Sandy Mush Game Lands

67 Acres added

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.

“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.”

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 was prepared to manage, the sisters sought a conservation solution with Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC) and the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC).

“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.”

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.”

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,” 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, we will have better access for management, and the public can use this gently-laying former farm to get into the deeper areas of the game lands more easily.”

SAHC assisted our partners at NCWRC with the transaction and provided a matching contribution recreation,” says Executive Director Carl Silverstein. “I believe this is one of SAHC’s highest callings – to help secure important properties identified by public agency partners and make them accessible to the people of the region.” 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.

“We really value the partnership with SAHC,” adds Stewart. “We wouldn’t be able to accomplish all that we do without SAHC and our other partners. The process for acquiring tracts and adding them to public lands takes time, and many folks who may be interested in conveying land to us just can’t wait out the process. We had been working on this acquisition for several years. We’re grateful to SAHC for helping make this acquisition a success, and to the former landowners for their willingness and patience to secure a conservation outcome for this land.”

Partner Perspective: Management and Visitation in the Sandy Mush Game Lands

This new tract helps provide an additional buffer to the game lands management areas and better access 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 of the game lands, which people can use to walk on, we intentionally do not have developed trail systems. We encourage dispersed recreation – for folks to spread out as much as they can – because that creates less impact on resources and wildlife.”

The NCWRC manages the land to benefit wildlife habitat, including opening up areas for successional habitat and using managed fire.

“We do a lot of early successional habitat management geared towards small game such as quail and rabbits, but these management techniques also benefit a lot of other species, including song birds and monarch butterflies,” explains Stewart. “A lot of critters need that disturbance and reset in habitat in order to thrive. In conducting active management, we 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.”