tract to our existing preserve expands protection of native forest and pristine waterways.”
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Former landowner Judy Moorhouse contacted SAHC because she wanted to sell the property for permanent conservation.
“The Roan Mountain property is a heavily wooded parcel of land with gentle hills, impressive boulders and a very significant stream running through it,” says Judy. “It is a place to enjoy all the best nature has to offer. Through SAHC’s work it is now protected for everyone.”
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Several tributaries of Broad Branch cross this steep, forested property, which borders Pisgah National Forest and other SAHC-conserved land. With elevations up to 4,100 ft., SAHC’s Broad Branch preserve is also highly visible from the Appalachian Trail. Preserving water quality in Broad Branch is particularly important, as the stream has been designated trout waters by the NC Division of Water Resources. SAHC will manage the property as a nature preserve to protect the conservation values.
Broad Branch
New Conservation Properties
US Forest Service
Other SAHC Preserves / Easements
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Highlands of Roan Focus Area
George and Jean Nilsen donated their 49-acre Little Cove Creek Farm in Carter County, TN to the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy in 1984, reserving a life-estate to use and enjoy the property during their lifetimes. Now almost 40 years later, SAHC has purchased a 17-acre tract to add to the preserve. This new acquisition connects SAHC’s Little Cove Creek Preserve with the Cherokee National Forest.
Little Cove Creek
New Waterfall Access
“This special slice of land was an important addition to our wonderful Little Cove Creek Preserve,” says Land Protection Director Michelle Pugliese. “The property can be seen from the Appalachian Trail, and the main branch of Little Cove Creek, classified as a Tennessee Exceptional Stream, flows along the western boundary. It has been SAHC’s long-time goal to acquire this tract to bridge the Little Cove Creek Preserve with the national forest.”
The preserve addition protects water quality in Little Cove Creek.
New Conservation Properties
US Forest Service
Other SAHC Preserves / Easements
State of TN or NC Land
The protected portion of Little Cove Creek and a small waterfall are special features of the newly acquired land. During our June Jamboree partnership hike with Pathways to Parks this summer, hikers enjoyed seeing the new tract and waterfall in person. The intrepid Challenge Hike participants for the June Jamboree charted an offtrail course, descending from the Hackline Trail on Cherokee National Forest and following
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Little Cove Creek into SAHC’s preserve. It is a lovely destination for guided hikes in our Connecting People with Land Program! “Acquiring this tract will enable SAHC to maintain a short interpretive trail loop, allowing guests to our Little Cove Creek Preserve to visit the cascading waterfall as well as historic gravesites, rock walls, and foundations on the original property,”
New interpretive trail at Little Cove Creek Preserve SAHC staff and volunteers designed and built the interpretive trail on the preserve with assistance from East TN Trails Association. We improved the route to the waterfall with erosion control, blazes, and a new stream crossing.
June Jamboree Waterfall Hike with Pathways to Parks
adds Associate Director Kristy Urquhart. Closing the gap between SAHC’s preserve and national forest land helps secure unbroken habitat corridors for wildlife and plants, and protects a crucial link in protecting the Doe River Watershed, one of the best trout fishing areas in the entire state.
Continuing the Conservation Legacy Donated in 1984 subject to a retained life estate, the original Little Cove Creek tract was SAHC’s first long-term nature preserve. Although SAHC had purchased other tracts of land in the Highlands of Roan prior to 1984, these other tracts were transferred to U.S. Forest Service ownership or other public land entities. George and Jean Nilsen were close friends of SAHC’s founders, and wanted SAHC to own and preserve their beloved farm forever.
place and stories of SAHC’s leaders with guests at this year’s June Jamboree,” recalls Jay Leutze, Senior Advisor to the Board. “Some of the early meetings to plan SAHC’s land protection and stewardship of the Highlands of Roan took place on the Nilsen farmstead. The preserve was used for nine years to house the botanist and stage the goats for the Baa-Tany Goat Project. It was such an important place for some of the early stewards of the Roan that they chose to be buried there — including Ed and Barbara Schell and SAHC founder Stan Murray.” With the recently protected tract, SAHC’s Little Cove Creek Preserve now totals 66 acres. We are thrilled that the property is part of SAHC’s Connecting People with Land Program, and deeply grateful to the conservation-minded leaders and SAHC supporters who made the purchase and permanent protection of this land possible!
During a work day this fall led by Roan Technician Olivia Dossett, volunteers also helped clean up an old family cemetery near the ruins of a historic homesite. Volunteers installed new fencing to help preserve the cemetery site, said to be the Jarrett children’s cemetery. The new trail will be a part of our Connecting People with Land program, and we are very grateful to all the volunteers who assisted in this project!
“I enjoyed hiking this property years ago with George Nilsen, and I was excited to share this remarkable Land Protection Updates | 2023 Vol. 2 View from the Highlands | 9
Highlands of Roan Focus Area
A recently donated 57-acre tract adjoining SAHC’s Little Rock Creek Preserve expands protection of high elevation habitat and water quality in a beautiful corner of Mitchell County, NC.
Mountain Roots
Expanding Little Rock Creek Preserve The recently donated land connects to SAHC’s existing preserve on Little Rock Creek and contains tributaries of the creek.
“We are excited to accept the donation of this property, which deserves protection because of its forested animal habitat, water resources, and connectivity to SAHC’s Little Rock Creek Preserve,” says Associate Director Kristy Urquhart. “SAHC will manage the land to best protect these conservation values for future generations.” Former landowner Dana Anderson says their family is thrilled that they were able to donate the tract to SAHC. “When we found out that Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy owned the adjoining nature preserve, everything just came together,” shares Dana. “It felt like destiny at that point, to give the land to SAHC. We enjoyed speaking with Michelle and Land Protection Associate Kyle Shute about the ecological importance of the habitat. It was interesting that the conservancy takes into account the entire ecosystem – not just the ground, but the plants and animals that live in
The donated land stretches from a cascading stream and flower-strewn banks to a 4,100 ft. ridgetop looking out across other SAHC-protected lands. It can be seen from NC Hwy 261 (Roan Mountain Scenic Drive) and several vantage points on the Appalachian Trail, including Engine Gap, Jane Bald, and Grassy Ridge. Permanent protection of the land will also help protect water quality in Little Rock Creek, a NC designated Trout Stream.
the area. We were very impressed with the staff’s knowledge of the ecological context of the land, and we felt that it was going to be in good hands. The donation is about more than just holding title to a piece of property. We know that it has been transferred to people who are going to actively care for the land.” The donation was also made possible by a generous contribution from the Stanback family, to cover transaction costs and future stewardship of the property. “From the ridgeline on this preserve, you look out at the expanse of the Roan Highlands and Roan High Bluff,” says Executive Director Carl Silverstein. “Protecting this ridgeline means the view of it from those public lands will be unspoiled for visitors for generations to come. This conserved land is also very near to the Fall Creek Falls property, which SAHC assisted the Felburn Foundation in preserving in 1989.”
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“This is a wonderful addition to the land SAHC has already protected in the Highlands of Roan, and it will strengthen the conservation of habitat and water resources on our Little Rock Creek Preserve,” adds Carl. “We are grateful to the landowners for choosing to donate the property, and to all our members for supporting the organization in order to make conservation success stories like this possible.”
In Memory of John and Gloria McCoy Have you ever been inexplicably drawn to a place? Perhaps you felt a deep connection, like homecoming, when visiting a piece of land you’ve never set foot upon before. Many SAHC members and volunteers have expressed a passion for conservation because they say ‘visiting the mountains feels like going home.’ Sometimes, that feeling of connection translates to action, such as the preservation of a special mountain home. This year, Dana Anderson and
her siblings Carol Townsend and John Philip McCoy, Jr. donated the 57-acre tract of land that they had inherited as a way to honor their parents and do something good for the world. “I had always wondered why dad held on to that particular piece of property for so long,” shares Dana. “Our father predeceased our mother by about twelve years, and before that time they had sold just about all of their real estate, including their home in Asheville. But he held onto that property north of Spruce Pine and Bakersville. I think it really meant a lot to him.” Dana says that their father was from the Appalachians, although his family was fairly mobile. He connected with his heritage in the mountains.
New Conservation Properties
US Forest Service
Other SAHC Preserves / Easements State of TN or NC Land “Dad was born in Pennsylvania, raised in Tennessee, and went to Duke University, it when he passed, but decided to keep properties, and he purchased several where he met our mother before being it in the family. It had meant so much to tracts in Western North Carolina along called up during WWII,” says Dana. “He with other partners. Over years, they sold Dad, we couldn’t bring ourselves to sell came back after the war and obtained the tracts. However, John McCoy bought it.” his law degree from Duke. We moved to out his partners in the acquisition of Brevard, Charlotte, and Atlanta before However, when their mother passed away the land on Little Rock Creek, retaining ending up in Florida, but they always last year, the siblings needed to figure out made vacation trips what to finally do with “This place is like a piece of Mom and Dad. to the mountain area. the property. The tract Our parents loved it legal access, We are so delighted it will be part of a bigger lacked so much here, they which made it difficult bought a cabin in Little conservation area.” – Dana Anderson to sell or even donate Switzerland in the to someone else. Then 1960s and permanently relocated to the they discovered that SAHC owned the ownership of it and the family’s cabin in mountains upon retirement.” connecting Little Rock Creek Preserve, Little Switzerland. and all the logistical pieces fell into place. At one point in time, their father “I think he really liked walking on the became interested in buying investment “At the end of the day, this place is like Mitchell County property,” continues a piece of Mom and Dad,” adds Dana. Dana. “I wondered why he was so “Maybe the same things that appealed attached to that land. Then I found out to your ancestors appeal to you. I think that in the 1990s, he had really gotten perhaps Dad thought this felt like home, interested in genealogy and found out a connection to his origins. We wanted to that a long time ago we had relatives preserve the property and dedicate it to living in the Toe River area, before his the memory of our parents, and we were branch of the family moved up into the so delighted that it will be part of a bigger Shenandoah area of Virginia. I think conservation area. These Roan Highlands he felt bound to the land in a way, to his are a beautiful part of the world.” Larkspur on the preserve ancestors. We discussed the idea of selling Land Protection Updates | 2023 Vol. 2 View from the Highlands | 11
Highlands of Roan Focus Area
Gouge Cove
In the Heart of the Roan The lower portion of the of the preserve contains tributaries of Gouges Creek.
We also purchased 24 acres below the brow of Roan High Bluff, at the gateway to an existing 370-acre nature preserve that we have assembled over the years. This preserve adjoins Pisgah National Forest. The new 24-acre addition to SAHC’s preserve contains over 2,500 linear feet of stream including tributaries to Gouges Creek, which is known for trout fishing. Of ecological note, the tract is located within the Roan Mountain Massif Natural Heritage Natural Area and Grandfather Unaka Priority Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Area. Securing this lower-elevation gateway to SAHC’s existing preserve will prevent it from being developed in the future, helping to maintain protection for the habitat and water resources further up the mountain.
SAHC’s purchase of the lower elevation tract helps secure the upper portion of the existing preserve, including this beautiful cascade.
“This tract at Chestnut Ridge and the Broad Branch property that SAHC purchased this year are both in the heart of the Highlands of Roan,” says Roan Stewardship Director Marquette Crockett. “Although on opposite sides of the Roan Massif, both properties are
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really integral to the landscape, and it is wonderful to see these core areas of the Roan Highlands further protected. Historically, both communities were also once closely tied to the Cloudland Hotel for their livelihood. People who worked and provided services to the hotel, and guests used horses, buggies and mules to traverse long forgotten soil roads up the mountain.” The purchase of the 24 acres between Wolf Ridge and Chestnut Ridge completes the preservation of land which had been purchased by Paul and Marie Bruchon in the 1960s and then passed to their six children. The entire family had enjoyed camping and visiting the property for many years. Most of the property owned by the Bruchon family was purchased by SAHC in 2003, and this year we are thrilled to continue conserving land at the head of Gouge Cove.
Appalachian Trail
Historic Perspective: Allen Cook Allen Cook, whose Burleson ancestors once owned about 1,000 acres at the head of Gouge Cove, continues to connect to the land through SAHC.
Gouge Cove
New Conservation Properties
US Forest Service
Other SAHC Preserves / Easements
State of TN or NC Land
“Our parents loved that land,” remembers former landowner Michelle Bruchon Grossman. “Our father was born in France near the edge of the Swiss Alps, and he was an outdoorsman all his life. Both our parents both loved going up there. I remember my mother walking along the property and pointing out all kinds of plants, and gathering apples from a heritage orchard. Eventually, they were no longer able to visit and enjoy the property, and they passed it down to us. My siblings and our children have loved camping on the land over the years; the kids will treasure those memories forever. For my portion, I had taken the lower section of the property, which included the stream, and I hung onto my portion for a longer time. I loved the way the sun shone through old majestic trees. In August the wildflowers are unbelievable; it’s just a beautiful, beautiful piece of
land – it reminded me of the line about the “forest primeval” in the poem ‘Evangeline’. However, I reached a point where I can’t climb the mountain like I used to, and my siblings had long ago sold their portion of the land to SAHC. I’m just very grateful that it is in the conservancy’s hands and will not be developed in the future. SAHC will take care of it and preserve it. Land Protection Director Michelle Pugliese was just amazing. It was a pleasure to work with her, and I appreciate her sensitivity, thoroughness, and kind and professional demeanor throughout the process.” “My son loved going camping up there, and he would have inherited it,” she adds. “He passed away in the 1990s, at just 19 years old. His name was John Quinn – and I’d like the story of conserving this land to honor his memory.”
“When I’m sitting up on Chestnut Ridge or hiking the mountain, I imagine what it was like here a hundred years ago, what it was like when my ancestors walked here. You can see the old chestnut stump on Chestnut Ridge. When the blight came through, they salvaged what was still standing, rather than just lose all the trees to rot. There used to be a lot of chestnut trees there, hence the name, and there’s an abundance of wildlife. I like to imagine what the time was like. The land holds my family heritage; you love it and want to see it preserved and protected and treated right.” Cook continues to help care for adjacent lands that his family once owned, and that sense of connection is important to him. A few years ago, he began researching stories which had been handed down through the family, including renditions of moonshiners and violence in the otherwise idyllic mountain coves. He has since published two books, In the Shadow of the Roan, Stories from Days Long Past and Moonshine, Murder & Mountaineers: the Wildest County in America.
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Appalachian Trail Countryside Focus Area
Blue Hole Falls Preserving Water Quality in a Popular Recreation Area Preserving land upstream helps protect water quality at the Blue Hole.
The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy purchased 29 acres in Carter County, TN near the Blue Hole Falls recreation area. The land adjoins Cherokee National Forest on three sides, and we will soon transfer the tract to the U.S. Forest Service. Conservation of the property will help protect water quality in trout waters and downstream in Blue Hole Falls, as well as scenic views from the Appalachian National Scenic Trail.
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Blue Hole Falls Tract
New Conservation Property
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“The upper part of Mill Creek runs through the property and into Blue Hole Falls downstream,” explains Michelle Pugliese, SAHC’s land protection director. “By protecting the property now, we will ensure that there will be no development on this upstream tract that could impair the quality of water flowing into the falls.” The creek flowing through SAHC’s new nature preserve and into the waterfall is classified as Exceptional TN Waters by the TN Department of Environment and Conservation, which can sustain naturally reproducing trout. The Left Fork Mill Creek and Right Fork
“The Blue Hole Falls area is an incredibly popular recreation destination that is loved by many and an important location to conserve.” – Forest Supervisor Michael Wright Mill Creek originate on Holsten Mountain, and merge into Mill Creek at the northern boundary of the tract purchased by SAHC. “Off the U.S. Forest Service road south of SAHC’s new Blue Hole Preserve, an unassuming parking area and unmarked trailhead lead into the hidden beauty of Blue Hole Falls, where the cascades of Mill Creek plunge into a deep pool with lovely blue waters,” continues Pugliese. “This public recreation area in the Cherokee National Forest gets busy during hot summer days as people seek an easily accessible place to cool off and enjoy nature. SAHC’s purchase of the land upstream will contribute significantly to protecting water quality in the public recreation area.” “The Blue Hole Falls area is an incredibly popular recreation
destination that is loved by many and an important location to conserve,” said Forest Supervisor Michael Wright. “This 29 acre purchase will conserve more than 1,000 feet of Mill Creek feeding the Blue Hole natural feature while improving recreation access including nearly 1,000 feet of road frontage along National Forest System Road [(NFSR) #56 (aka Panhandle Road)].” The purchase was made SAHC’s acquisition of the land protects habitat and possible through generous water resources adjoining Cherokee National Forest. donor support and a bridge secure tracts that they have identified loan from a conservationas high priorities to add to public minded lender, which financed half lands,” explains Carl Silverstein, of the purchase price. SAHC’s executive director. “The “This is an excellent example of how landowners were ready to sell the SAHC helps our agency partners to land without delay, and as a nonprofit organization, we were able to act more quickly to purchase it than the US Forest Service could. Our securing the property provides the Cherokee National Forest time to pursue the somewhat lengthy federal process for the acquisition. This is the mission that our visionary founders created SAHC almost 50 years ago to undertake. They saw the need for a non-profit organization like SAHC to partner with government agencies to secure special places for the public to enjoy.”
The purchase protects more than 1,000 ft of Mill Creek.
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French Broad River Valley Focus Area
Sandy Mush Game Lands 67 Acres added
Snelson Farm provides public access on the Madison County side of the game lands. Photo by Courtland White, CNPA
When Donna McMahon and her sister Debbie inherited 67 acres in Madison County, NC, they faced a dilemma common to families with deep roots in the Appalachian mountains – to sell or not to sell. Their father, George Donald “Don” Snelson, passed away in 2019, leaving behind a lovely rural farm and a family in whom he had inspired a deep appreciation for nature and outdoor recreation. A retired Director of Parks & Recreation of Buncombe County, Don enjoyed gardening, feeding the birds, and just being outdoors. He spent many years raising cattle on the farm he had inherited from his own father, who once owned a dairy operation. The farm on Ramsey Snelson Road rolls over open pastures with distant mountain views, mature trees, and streams that flow into the French Broad River, less than a mile away. Donna and Debbie knew that the property was special, and much sought-after as a parcel for development. Wrapped on three
sides by the Sandy Mush Game Lands, it was also a prime piece of real estate for public lands. Soon, brazen callers began plaguing the sisters, asking if they were ready to sell.
was prepared to manage, the sisters sought a conservation solution with Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC) and the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC).
“I was hesitant to even pick up the phone if I didn’t know who was calling,” said Donna. “We didn’t want it to be developed; we wanted to make sure that it would be conserved and remain in a natural state, as much as possible.”
“Dad started raising cattle on that farm in 2000, when he inherited it from our grandad,” remembers Donna. “The cattle were basically pets to him; he loved them just like children. We probably had about 40 or so cattle, and a horse and donkey. We tried managing the cattle for a couple years after he passed away, but it just wasn’t practical. We found homes for them all, but we still didn’t want to sell the land for development. It had been in our family for a long time as a farm.”
View from Ramsey Snelson Road, photo by Courtland White
Seeking a way to honor their family’s love of the land, and to find a solution for owning a farm that neither of them
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Committed to preserving the beauty of the landscape and legacy of their heritage, Donna and Debbie decided to wait out the lengthy process of state public lands acquisition, so that the property could be purchased by NC Wildlife Resources Commission and added to the Sandy Mush Game Lands. “The process to sell to NCWRC took a lot longer than selling to a developer, but it was worth it,” adds Donna. “It was a blessing that NCWRC was able to purchase the property with SAHC’s help. Now, I can sleep at night knowing that it has become part of the public game lands. We spent time on the land until we sold it to NCWRC and very much enjoyed being out there and experiencing all the beauty of nature – the birds, butterflies, and wildlife. I look forward to returning to visit it in the future. I feel that my father and grandfather are still watching over us, and they would be pleased with what we have done.”
says David Stewart, Southern Mountains Land Management Biologist with NCWRC. “People had to go all the way around into the Buncombe County side to access it. It’s important for its beauty, but even more so for providing game lands access. Now, Fall foliage, photo by Bill Richards we will have better access for management, and recreation,” says Executive Director the public can use this gently-laying Carl Silverstein. “I believe this is one former farm to get into the deeper of SAHC’s highest callings – to help areas of the game lands more easily.” secure important properties identified SAHC assisted our partners at by public agency partners and make NCWRC with the transaction and them accessible to the people of the provided a matching contribution region.”
Public Lands Partnerships Continuing a long-standing partnership, Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy assisted the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) in acquiring the 67-acre farm property in Madison County to add to the Sandy Mush Game Lands. Located on the northern edge of the game lands, the addition of this parcel will improve access for people to enjoy outdoor recreation in the game lands as well as access for active habitat management. “Previously, there was no access to the Sandy Mush Game Lands from the Madison county side,”
The old farmstead contains rolling open areas and forest. Photo by Courtland White
which helped NCWRC secure grants from the NC Land and Water Fund and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Wildlife Restoration Program to make the acquisition possible. “We’re helping a priority partner achieve goals they wouldn’t be able to reach on their own, and add to public lands for regional outdoor
SAHC has been a long-time partner of NCWRC in the conservation of public game lands. SAHC led as a partner in securing the original 2,655 acre Sandy Mush Game Lands in 2004, and we have been part of multiple efforts to expand the game lands since then.
Land Protection Updates | 2023 Vol. 2 View from the Highlands | 17
for us to conduct active management,” elaborates game lands biologist David Stewart. “It is situated near the road, and in the near future we will be able to have a small parking area there.” “Although old farm and logging roads exist in various parts “We really value the partnership with of the game lands, which people can SAHC,” adds Stewart. “We wouldn’t use to walk on, we intentionally do be able to accomplish all that we do without SAHC and our other partners. not have developed trail systems. We encourage dispersed recreation – for The process for acquiring tracts and adding them to public lands takes time, folks to spread out as much as they can and many folks who may be interested – because that creates less impact on resources and wildlife.” in conveying land to us just can’t wait out the process. We had been working The NCWRC manages the land to on this acquisition for several years. benefit wildlife habitat, including We’re grateful to SAHC for helping opening up areas for successional make this acquisition a success, and habitat and using managed fire. to the former landowners for their “We do a lot of early successional willingness and patience to secure a habitat management geared towards conservation outcome for this land.” small game such as quail and rabbits, Partner Perspective: but these management techniques also benefit a lot of other species, Management and including song birds and monarch Visitation in the Sandy butterflies,” explains Stewart. “A lot Mush Game Lands of critters need that disturbance and This new tract helps provide an reset in habitat in order to thrive. In additional buffer to the game lands conducting active management, we management areas and better access 18 | View from the Highlands 2023 Vol. 2 | Land Protection Updates
mimic natural disturbances that create life-regenerating habitats.” “The Sandy Mush Game Lands are one of the few places that you can go hear a quail whistle and grouse drumming at the same time, and those are two species that depend on early successional habitat,” he continues. “There are not a lot of places in the mountains where you can find both of those species.” “Managed areas also benefit pollinator species and wildflowers. We know a lot of people come here to see butterflies and birds; seasoned birdwatchers understand that active habitat management is important for many bird species. Wildlife habitat is always the focus. Everything we do in habitat management is for the wildlife.” But managing the game lands for both wildlife and outdoor recreation is a balancing act. “We want people to come out and enjoy nature, and at the same time not become so concentrated in one area that the resource is compromised,” he adds. “As more and more people move into the area, it’s becoming harder and harder to find places just to get out into the woods. This is simply a wonderful property to be able to add to the game lands.”
Project Update and Grant Funding Award
Aerial photo of Deaverview Mountain by Gary Hurley, Carolinas Nature Photographers Association (CNPA)
This fall, the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources announced NC Land and Water Fund grant awards totaling over $45 million to protect North Carolina’s land and water from the mountains to the coast. Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy was awarded $4.37 million towards the conservation of Deaverview Mountain! Located just outside the city limits of Asheville, this 343-acre mountaintop contains high quality forest, important headwater streams, and one-of-a-kind views of Asheville and the surrounding mountain ranges. SAHC is partnering with Buncombe County to acquire the land and later transform it into the county’s largest public park. SAHC has three years to raise the funds to purchase the land and ensure its permanent protection, with estimated purchase costs around $8.8 million.
“This property holds personal significance for me as a resident who has spent time on the mountain over the years,” says Land Protection Director Michelle Pugliese. “We would not have reached this extraordinary position without our partners at the NC Land and Water Fund. The continued support of our state’s elected officials and the NC Land and Water Fund’s staff and board have been a pivotal key to unlock meaningful conservation across the state. We are grateful for the ongoing vision that makes this fund possible.”
French Broad River Valley Focus Area
Deaverview Mountain
Photo by Bill Richards, CNPA
Future Pisgah View State Park Update
In November, the state of NC completed the last stage in the planned purchase of over 1,500 acres for Pisgah View State Park, the first state park to be designated in Buncombe County! “Five years ago three members of the Cogburn family sat down in SAHC’s office on Merrimon Avenue,” recalls Jay Leutze, SAHC’s Senior Advisor to the Board. “We walked out of that room with the bones of a deal. SAHC would work with the state of North Carolina to raise the funds to purchase Photo by Guy Hoagland, CNPA Pisgah View Ranch from the Cogburns. The state of NC has bought the last few acres specified in the contract – a year earlier than our rosiest projections. Step one was to buy the land, and this was a monumental task. Now we can look forward to the creation of this breathtaking park and its facilities. There are too many heroes on a big project like this to name them all here, but stay tuned for future updates!” Land Protection Updates | 2023 Vol. 2 View from the Highlands | 19
French Broad River Valley Focus Area
Split Pine Cove aka Hawkins Cove Preservation of Habitat in Haywood County View from SAHC’s new preserve, photo by Owen Carson
Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy purchased 124 acres in the Crabtree/Fines Creek community of Haywood County, adding to hundreds of acres already conserved in the area. “Haywood County is a special place near and dear to the hearts of many SAHC supporters and staff alike,” says Conservation Director Hanni Muerdter. “We are thrilled to announce the acquisition of a 124acre conservation preserve on the northwestern flank of Crabtree Bald. SAHC’s purchase of the property in Split Pine Cove, also known as Hawkins Cove, adds to more than 600 acres of land we have protected in the Crabtree and Fines Creek communities over the last ten years.” The recently-protected land rises above a quiet mountain cove near Rush Creek Gap, and the upper reaches of the tract can be seen from the Appalachian Medley Scenic Byway (NC 209). Once used for farming, approximately 20 acres of the tract remain open pasture grazed by cattle, while the more remote upper elevations contain high quality examples of rocky habitat. Seeps and streams on the slopes drain
The conserved land was once used as a farm.
into James Branch, which flows into Cove Creek.
Ecological Significance What makes this tract of particular ecological importance is the presence of the Raven Cliff Significant Natural Heritage Area and Montane Mafic Cliff habitat. According to the NC Natural Heritage Program’s 1996 report A Natural Areas Inventory of Haywood County, North Carolina by S.C. Oakley and A.B. Smith, Montane Mafic Cliff communities are a rare, rocky-slope community type with only eight examples in the state. As described in the report, “It is a cliff type that occurs on mafic rock – rock which is high in nutrients such as iron, magnesium, and calcium and which is less acidic than most rock types in North Carolina. It
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is known to occur in Haywood County only at Raven Cliff in the Newfound Mountains.” The North Carolina Native Plant Society’s Alice Zawadzki Land Conservation Fund awarded SAHC a $1,000 grant to fund a biological inventory of the new Split Pine Cove / Hawkins Cove preserve. “The property lies partially within the Raven Cliff Natural Area, a botanical site of regional significance,” explains Owen Carson, a plant ecologist with Equinox Environmental who conducted the biological inventory. “It contains notable conservation features such as high-quality Low Elevation Rocky Summit and Montane Mafic Cliff communities, good quality Herb and Dry Heath Chestnut Oak Forest, patches of Boulderfield Rich Cove Forest, and
Montane Cliff, photo by Owen Carson
good quality Basic Montane OakHickory Forest.” “The rock outcrops and oak-hickory forest support a number of Watch List plant species as well as a collection of plants that are not rare-listed but exceedingly uncommon in the area.” “The cliffs, unfragmented forested landscape, and interspersed boulderfields and bedrock provide habitat for wildlife including common raven, wood thrush, timber rattlesnake, Southern Appalachian
Boulderfield, Rich Cove, photo by Owen Carson
eastern woodrat, and potentially the uncommon Apppalachian cottontail,” continues Carson.
/Hawkins
This cove is a beautiful preserve with varied terrain, ranging from rolling pastures and rich forestland to rock outcroppings with seepages that provide excellent salamander habitat. “The property’s gentle and picturesque lower elevations made this tract attractive for possible development,” continues Muerdter. “It was listed for sale on the real estate market, and SAHC saw the need to preserve it and stepped in. The Appalachian Medley Scenic Byway going from Crabtree into the Fines Creek area is so picturesque, and the scenic landscape here remains largely intact.
Cherry Bark Oak (Quercus pagoda), photo by Owen Carson
will remain in its natural state for future generations. Thank you to the visionary philanthropic leaders and SAHC supporters who made this conservation project possible!”
We are thrilled that SAHC was able to purchase the property so that it | 2023 Vol. 2 View from the Highlands | 21
French Broad River Valley Focus Area
SAHC recently purchased 78 acres in Haywood County, NC, that includes a section of upper Beaverdam Creek. The property is mostly forested, rising from the banks of Beaverdam Creek up the hillside to adjoin another SAHC preserve just east of the Town of Canton’s Rough Creek Watershed. “This tract adds to an assemblage of protected land that we have been fortunate to conserve around upper Beaverdam Creek,” explains Conservation Director Hanni Muerdter. “Overall, SAHC has preserved over 1,200 acres on both sides of Beaverdam Creek and in the surrounding area.”
Beaverdam Haywood County
The recently purchased property adds to a network of SAHC-conserved land around Beaverdam Creek.
The property adjoins the 54-acre Beaverdam tract that SAHC purchased in 2020, which links to additional SAHC-owned land and also connects over the ridge to the Rough Creek Watershed, owned by the Town of Canton. SAHC worked with the Town of Canton to preserve the 873-acre Rough Creek Watershed in 2003 through
a grant from the NC Land and Water Fund (formerly the NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund). The Rough Creek Watershed is open to the public with a network of hiking and mountain biking trails, and SAHC continues to monitor the conservation easement on these publicly-accessible watershed lands each year. On either side
of Beaverdam Creek, SAHC has protected consecutively adjoining tracts over the past several years, which link all the way to Doubleside Knob. “Landowners who have been in the valley for a long time want to see the land conserved, and they have reached out to us directly to see if we would purchase their property,”
Conserving the property helps protect water quality and forested habitat. Photos by Wildwood Consulting
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says Muerdter. “We are thrilled to be able to continue to provide an option to landowners who would like to see their historic family land protected.” “Connecting permanently protected pieces of land is like assembling a puzzle,” continues Muerdter. “Each connecting piece of the puzzle helps better fill in the picture and improves overall conservation results. For example, preserving water quality can be done more efficiently when the land surrounding streams, rivers, and lakes is protected. Animals can move more freely to migrate or search for food and shelter when there are unbroken areas of habitat. Whenever possible, we try to conserve large-acreage tracts of land because they provide multiple benefits and efficiencies in preserving natural resources. However, sizable properties have become rare across the mountains of NC and TN as ownership of land becomes subdivided across successive generations. SAHC has worked with multiple landowners to piece together connected preserves - which will make it easier to manage the forest and restore stream quality in the long run.”Beaverdam Creek’s water quality is considered to be on the decline, and SAHC’s purchase of the tract improves surface water quality by permanently protecting part of the stream from development. SAHC will manage the property according to best management practices for water quality, which will help reduce sedimentation, bacteria levels, and runoff. “Beaverdam Creek has a priority action plan written by Haywood
Waterways Association, which emphasizes additional land protection for water quality improvement,” adds Muerdter. “Portions of Beaverdam Creek on this property have been impacted in the past, and SAHC’s purchase of this section of stream presents an opportunity for future restoration and repair.” This 78-acre land purchase directly supports the Beaverdam Watershed Action Plan, produced by Haywood Waterways and the Pigeon River Fund. “HWA’s sole mission is to protect and improve the water quality across the Pigeon River Watershed, which includes the Beaverdam Watershed,” said Preston Jacobson, the executive director of Haywood Waterways Association. “Conserving these lands ensures this community and those downstream will benefit from improved water quality and we are honored to call SAHC a partner in this and many other projects across Haywood County. We look forward
to continuing this partnership and the benefits it provides our communities.” SAHC will own and manage the land in the long-term for forest health and water quality. “We are grateful to the many SAHC supporters and dedicated philanthropic leaders who made this preserve purchase possible and who have supported the long-term commitment to protecting land and water in Haywood County,” says Muerdter.
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The Education Center at the farm doubles as a wedding and event venue space. Rentals help support ongoing projects at the farm. To find out more about renting the space for your own event, contact events@appalachian.org.
SAHC Community Farm
Conservation • Education • Celebration
Farm life never stops. Our ever-evolving 140-acre farm and education center in Alexander, NC continues to expand with exciting new programs and hands-on experiences. If you have not been out to see the farm recently, we welcome you to join one of the monthly guided farm tours, or sign up for a session in our Farmer Education Workshop Series! Visit Appalachian.org for the most up-to-date outings and workshop schedule.
Growing and Growing Earlier this year, we successfully transformed eight acres of pasture fronting Mag Sluder Road into a silvopasture demonstration project. Silvopasture integrates trees, pasture, and forage into a single system. Incorporating trees into agriculture improves land health and increases carbon sequestration.
Silvopasture is shown to reduce soil greenhouse gas emissions by 35-50 percent over open pasture, to build soil, improve water quality and increase rates of annual tree growth. With support from Contour Lines, Inc. and assistance from multiple volunteer groups, we planted over 4,000 trees and shrubs on contour to create a wooded pasture area that will benefit livestock and prevent erosion. Cover crop plantings will help protect water quality and prevent erosion as the trees mature.
The new silvopasture demonstration project, planted earlier this year, is thriving on the farm.
“This is a one-of-a-kind agroforestry project in our area, and continues our focus on using the Community Farm for both education and productive agriculture,” says Associate Director Kristy Urquhart. “We presented two informational workshops during the establishment phase of this new silvopasture area, and it will continue
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.
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to serve as an educational demonstration plot. Guests on our Discovery Trail hikes, workshop participants, and folks who are interested in establishing their own agroforestry projects will be able to see how the silvopasture area matures and creates multiple layers of benefits.” SAHC received a Catalyzing Agroforestry Grant to support the project, an initiative funded by the Appalachian Beginning Forest Farming Coalition (ABFFC) and Edwards Mother Earth Foundation (EMEF) that is managed by Virginia Tech University in partnership with Rural Action, Appalachian Sustainable Development, North Carolina State University and SilvoCulture. The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina provided grant funding to support the silvopasture project as well as new signage for the interpretive Discovery
Community Farm Manager Chris Link (left) leads volunteers from Wicked Weed Brewing in planting garlic at the farm and planting trees in the new silvopasture project. Photos courtesy of Wicked Weed Brewing. Thank you volunteers!
Trail, fencing for pasture areas to improve access along the trail, and updated equipment in the certified commercial kitchen within the Education Center building on the farm. SAHC’s Community Farm Kitchen can be used by participants in our Farm Incubator Program as well as other local producers to create value-added products. Shelf-stable products such as sauces and canned goods can help farmers extend their market season and enhance economic stability. Currently, local producer Nathan Schmidt uses the space to create his line of hot sauces, Silas Sauce – silassauce.com.
plan for a farm business but need a little boost to launch or reach the next level,” continues Kristy. “It’s like a business incubator for farm businesses. Producers can spend up to five years in the program as they build their customer base and refine their techniques.” Suzanne Nolter of Blazing Star Flowers (Blazingstarflowers.com) will be growing with us for another year. Blazing Star Flowers is a small flower farm and floral design studio serving the Asheville area
compost producer in the coming season.
Volunteer Projects Thank you to our Corporate Partners at Wicked Weed Brewing for their ongoing support of conservation, and for getting hands-on experience in a volunteer work day at the farm. We hosted volunteers from Wicked Weed Brewing for a garlic planting session this fall, and enjoyed working in the silvopasture project area with them as well. Youth volunteers from the French Broad River Academy continue to serve in multiple projects across the farm. Thank you all for your volunteer efforts!
This fall we restarted in-person Resident Highlanders sessions in our Farmer Education Hi hoooo - Highland Cooooo! Workshop series, with a Whole A calf was recently born to the Farm Planning and a Value-Added Scottish Highland Coo family on Products Workshop in SAHC’s the farm — and the shaggy mom, Community Kitchen. For more dad, and baby continue to delight information about workshops visitors and volunteers. These The Highland Coos are one of the most popular sights. Visitors and the process to access our heritage breed Scottish Highland enjoy seeing the friendly, shaggy family together. commercial kitchen, contact cattle are one of the most popular Community Farm Manger Chris Link at with sustainable flowers and lush, garden- sights on our monthly Community Farm chris@appalachian.org. hikes! inspired arrangements. You can find her
Farm Incubator Program
“SAHC’s Farm Incubator Program provides land access, infrastructure, networking, and consultation for entrepreneurial farmers who have a solid
arrangements and spectacular blooms at BlazingStarFlowers.com.
We are currently interviewing prospects for the next on-farm program participant, and will likely be able to add a mushroom
If you haven’t been out to visit the farm recently, we invite you to join us. Sign up for our e-News at Appalachian.org to receive more frequent updates on news on upcoming events.
SAHC Community Farm | 2023 Vol. 2 View from the Highlands | 25
Par tnerships in Ed uca ti on Camp RIO at the SAHC Community Farm Buncombe County Soil and Water Environmental Educators Jen Knight and Rose Wall partnered with SAHC to bring three different groups of youth campers out to the farm for educational experiences, including one session with Camp RIO. Photos and text contributed by Timothy Reaves, Assistant Director – Department of Communications, Buncombe County Schools “This summer, first through sixth graders in the Buncombe County Schools Migrant Education Program (MEP) forged friendships and connections to the land through the weeklong Camp RIO. The Buncombe County Soil and Water Conservation District teamed up with MEP to offer outdoor-focused activities like a birding and nature exploration walk, paddleboarding, and a trip to the WNC Nature Center. The kids toured the SAHC Community Farm, where they learned how the farm demonstrates sustainable growing techniques and supports the agricultural community. “It shows in one setting, through experience, what these farming ideas actually look like,” said Farm Manager Chris Link. “They see the food 26 | View from the Highlands 2023 Vol. 2 | Conservation in Action
production, wildlife, water quality, and a whole lot of other projects on site.” Students learned about greenhouse growing techniques, tasted wild blackberries, saw highland cattle on the farm, learned about stream remediation, and more. “It was amazing, the cows and the blackberries,” said Janessa, a rising third grader. “And we ate a flower [oxeye daisy]. It was so good.” MEP is a federally funded program that assists migratory farm worker students in achieving academic success. In addition to school year and summer activities, MEP provides students and their families with tutoring, school supplies, help finding community resources, assistance with transferring school records, and more.”
Yo ut h Env iro n me nta l Educa t i on Pro g rams Sharing the Joy of the Outdoors Equity and Education Manager, LaKyla Hodges, energetically jumps into youth programming with both hands, feet, and…. Wings? One of the popular lessons this fall with after-school groups included an outdoor game based on monarch butterfly migration. While learning about conservation and other topics in environmental education, youth participants were able to get moving and enjoy time outdoors. LaKyla (right, with wings) leads youth participants in an interactive lesson about monarch migration.
“Consistency and relationshipbuilding are key to creating a healthy learning environment and fostering positive experiences,” says LaKyla. “With this in mind, we have focused on weekly programming with the Burton Street Community Center in West Asheville and YMCA Horizons program. Having a consistent presence with these programs through the summer and after school has increased enthusiasm among program participants and community partners. It allows participants to feel safe and comfortable with our organization. This trust also helps open doors to connect with other communities that face social and economic challenges.”
people to enjoy outdoor recreation.
LaKyla has developed engaging lesson plans that center on tenets of SAHC’s conservation mission - protecting habitat, clean water sources, farmland, and places for all
Kids enjoy environmental education games.
“I enjoy providing thematic environmental education lessons on conservation,” says LaKyla. “For example, this summer we focused on lessons on compost, planting, the water cycle, and botany. During
the fall, we have been focusing on themes such as monarch migration, indigenous gardening practices, and plant life cycles. Youth participants
enjoy having hands-on learning experiences where the subject can be seen in real-time. We’ve led a handson activity to simulate the difficulty of cleaning up water pollution, ran around outside during a monarch butterfly migration game, and explored artistic leaf rubbings to help familiarize participants with the structure and function of plants.” In addition to intensive, regular schedules with a few youth education partners, LaKyla is excited to continue periodic drop-in programming and collaborations with partners throughout the region. “We look forward to hosting more outdoor recreation programs to explore other SAHC-conserved spaces,” she adds.
REI Cooperative Action Fund Grant SAHC was awarded a $10,000 grant from REI Cooperative Action Fund, and LaKyla is excited about exploring opportunities for community oriented events and outdoor experiences, made possible with this funding. The REI Cooperative Action Fund is a community-supported public charity bringing together the collective strength of the community to support organizations that are improving the well-being of all people through time outside. The REI Fund announces new investments each year in the spring and the fall to provide unrestricted funding to nonprofit partners across three specific areas: connecting people outside, creating space outside, and centering health outside. Conservation In Action | 2023 Vol. 2 View from the Highlands | 27
Beauty and a challenge. Grassy Ridge Mow-off volunteers who camped for the weekend enjoyed a rainbow after enduring rainy weather.
Roa n Hi g h l a n d s Stewa rd ship
Ongoing Management of Appalachian Grassy Balds in TN and NC The growing popularity of the Highlands of Roan brings increasing challenges for preserving fragile high elevation ecosystems and rare plants. SAHC leads a broad coalition of partners to continue caring for our flagship conservation focus area and meet these challenges. We are so grateful for the hard work and dedication of a wonderful group of volunteers who came together – and braved variable weather – for our volunteer work days at Grassy Ridge and Round Bald. Volunteers handmowed 25 acres on Round Bald, Engine Gap, and Grassy Ridge. Staff also assisted Appalachian Trail Conservancy and U.S. Forest Service with planning for another approximately 20 acres that were managed on Hump Mountain and Bradley Gap. We also extend a special thanks to the NC Forestry BRIDGE crew for packing equipment on-and-off Grassy Ridge, and for their mowing work on Round
NC BRIDGE crew volunteers
Bald and Engine Gap. “Every year there is a huge sense of pride in being a part of a habitat restoration project that has been going on for 40 years to restore some of the most fragile ecosystems in the Southern Appalachians,” says Roan Stewardship Director Marquette Crockett. “The commitment of volunteers and partners who come and help us every year is inspiring. At the same time, one of my favorite things is meeting new volunteers on the mountain and introducing them to this remarkable landscape.” “In the face of climate change, and knowing that these ecosystems are incredibly sensitive and imperiled, anything we can do to increase their resiliency and health is of the utmost importance,” continues Marquette. “We have made great strides in grassy balds management since the 1980s, but impacts to habitat are continually changing. For example, we see more invasive species now because there is
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more foot traffic and visitation here than there was in the 1980s. To address that, we have installed the boot brush station at the Carvers Gap trailhead and continue to promote Leave No Trace guidelines. We encourage folks to look for the grassy ridge mow-off next year and come join us.” Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) provided funding for grassy balds management through their License Plate Grant Program.
Gray’s Lily Research Intern Ellie Huber, AT thru-hiker and a senior at Appalachian Sate University, documented hundreds of individual Gray’s lily plants on SAHC preserves this summer, increasing our knowledge of the species populations along Pyatt Creek and Roaring Creek. She further documented conditions that may impact populations in the future and made management recommendations, which could include enclosures to reduce deer browse or treatments to increase sunlight.
Feral Hog Working Group on a field trip to the Roan.
Feral Hog Working Group Our work for feral hog management, planning, and education was funded through the ATC’s License Plate Grant (NC). This funding directly supported trapping efforts, resulting in the removal of 20+ hogs from the Appalachian trail corridor. It also supported a “field trip” style meeting for more than 20 participants from eight partner organizations to learn more about the program and discuss ways to collaborate in the future.
Stanback Fellows analyzed changes around Appalachian Trail usage; the images above detail changes in the social trails around the AT over time.
and Yuntian also created a GIS model and data analysis process that can be repeated regularly, as new imagery is obtained and management actions are taken. This work is critical to moving forward with visitor planning in this site.
10 weeks, on the AT to engage with visitors, track trail usage and assist in management.
“Camping in the Roan is a fantastic way to experience its beauty and the allure of a night under the stars, but I found that far too many campers were inexperienced, unprepared, and unaware of how to respectfully use their campsites and surroundings,” says Adam. “The Roan’s popularity can be seen in my daily visitor counts, as well as the rapid development of social trails during Graduate Research rhododendron and wildflower benefits Roan Visitor blooms, and the deterioration Use Management and widening of the SAHC staff, interns, and partners at Carvers Gap trailhead. Efforts Appalachian Trail between Stanback Fellows Suri Sun and Yuntian Carvers Gap and Grassy Ridge. I 2023 Roan Naturalist Report counted a total of at least 7,732 visitors, Bi completed a project in support Over the summer, Roan Naturalist of the Roan Highlands Visitor Use including 7,100 day visitors and 632 Adam Kluge spent extensive time Management Planning Partnership. overnight campers; the total summer speaking with hikers and campers in the The project used remote sensing visitation is sure to exceed this count. I Roan Highlands on the Appalachian to analyze changes in social trail led 634 interactions to educate visitors, Trail, sharing Leave No Trace development, trail width, invasive packed out 28 gallons of trash, and educational information, dismantling species, and bare soils over the last dismantled 42 fire rings. Working for fire rings, and helping visitors find 5-10 years across the Roan Highlands. SAHC has been informative, rewarding, campsites (to reduce impacts on the Their project provided a benchmark for and most of all inspiring. I connected balds). The Roan Naturalist position ground cover data and produced some with so many wonderful people this is hosted by SAHC, with support from concerning results. For example, the summer and felt honored to pass on my ATC and in cooperation with the width of the Appalachian Trail in the knowledge and love for the Roan and U.S. Forest Service. Adam spent 4-day Carver’s Gap to Grassy Ridge section the outdoors with them.” stretches that included weekends, over has more than doubled since 2018. Suri Conservation In Action | 2023 Vol. 2 View from the Highlands | 29
Emera ld Ash Bore r
Cooperative Research and Action
Spathius agrili, an introduced parasitoid wasp that attacks emerald ash borer larvae. Photo credit Matt Bertone, NCSU
Dr. Kelly Oten, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources at NCSU contacted colleague Paul Merten, an entomologist with the U.S. Forest Service’s Forest Health Protection Program, to help find an appropriate site for a research project involving the release of parasitoid wasps as a biological control agent of invasive emerald ash borer (EAB). “I was familiar with Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy’s work, so I reached out to Stewardship Director Sarah Sheeran to see if she would permit a release on one of SAHC’s preserves,” explains Paul. “In order to be effective for this project, the appropriate location would have a dense population of high elevation ash trees and a moderate infestation of EAB - enough to be a significant infestation but still have plenty of life in the trees. We investigated several potential SAHC-owned properties, but only the Prices Creek Preserve had both the density of trees and state of decline present for an effective project.” “The EAB has been showing up all over WNC in recent years,” continues Paul. “It was first detected in North America 2002 in Michigan and then
Parasitoid wasps provide hope against the invasive emerald ash borer. In a synergistic project combining forest health, education, and conservation, SAHC has teamed up with researchers from NC State University (NCSU) and an entomologist with the U.S. Forest Service in a biological control research project at our Prices Creek Preserve in Yancey County, NC.
detected in my work area, the southern region, in northern Virginia in 2003. Through my work with the U.S. Forest Service, I have been involved with EAB for 20 years. These parasitoid wasps are tiny, stingless wasps – they cannot harm humans – that are found in the
Damage caused by emerald ash borer, photo by Dr. Kelly Oten
native range of the EAB and cleared for release in North America. The EAB parasitoid program was established years ago, and there have been four different species of parasitoid wasps approved as biological control by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service (APHIS).” The release of parasitoid wasps on SAHC’s preserve began this year, and the project will stretch over a total of three years: two years of parasitoid wasp release and a third year during which researchers will seek to trap and recover the wasps. Paul explains that in classic biocontrol techniques, the predatory species is released for a specific period of time, then finding them in subsequent years provides evidence that they have been successfully reproducing in the new environment. “We are losing ash trees at an astonishing rate,” says Dr. Oten. “While it’s great that there are pesticides available to protect the ash resources in our forests, we really need long-term, sustainable management options. Parasitoid wasps may offer that. I’ve been releasing parasitoid wasps in central and eastern North Carolina to combat the emerald ash borer since 2013. Our recent work in the western part of the state, including a site on the Prices Creek reserve, shows that one species of parasitoid wasp in particular is likely suitable for high-elevation areas. Our hope is that these wasp releases result in protection of the ash in those forests.”
For more info, visit content.ces.ncsu.edu/biological-control-of-emerald-ash-borer-in-north-carolina or www.aphis.usda.gov.
30 | View from the Highlands 2023 Vol. 2 | Conservation in Action
Biological Control of the Emerald Ash Borer in Western NC
Contributed by Courtney Smith, Graduate Research Assistant at N.C. State University The emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis, is an invasive woodboring beetle that attacks ash trees (Fraxinus spp). The larvae (immature forms) of the EAB feed beneath the bark of these trees, disrupting nutrient and water flow, eventually killing the host trees. While the beetle is native to Asia, it inadvertently ended up in the US as a product of trade. It was most likely introduced through wood packing material used on ships or airplanes. The beetle was discovered in the United States in 2002 near Detroit, Michigan and has since spread. In 2013, the EAB was found in NC, and it is now present in over 60 counties. Throughout North America, the EAB has killed hundreds of millions of ash trees, which are important components of forests due to their role in providing food and habitat for wildlife as well as ecosystem services like water filtration. Due to the vast impact of EAB, management is critical for containing and suppressing populations of the beetle. Chemical treatments are available for high-value landscape trees. However, these insecticides can be costly, and they require repeated treatment, so they may not be practical for all natural forest settings. As a result, biological control is often used in forests. Biological control involves using the natural enemies of a pest to suppress it. In the case of EAB, we have used parasitoid wasps to attack the pest. These parasitoid wasps are tiny, non-stinging wasps which deposit their eggs on or inside immature EAB. When the young wasps hatch from these eggs, they feed on the immature EAB, killing the pest. Several parasitoid wasp species that are native to the EAB’s native range
Adult emerald ash borer; photo courtesy Courtney Smith
have been tested and approved for release in the United States. The United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) rears these wasps and sends them to state cooperators. The wasps can provide adequate control of EAB when the correct species are released in the right location at the right time of year. However, if wasp releases are timed incorrectly or are conducted in an unsuitable location, these biological control agents may not be able to establish or control EAB. As such, research has been conducted on the EAB’s lifecycle as a way to optimize parasitoid releases. Parasitoid wasps that utilize EAB larvae can provide adequate control of EAB, but they’re a bit picky. Rather than depositing their eggs on recently hatched EAB larvae, these wasps prefer to attack the larger, more mature forms of EAB larvae. As a result, it is important to make sure that the mature forms of EAB larvae are available when adult wasps are laying eggs. To time releases correctly, we must understand EAB phenology; in other words, we have to gain knowledge of what stages of EAB are present at different times of the year. In central NC, it has been found that the EAB has a one-year lifecycle, meaning it develops from
egg to adult within one year). As a result, the appropriate parasitoid wasp species should be released in the summer when mature EAB larvae are available. However, a recent model suggested that the life cycle of EAB may be different in western NC. Here, the EAB is predicted to have a semivoltine lifecycle, meaning it can take longer than one year to develop completely. Where the EAB has a one-year lifecycle, it will spend the winter in a “J-stage” in which it bores more deeply into the tree and curls into a shape resembling the letter “J.” However, where the EAB is semivoltine, some EAB will overwinter as larvae just beneath the bark, rather than the “J-shape.” As a result, looking at the EAB’s stage in the winter can help determine whether it has a one-year lifecycle. To verify the previously mentioned model, research sites were selected in WNC to assess the EAB’s life cycle. One such research site was SAHC’s Prices Creek Preserve. Here, three EAB-infested ash trees were debarked in the winter to collect EAB specimens. While EAB densities were low, EAB larvae were found overwintering just beneath the bark, confirming the model and suggesting that EAB is semivoltine in this area. These results may indicate that parasitoid wasp species which were historically used in more northern states could be suitable for WNC and provide control of EAB. Releases of these wasp species began in the spring at SAHC’s preserve, and they will be assessed for establishment in the future. Hopefully, this research project has added another tool to the EAB management toolbox for the region, helping to protect our valuable ash trees.
Conservation In Action | 2023 Vol. 2 View from the Highlands | 31
Stevens Creek
Habitat Management for Elk Our partners at NC Wildlife Resources Commission received grant funding to improve elk habitat on SAHC-owned land on the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. SAHC’s Stevens Creek Preserve, located at the northern end of Cataloochee Ridge in Haywood County was purchased in 2013 to protect habitat and water resources and to provide a buffer on the edge of the national park. Aerial photo of SAHC’s Stevens Creek property, by Stephanie Long
SAHC conserved the beautiful open and forested 147-acre tract to help protect habitat for elk, turkey, deer and other wildlife. It is surrounded on three sides by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In 2001, Rocky Mountain Elk were released into Cataloochee Valley as part of an experimental program to reintroduce elk to the park. Native elk had been eliminated from the region by over-hunting and loss of habitat. Today, visitors enjoy watching elk, as well as wild turkey, deer, and other wildlife, across the open fields of
Elk on trail camera on SAHC’s property. Photo courtesy of Hugh Irwin of The WIlderness Society
the valley during early morning and evening hours.
elk to track their movements and see if more elk use SAHC’s property.
“We had noticed a few elk using the Stevens Creek tract, mostly bachelors,” says Justin McVey, District Biologist with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC). “However, more elk which have been living just over the ridge since the release have not used the tract. We were curious ‘why not?’ We wondered if the open areas on SAHC’s tract were converted to native grasses and plants, would more female and young elk come onto that property? It’s so beautiful, just a gorgeous little valley, and we’d love to see more elk using that space. The elk population is slowly growing, and we have high hopes that if we continue to create quality habitat we will increase the number of elk.”
“In the past, all of the grants we have applied for have been to fund habitat management on public lands,” adds McVey. “This is the first time we have secured a grant for management on land owned by a non-profit entity.”
With that in mind, NCWRC applied for a grant from Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation to support removing non-native plants in favor of native vegetation on SAHC’s property at Stevens Creek. In conjunction with the grant for habitat management, they secured funds to put radio collars on
32 | View from the Highlands 2023 Vol. 2 | Conservation in Action
So far this year, NCWRC has used the grant to push back fescue and creeping red fescue and to conduct a prescribed fire on the property. “We are leaving milkweed, blackberry and shrubs, to create a mosaic of vegetation,” says McVey. “The habitat management is in progress, and it is promising that we are seeing the rebounding of native vegetation. We will start the collaring phase between December and March, and then we’ll be able to track whether or not the elk move onto property.” “It’s a great partnership for us,” he adds. “It’s the first time we’ve managed private land for elk habitat; working with SAHC has been a phenomenal opportunity.”
Tree Pla nt in g
A Novel Approach in Stewardship In the realm of stewardship, ensuring the integrity of a property’s conservation values comes with a set of unique challenges. Often, well-intentioned neighbors express concerns with boundary markers, including orange survey paint, “no hunting” purple paint, and “Conservation Area” signs. To some, these markers can be considered unsightly or damaging to trees. While SAHC is Tree planting as a stewardship remedy for boundary defense. sympathetic to these concerns, it is important to have conversations regarding the importance of clear and visible boundary markers to ensure proper defense of natural resources “in perpetuity.” This is a common issue that many land trusts encounter, but it’s a challenge that SAHC is committed to addressing with creativity and resilience. Occasionally, SAHC encounters Since the neighbor was concerned twenty one- gallon saplings along the situations where boundary lines with the visual aesthetic of this boundary and within the interior of are not respected despite all efforts portion of property growing ‘wild’ the mowed area on SAHC’s property. to notify neighbors and post the next to their lawn, Stewardship The stewardship team hopes the tree boundaries. In an effort to act as a Director Sarah Sheeran saw this as an planting will discourage continued responsible and considerate neighbor, opportunity to try something new: a mowing while adding to the aesthetic SAHC is committed to and ecological value of this exploring alternative portion of protected property. solutions to these conflicts The Stewardship team, which prior to involving legal included Sarah Sheeran professionals. Recently, and SAHC AmeriCorps SAHC’s stewardship members David Hagler, team found themselves Riney Woodbridge, and in a scenario where a Leigh Siracusano, made neighboring landowner quick work of the planting was mowing a section of and documentation. protected property as a Returning member David continuation of their lawn Hagler said, “It was really despite requests to stop. interesting to work on a While SAHC followed project that truly represents standard protocol by hiring the breadth of stewardship surveyors to confirm the The stewardship team that performed the planting included staff and AmeriCorps Project Conserve members (L to R): Leigh, Sarah, David, Riney work through this not well-marked boundary, combination of conservation it became clear that the defense and minor ecological situation required greater attention when monitors discovered natural fence. This particular property restoration. Hopefully, our efforts will result in a long-term solution that is that the section continued to be sits above 5,000 ft. in elevation and acceptable for both parties.” mowed during follow-up is ideal for Red spruce (Picea rubens). monitoring visits. The team planted approximately Conservation In Action | 2023 Vol. 2 View from the Highlands | 33
Tha n k Yo u Co r po ra te Pa rtners!
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+ Biltmore Estate Wicked Weed Brewing Witherspoon, Platt & Associates Waterrock Knob: $15,000+ Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter Highland Brewing Company Mast General Store Salesforce Roan Mountain: $10,000+ Hunter Automotive Group Cold Mountain: $5,000+ Kee Mapping and Surveying Big Yellow: $2,500+ Appalachian Realty Associates Headwater Environmental, Inc. Modera Financial Advisors New Belgium Brewing Company Max Patch: $1,000+ Altura Architects Asheville Hiking Tours Equinox Environmental French Broad River Garden Club Fnd. Green River Preserve HandUp Gloves Hickory Nut Gap Meats Joel Adams & Associates, Inc. Jus’ Running NC Native Plant Society Revel Real Estate Roberts & Stevens, Attorneys at Law Second Gear Shoji Spa & Lodge Webb Investment Services Westmoreland & Scully White Oak Financial Wildwood Consulting, LLC
Partner Highlight: Headwaters Environmental Headwater Environmental, Inc. (Headwater) is a North Carolina-based environmental consulting firm serving the southeast. Founded in Wilmington in 2014 and expanding to Asheville in 2018, their team consists of professional geologists, scientists, field technicians, and outdoors enthusiasts. As a boutique consulting firm, they offer a personal approach and understand each project is unique. Headwater was established as a provider of environmental services for the renewable energy sector, focused on utility-scale solar development. Their first project included environmental review efforts for a small, 1MW (~5-acres) utility-scale, solar farm. Today, Headwater assesses tens-of-thousands of acres a year, providing environmental site assessments (ESAs), wetland delineations/permitting, and natural resource reviews. Since 2014, their services have evolved to include Industrial/Commercial Property Acquisition Due Diligence, Wetland Delineation and Permitting, Brownfields Redevelopment, and Environmental Resource Assessments. “Headwater’s team has walked thousands of acres with our friends at Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy,” says Michael Falknor, Headwater Vice President. “Headwater supports SAHC’s mission of clean water, conserving natural beauty, and providing long-term conservation for all people to enjoy. By donating our time and resources to SAHC, during land acquisition and conversation phases of work, Headwater demonstrates our commitment to those goals.”
Find out more at headwaterenvironmental.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. 34 | View from the Highlands 2023 Vol. 2 | Corporate Partners
We l co m e ! Join us in welcoming Emma Goldrick to the team, as SAHC’s new Development and Communications Manager!
SAHC AmeriCorps members, staff, and Board members at the Gibson Farm in Sandy Mush, overlooking SAHC-conserved land across the valley and mountain slopes.
A m e riCorps Pro jec t Co n se r ve Please join us in welcoming new and returning AmeriCorps Project Conserve members for the 2023-24 service term! AmeriCorps Stewardship & Volunteer Associate: David Hagler. David is returning for a second year with SAHC. We’re grateful for David’s expertise and hard work on SAHC’s behalf this past year, and look forward to his serving a second year with us. AmeriCorps Stewardship & Volunteer Associate: Riney Woodbridge. Riney is a UNC Asheville graduate, highly recommended by the USFS Southern Research Station. He was an intern with NEMAC and the US Forest Service. Originally from Durham, Riney also served American Conservation Experience doing trail work. He brings GIS and natural resource management experience to our team. AmeriCorps Stewardship & Volunteer Associate: Leigh Siracusano. Leigh lives in Horse Shoe, NC and is an App State graduate. She has experience working with non-profits, primarily in central CA, addressing water resource and agricultural issues. AmeriCorps Community Engagement & Education AmeriCorps Associate: Katie Gray. Katie is returning for a second year with SAHC. We’re grateful for Katie’s great work in her first year, and look forward to her serving a second term with SAHC!
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.
“I’m so excited to join the amazing staff at SAHC as the Development and Communications Manager. I have worked as the Director of Development Operations for the past four and a half years at Montreat Conference Center, a place that ties my family back to this area for many years. Before that, I worked as a student affairs associate in the Yale College Dean’s Office after studying Geology and Geophysics at Yale College. What drew me to this position and this organization is SAHC’s long history of doing the work, protecting and stewarding the mountains and lands we love and I am privileged enough to call home. I hope I will be an asset to an already fantastic team and I look forward to meeting many of you in the near future. In my free time, you can find me walking on the Beaucatcher trails behind my house, swimming at the downtown YMCA, eating pizza at White Labs, or April through August cheering at an Asheville Tourists game.”
Connecting People with Land | 2023 Vol. 2 View from the Highlands | 35
New Board Memb ers
Thank you, Kevin and Maria, for volunteering your service with the SAHC Board of Trustees. Kevin Fitzgerald lives in Waynesville, and has served on our Land Protection Committee since 2018. He was Deputy Superintendent of Great Smoky Mountains National Park from 2006 until his retirement in 2013, following a 34-year career with the National Park Service. He has been helpful with SAHC public lands projects in Haywood County, including Chestnut Mountain Nature Park in Canton and our Cove Creek land purchases that adjoin the Great Smoky Mountains Park boundary near Cataloochee Valley. Maria Palamar lives in Asheville and serves on our Stewardship Committee. She is a wildlife biologist, and a founding partner of the Resolve Conservation consulting firm. She works on issues relating to people in the environment, specializing in assisting public agencies develop equity, inclusion and diversity in their programs. Maria is a NC Wildlife Federation board member, and formerly worked for NC Wildlife Resources Commission.
The Winter Hiking Challenge Returns! SAHC’s winter hiking challenge sets a goal of 60 miles in 60 days, to be completed in your own time and at your own pace. Those can be miles you’ve walked, run or hiked – in your neighborhood, on a flat walking track, up a rugged mountain trail, or meandering in fields and forests. Just make it 60 miles within the 60-day challenge time period, January 1 to March 1. More details & registration TBA at Appalachian.org.
A P i cture is Wo r th 1 ,00 0 Word s Visiting naturalists and authors Dana and Virginia Beach enjoyed a stay at SAHC’s Bird House preserve in the Highlands of Roan earlier this year. Dana, Founder & Director Emeritus – South Carolina Coastal Conservation League, captured a number of wonderful images of birds and the serene surroundings, which we are grateful that he has shared with us and our members!
“I fell in love with the North Carolina mountains as a child,” says Dana. “For more than half a century I’ve spent as much time as I could there every summer. Virginia and my visit to the Bird House at Roan Mountain, though, was a revelation. We were stunned by the rugged beauty of the landscape, the profusion of birds and wildflowers, and the rich human culture. I can’t imagine a place in America more worthy of protecting.”
36 | View from the Highlands 2023 Vol. 2 | Connecting People with Land
Why We Give: Tom and Laurie Williams We are grateful to Tom and Laurie Williams for being champions of conservation and part of our Gray’s Lily Leadership Circle. Currently serving as Secretary of the SAHC Board of Trustees, Tom recognizes the urgent need to ensure that SAHC continues to preserve and steward the natural features that people love about these mountains. He enjoys talking with people while hiking in areas that we have helped protect and would like to raise recognition of SAHC endeavors in securing public lands for people to enjoy outdoor recreation. Tom grew up enjoying the mountains with his family. His fond memories include a summer camp where he says “the land was pristine, there was no electricity, we washed in the waterfall, and they wore us out. It was wonderful.” Those early experiences were foundational. As a child, Tom filled out his description of the perfect house for a 3rd grade school project -it was a cabin in the mountains. As a youth and later as a teen working at the Kanuga Conference and Retreat Center, Tom says he “spent a lot of time in the mountains and always hoped to live in the mountains full time.” He was able to make the leap for that dream to become reality in 2009. His family shares a love and appreciation for the outdoors, and they found the perfect spot to build their dream home in Fairview. “I count my lucky stars because virtually everything in our view has been preserved by SAHC,” Tom shares. “But there is a lot more to do, and it’s only going to get harder to accomplish conservation on this scale over time.” One of his favorite aspects of SAHC’s conservation work is the creation of new public parks, additions to public lands, and new trails – including the Chestnut
Mountain Nature Park in Canton, Roan Mountain State Park in Tennessee, parts of Mt. Mitchell State Park, additions to the NC State Game Lands and national forests in both NC and TN, and the Strawberry Gap Trail created in partnership with Conserving Carolina. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been hiking on or near SAHC-preserved land and I tell the people I meet about the organization and how the land they are enjoying was preserved — and they are blown away by it,” says Tom. “With the 50th anniversary of SAHC on the horizon, it’s more important than ever to accomplish conservation work centered around common goals and purposes, like the way people came together to create the Chestnut Mountain Nature Park. Projects like that show that conservation is a need and value for folks of all backgrounds.” “People come here for the beauty of the scenery, and that is increasingly under threat,” adds Tom. “SAHC works to protect this beautiful land, the reason why so many people love to visit and live in this place. I’m thrilled to be a part of SAHC; it’s a rare opportunity to do something significant in this life.” When he was about 14 years old, Tom spent time on Roan Mountain with his
older brother. He recalls that they only saw about 3 other people during that trip. Now, SAHC’s Roan Naturalist – an environmental educator and seasonal assistant in habitat management – documents thousands of visitors to the Roan Highlands in a single summer weekend. The dramatic rise in popularity places fragile habitat resources at risk. “The bottom line is that we want to be careful about not ‘killing the goose that lays the golden egg,’” says Tom. “We need to make sure that people can continue to love and enjoy the mountains in future generations. It’s SAHC’s responsibility to preserve land as much as possible now, because when it’s gone, it’s gone forever. But we don’t do this alone. People are able to accomplish more when we find common ground and work together.”
We invite you to ‘level up’ your commitment to saving the places you love in the mountains of TN and NC. For more information about the various Ways to Give to support SAHC, our Legacy Society, or the Gray’s Lily Leadership Circle, contact Cheryl Fowler at cheryl@appalachian.org. Connecting People with Land
| 2023 Vol. 2 View from the Highlands | 37
Mem b e rs ’ Co r n e r Tributes — as of November 17, 2023 Tributes are gifts made to SAHC that celebrate a person, achievement, or special occasion.
In honor of Becky Anderson Susan & Fred Chappell In honor of Bob Brannon Elizabeth Brannon In honor of Tom & Jo Brock Art & Charlotte Ellis In honor of Sarah Davis Richard & Merrily Davis In honor of Elise Deal Jennifer Bost In honor of Lars, Hanni & Adams Catherine Ellis & Kent Stewart In honor of Jay Leutze Dr. Ellen & Mr. Rountree Collett, Jr. CFWNC President’s Fund Sugar Mountain Community Assoc. In honor of Jacqui Michel Mya Hayes In honor of Judy Murray & Tom Gatti Art & Charlotte Ellis Mary Fanslow In honor of Ryland Quinn Art & Charlotte Ellis In honor of Carl Silverstein & the SAHC staff Randy Hunter In honor of John & Kathy Singleton Gary & Catherine Tucker In honor of Barbara Steinson & John Schlotterbeck Jennifer Carlin In honor of Zane & Rebecca Scott Art & Charlotte Ellis In honor of Tom & Vivian Todd Art & Charlotte Ellis In honor of Harry & Pat Turner Art & Charlotte Ellis In honor of Wayne Wood & Sharon Helton Art & Charlotte Ellis
Claxton Farm, photo by Steven McBride Photography
In Memoriam - Calvin Porter Claxton, Jr. In October, Calvin Porter Claxton, Jr. died peacefully at the age of 88 at Mission Hospital in Asheville, NC, where he spent endless hours during his career as a cardiothoracic surgeon. His wife of 59 years, Martha Ann Mahanes Claxton, predeceased him in 2020. Many SAHC members and local residents remember being welcomed to Claxton Farm heartwarmingly by Porter and Martha Ann, and the beautiful surroundings at their conserved farmland in Buncombe County. Born in Knoxville, TN Porter became chief resident in the Department of General and Cardiothoracic Surgery at Duke University Medical Center, before moving to private cardiothoracic surgical practice in Asheville, NC in 1972. Porter and Martha Ann found a 60-acre tract in Weaverville, NC where they could have land with animals and raise their children, and they built a log house there in 1976. Soon the green hillsides turned to pasture, and as their passion for farming grew, they developed a registered Polled Hereford cattle farm. The farm became certified and accredited by the State of North Carolina and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Over the years, they were also able to grow the farm to a total of 600 acres, which included an old tobacco barn that became a site for wedding and corporate picnic events in 1997. Porter and Martha Ann considered themselves stewards of the land, and in keeping with their commitment to preserve their part of the beautiful western NC mountains, they placed 480 acres in an agricultural conservation easement with the Southern Appalachian Highland Conservancy and the State of NC in 2009. After his retirement from medicine, Porter continued his passion for the farm - Polled Hereford cattle and the Claxton Farm event site. With the involvement of his family, the operation continues to flourish. All five of his children live on the farm and participate in its care. Porter will be dearly missed by many in the SAHC family and surrounding communities.
38 | View from the Highlands 2023 Vol. 2 | Members’ Corner
In Memoriam - A. Murray Evans
Memb ers’ Corn er
Dedicated SAHC member since the 1970s, Austin Murray Evans passed away in October. He and his widow, Dee Montie, both served on SAHC’s board. Murray was an inspiration to many who loved the mountains and plants of the Highlands of Roan. He was a field botanist and specialist in the taxonomy of pteridophytes (ferns), holding a PhD in Botany from the University of Michigan. As professor at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville 1964-1994, he shared his passions for plants and their habitats with generations of students. He located and photographed hundreds of species, in the wild, for the definitive Field Manual of the Ferns & Fern – allies of the United States & Canada, published by the Smithsonian Institution Press in 1985. A lifelong hiker and canoeist, Murray shared his love of the forests and rivers of the southeastern mountains with his children. Murray served for many years on the Board of the SAHC, of which he and Dee were benefactors, advocating for the expansion of the land trust. We deeply appreciate his commitment to these majestic mountains and all the life that thrives herein.
Saxifrage on Roan, photo by Travis Bordley
Memorials — as of November 17, 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 Charlie Burden Helen C. Gift In memory of Ann & Geof Caulfield John & Elizabeth Dean In memory of Effie Church Anne Moebes In memory of Dr. Calvin Porter Claxton, Jr. Diane Bennett & James Hanson Chad Boswell Haw Creek Elementary Ms. Patsy Keever Artus & Ginny Moser In memory of Carol T. Coffey Joe DeLoach In memory of A. Murray Evans William Dennis Jerry Faulkner Kathleen Talenco In memory of Kathy Leutze Harriett & Walter Burns
In memory of Herb & Mildred Gouge Gary Gouge In memory of Mary Bailey Gray Ronald Morgan In memory of William Hamilton Helen Yamada In memory of Dr. Miles O. Hayes Ian Fischer Mya Hayes Jacqueline Michel In memory of Audrey Kaiman Ben C. Hole In memory of “Katie” John & Lori Groce In memory of Alex Lapidus Mara Hedgecoth In memory of Bill Lowndes Kim Lowndes In memory of John Lowndes Kim Lowndes
In memory of Charles Mauldin Hummingbird Hill Homeowners Assoc. Daniel & Susan Sauer In memory of Fuller McLeod Susan T. King In memory of Len Pardue Nancy Casey Tom Tribble In memory of Mike Rathburn Judy Murff In memory of Dan Russo Judy Murray & Tom Gatti In memory of Ina M. Soto Susan Peters In memory of Robert Stolze Helen C. Gift
Members’ Corner | 2023 Vol. 2 View from the Highlands | 39
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