Roan Highlands Stewardship

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 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 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

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.

Graduate Research benefits Roan Visitor Use Management Efforts

Stanback Fellows Suri Sun and Yuntian Bi completed a project in support of the Roan Highlands Visitor Use Management Planning Partnership. The project used remote sensing to analyze changes in social trail development, trail width, invasive species, and bare soils over the last 5-10 years across the Roan Highlands. Their project provided a benchmark for ground cover data and produced some concerning results. For example, the width of the Appalachian Trail in the Carver’s Gap to Grassy Ridge section has more than doubled since 2018. Suri 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.

2023 Roan Naturalist Report

Over the summer, Roan Naturalist Adam Kluge spent extensive time speaking with hikers and campers in the Roan Highlands on the Appalachian Trail, sharing Leave No Trace educational information, dismantling fire rings, and helping visitors find campsites (to reduce impacts on the balds). The Roan Naturalist position is hosted by SAHC, with support from ATC and in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service. Adam spent 4-day stretches that included weekends, over 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 rhododendron and wildflower blooms, and the deterioration and widening of the Appalachian Trail between Carvers Gap and Grassy Ridge. I counted a total of at least 7,732 visitors, including 7,100 day visitors and 632 overnight campers; the total summer visitation is sure to exceed this count. I led 634 interactions to educate visitors, packed out 28 gallons of trash, and dismantled 42 fire rings. Working for SAHC has been informative, rewarding, and most of all inspiring. I connected with so many wonderful people this summer and felt honored to pass on my knowledge and love for the Roan and the outdoors with them."