View from the Highlands 2024 v. 1

View from the Highlands

Protecting the World’s Oldest Mountains

Golden-winged Warbler photo by Dana Beach

372 Merrimon Avenue Asheville, NC 28801-1222

828.253.0095 • FAX 828.253.1248

sahc@appalachian.org

Board of Trustees

Nancy Edgerton, President Asheville, NC

Sheryl Aikman, Vice-President Asheville, NC

Tom Williams, Secretary Fairview, NC

Pam Kelley, Treasurer Kingsport, TN

Allison Williams, At-Large Charleston, SC

Sarah Davis Asheville, NC

Mary Fanslow Kingsport, TN

Kevin Fitzgerald Waynesville, NC

Janet Garrett Asheville, NC

John McLendon Pittsboro, NC

Maria Palamar Asheville, NC

Larry (Pender) Pender Hendersonville, NC

Rich Preyer Asheville, NC

Chris Soto Johnson City, TN

Jay Leutze Senior Advisor to the Board

Staff

Carl Silverstein Executive Director

Kristy Urquhart Associate Director

Michelle Pugliese Land Protection Director

Jess Laggis Farmland Protection Director

Hanni Muerdter Conservation Director

Marquette Crockett Roan Stewardship Director

Sarah Sheeran Stewardship Director

Chris Kaase Stewardship Associate

Cheryl Fowler Membership Director

Lisa Fancher Finance Compliance Director

Angela Shepherd Communications Director

Chris Link Community Farm Manager

Kirin Battaglia Weddings & Events Coordinator

Travis Bordley Outings Program Manager

LaKyla Hodges Equity and Education Manager

Park Greer South Yellow Mtn Preserve Manager

Kyle Shute Land Protection Associate

Emma Goldrick Development & Communications Manager

Tim Arrowood IT Manager

AmeriCorps Project Conserve

David Hagler Stewardship & Volunteer Member

Leigh Siracusono Stewardship & Volunteer Member

Riney Woodbridge Stewardship & Volunteer Member

Katie Greer Community Engagement & Education

Congratulations to all of the SAHC family for 50 years of important land conservation! Congratulations also for being recognized as one of the top land trusts in the country. SAHC is a group of people and an organization with which I am so proud to be associated.

My personal involvement with SAHC goes back 19 years. I remember going up to Big Yellow Mountain on a group outing with Jay Leutze. From the meadow, Jay pointed out property after property that was in line for major housing development. If you stand in that same spot today, you will see property after property that has been protected through much hard work and perseverance by SAHC!

Another of my favorite outings was to Rocky Fork, long before it was a Tennessee State Park, just after it was protected from development by SAHC and The Conservation Fund (and other partners). David Ramsey took us on a walk on old logging roads and told us stories about waterfalls, native brook trout, bears, rattlesnakes, Native American history, geologic history, and family connections to the land. That park is now permanently protected and is one of my favorite places to hike and to share with my family and friends.

There are so many more places with so many stories and personal connections from the Roan Massif to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park that display the stunning extent of conservation work that SAHC has undertaken. If you get the chance, I hope you join an outing to some of the amazing SAHC-protected places, and please join me in congratulating the staff on 50 years of incredibly important work.

June

July

Visit Appalachian.org for details & registration for these events AND MANY MORE! Be sure to sign up for our monthly E-News and follow us on social media for updates. President, SAHC Board of Trustes

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

Wells/Young Homeplace pg. 12-15

Full Sun Farm

pg. 8-11

Smoky Mountains

Appalachian Trail

AppalachianTrail

French

Broad River Valley

Countryside

Highlands of Roan

Black Mountains

Blue Ridge Parkway

BlueRidgeParkway

Balsam Mountains

Sandy Mush Creek

pg. 16-19

Union Church Cove pg. 4-5

South McDaris Ridge pg. 6-7

Andy’s Branch pg. 20

Protect Steward Connect

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

SAHC acknowledges that the land we work to conserve is the current and ancestral land of the Cherokee, Yuchi, Catawba, and Miccosukee people. We hold deep respect for the indigenous stewards who preceded us. Through our work in conservation, recreation, and preservation, we strive to strengthen our relationship with this beautiful land and its original inhabitants. We are committed to fostering meaningful connections with indigenous communities, and we recognize that we have a great deal more to learn.

Union Church Cove

65 Acres Adjoining Cherokee National Forest

The forested property adjoins Cherokee National Forest.

Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy continues to work with partners in the U.S. Forest Service to fill in gaps in our public lands. In February, SAHC purchased 65 acres just south of Johnson City and Jonesborogh. The tract shares a long border with Cherokee National Forest and will be transferred to become part of the national forest in the future.

“This property on the slopes of Cherokee Mountain has been in the same family for four generations,” says Land Protection Director Michelle Pugliese. “The landowners reached a decision that they needed to sell the land, which tucks into a

corner of Cherokee National Forest. SAHC was able to work with our partners in the U.S. Forest Service to fulfill their goals, and provide a means for the landowners to meet their own needs, while securing a conservation outcome for the land - a win, win, win situation. This project continues SAHC’s efforts to protect land for habitat, scenic views, and water quality in our Appalachian Trail Countryside Conservation Focus Area.”

The recently purchased tract contains

steeply sloping, forested ridges with multiple springs draining to Little Cherokee Creek in the Nolichucky River watershed. Elevations on the property range from 2,100 to 2,800 feet to a ridgeline on Cherokee Mountain where it joins the Cherokee National Forest. Part of the uppermost ridgeline is visible from the Appalachian Trail. SAHC will steward the land as a nature preserve until it can be transferred into public ownership.

The property was jointly owned by cousins in different geographic areas of the nation, who came to a consensus that they needed to do something with the property before it passed into the next, more widespread generation.

“We felt good about the relationship with SAHC because the land would be preserved,” said Doug Delaney, one of the six landowners who sold the tract. “It was a mutually

beneficial agreement. When the opportunity to conserve the land with SAHC came up, we felt that would be a good solution all the way around. We are happy that eventually it will be transferred to the national forest.”

Deep Roots in Tennessee

Although the landowners of the Union Church Cove tract are spread across the United States, they have deep family roots in the mountains of Tennessee. Former landowner Janine Delaney Sylvia harbors particularly fond memories of her grandmother and her family ties to the Tennessee mountain land.

“My great-grandfather, Arthur Shelby Hartsell, purchased the land and is buried at the Union Church Cove church cemetery,” shared Janine. “His grandfather, Isaac Washington Hartsell, actually made the bricks for the original church building. Our family ties go back to the colonial settlement after the American Revolution and during the State of Franklin period of Tennessee mountain history.”

The State of Franklin was a proposed independent state in the post revolution period, which included eight counties in what is now northeast Tennessee. Between 1784-1788, proponents of the State of Franklin attempted – unsuccessfully – to create an independent state from land which was once part of North Carolina.

Isaac Washington Hartsell’s father, Jacob Taylor Hartsell, was commissioned in the Tennessee militia in 1809 and served through the War of 1812. He kept a journal throughout his travels and experiences in the militia, and in it he penned a poem about the “Volunteers of Tennessee.”

Many decades later, Arthur Shelby Hartsell left the mountains of

Tennessee to make his fortune in the financial sector. He returned and became a founding director of The People’s Bank of Johnson City in 1920, which later merged with the First National Bank of Jonesboro in 1956 to become First Peoples Bank.

“He invested in land,” shared Janine. “He was a prominent businessman who bought and sold land all over the area. However, he never sold that mountain land.”

Perhaps it connected him with the heritage of his forebears. Arthur passed in 1963, and his daughter Edna Mae Hartsell Delaney inherited the tract and managed it until the 1980s, refusing multiple offers to purchase the land and later passing it to her children. Janine, who lived in the Northeast with her family, fondly recalls family trips to the Tennessee mountains.

“The mountain has always been part of our lives.” – Janine Delaney

“We spent every other summer visiting my grandmother and other family in Tennessee,” remembered Janine. “But, it was always warm when we visited. So, when my sister and I moved to stay with our grandmother and attend East TN State University, we were shocked to discover it snowed in Tennessee. We had not packed for that!”

“My father loved being an owner of that land,” continued Janine. “He was very proud of that, and glad that he was able to explore the land. It was dear to him. When he passed away he left his portion of ownership to me. I’ve been out on it several times. The property was landlocked, surrounded by Cherokee National Forest and other privately owned land. Mr. Taylor, who

lived in a cabin at the base of the mountain, was very generous about allowing us access to the mountain through his property. I’ve enjoyed visiting there throughout my life, and each time I would stop by the church and visit great-grandfather Hartsell’s grave, and say “Watch over the land, Grandpa.”

Janine’s grandmother Edna Hartsell Delaney, who inherited the mountain property and held onto it for her sons.

From Rhode Island to California and in between, the family today has spread literally across the nation. The cousins who owned the property shared a sense of close connection and collaboratively co-owned, paid bills, and managed the land for years. However, they realized that coordinating and caring for the land would have become even more complex for the next generation.

“The mountain has always been part of our lives,” added Janine. “Generationally, it has been a big part of us. When we did put it up for sale, it was bittersweet - but time to let it go. I was one of the last holdouts. When my son was small, I would take him to visit and stop at the cemetery, and he would also say ‘Grandpa, watch over the land.’ About the land sale, he told me, ‘It’s okay mom, it’s okay.’ When it transfers to the Cherokee National Forest, our family and others will be able to go and walk there and visit it. We think we made great-grandfather Hartsell and grandmother Edna Delaney, and all our fathers proud. We are grateful that it will be part of the national forest.”

South McDaris Ridge

Reems Creek Headwaters

The rocky face of South McDaris Ridge stands as a sentinel above the upper reaches of Reems Creek valley, just across from the Woodfin Watershed conservation easement. In December 2023, the owners of this significant spur ridgeline in the Great Craggy Mountains donated a 172-acre conservation easement to preserve it forever.

“The donors purchased this property for the sole purpose of protecting it. Their decision to grant the conservation easement to SAHC was a tremendously generous gift,” says Land Protection Director Michelle Pugliese. “We knew this property scored high in our conservation planning for the vicinity, but as we worked on the conservation easement, we learned even more about its ecological significance. The variety of forest communities onsite provide habitat for a large diversity of plant and animal species, including 13 documented rare plants. From the popular Snowball Mountain Trail and points in the Reems Creek Valley, a dramatic exposed

rock face on the 4,400-foot peak makes this ridgeline easy to spot.”

Ecological Importance

Located about eight miles east of Weaverville NC, the tract rises to over 4,600 ft elevation above Blackberry Inn Road. It encompasses forested hillsides and the saddle of the ridge between Alexander Knob and Little Snowball Mountain. A tributary of Reems Creek originates on the land: Cook Creek and its tributaries flow down from the property to join Reems Creek, which ultimately feeds the French Broad River approximately nine miles downstream.

Stewardship staff on a site visit to South McDaris Ridge, looking towards SAHC’s Woodfin Watershed conservation easement.

Natural communities of ecological importance near the top of the tract include a Low Elevation Acidic Glade and a Rich Montane Seep. A corner of the protected land touches Pisgah National Forest at the summit of Little Snowball Mountain, near the Snowball Mountain Trail, which begins as a spur off the Mountains-to-Sea Trail near Craggy Gardens Picnic Area.

Commitment to Conservation

Debbie Sinex and Claus Kroeger purchased the tract on McDaris Ridge to prevent it from being sold to realestate developers. They bought it with the intent to permanently protect the land. Having worked previously with SAHC on a conservation easement to preserve another property, they already knew about the process and were confident in SAHC’s ability to permanently conserve the natural resources on South McDaris Ridge for posterity.

“I come from four generations of women born in the Blue Ridge Mountains, so I feel a strong sense of place here,” says Debbie. “I am most grateful that with the support of Claus and the existence and efforts of the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, we can now protect a part of these mountains forever. There are few ways that we can make things better in perpetuity, and Claus and I think this is a great way to leave a lasting legacy beyond our time here.”

quality in the headwaters of Reems Creek, an important tributary of the French Broad River. Other notable successes in this plan include the 1,840acre Woodfin Watershed conservation easement completed in 2005, 37acre Camp Sequoyah conservation easement completed in 2009, 90 acres at the summit of Snowball Mountain that SAHC purchased in 2011 and the 229-acre Reems Creek Bowl Preserve SAHC purchased in 2022.

“SAHC has been working in this vicinity since 1996 when we accepted the donation of two adjoining conservation easements in the headwaters of Ox Creek, a tributary of Reems Creek,” continues Michelle. “Today, with the addition of the South McDaris Ridge conservation easement, SAHC’s conservation easements and preserves in this vicinity total just under 3,000 acres. We continue to prioritize protection of this scenic valley, which contains state-designated Trout waters, historic sites, and diverse forest communities.”

“I come from four generations of women born in the Blue Ridge Mountains, so I feel a strong sense of place here.” – Debbie, Sinex, landowner

Reems Creek Headwaters, French Broad Watershed

This new transaction is part of SAHC’s long term strategic conservation plan to protect water

Preservation of the land was made possible by a generous contribution from the Stanback family to cover project costs and a grant of $47,200 from Buncombe County to cover remaining project transaction costs.

“We are so grateful to be a part of helping make the South McDaris Ridge Project come to fruition through the Land Conservation Advisory Board grant,” says Ariel Zijp, Buncombe County Soil and Water Conservation –Farmland Preservation Manager. “The project has such a significant impact on natural resource conservation and protecting the significant water resources in the county. We thank the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy for their dedication and hard work on this project. Protecting these acres helps further the Buncombe County Commissioner’s Land Conservation Goal of protecting 20% of Buncombe county by 2030.”

Large trees and white trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) on the donated conservation easement.

Full Sun Farm

Prime Soils in the Sandy Mush Farming Community

Full Sun Farm — the name says it all. A quintessential small mountain farm on sun-drenched bottomland in the Sandy Mush Creek valley, Full Sun Farm possesses fertile soils sprouting healthy produce and lush, colorful flowers. This is the kind of place where you want to source your meals. Organic production methods promote health for the planet, for consumers, and for the farmers who toil in cultivating the crops. Now, 29 more acres of this land have been permanently protected for present and future generations to farm.

“This conservation easement continues a commitment to local farmland protection by Vanessa Campbell and Alex Brown, owners of Full Sun Farm,” says Jess Laggis, SAHC’s Farmland Protection Director. “They generously donated a conservation easement on 32 acres of their farmland in 2021, and this bargain sale conservation easement completes the permanent protection of productive farmland at Full Sun Farm in the beautiful Sandy Mush farming community.”

Full Sun Farm directly adjoins more than 220 acres of protected, scenic farmland in the Sandy Mush valley. This new conservation easement preserves productive, high-quality

soils, which are being used to grow food for the local sustainable agricultural economy.

“This newly protected tract fits neatly between SAHC’s first agricultural conservation easement in Sandy Mush and other farmland protected by SAHC and Buncombe County,” continues Laggis. “The property’s road frontage, prime soils, and water make it ideal for agricultural production. It is located on the Buncombe County Farm Heritage Trail, an educational and economic development resource enjoyed by both cyclists and motorists. Permanent protection of the land will also help preserve the scenic beauty along Bald Creek Road.”

Fresh, healthy produce from the farm can be found at tailgate markets or purchased through FullSunFarm.com.

Photo by Michael Pittman, Carolinas Nature Photographers Association (CNPA)

Flowers for weddings, birthdays, or any day!

Photo by Kathleen Brannan, CNPA

A Special Place

Land like this commands attention in the mountains.

The Sandy Mush community has seen a lot of conservation action over the past twenty years, and with good reason. Secluded from the urban center of Asheville, generations of farmers created space for community amongst the rolling hills and forested mountain coves. As populations around Asheville continue to grow, surrounding communities like this face increased development pressure.

The physical characteristics that make the land attractive for development also constitute land well suited for agriculture.

Sandy Mush Creek and its tributaries have deposited rich agricultural soils in the relatively flat bottomlands over long periods of time. These soils are rare in the mountains and important for farming. Conservation helps balance the needs of people and availability of life-sustaining land.

“Some of our soils are prime soils, and that is very important,” says landowner Vanessa Campbell. “In many places, prime soils are being built on and lost for agricultural use. In other areas, like out west, soils are becoming degraded. We are concerned about the impacts from climate change, and it’s good to know that in preserving this land, future generations will be able to

grow healthy food here for a long time to come. It will be a resource for the region, for farmers to be able to farm without turning to soils that have been depleted.”

Over 95% of the recently conserved 29 acres at Full Sun Farm contains important agricultural soils, including 17 acres of nationally important Prime Soils and 8.4 acres of State Important Soils.

Crucial Time for Farmland Conservation

According to a recent “State of Agriculture” address by Steve Troxler, the Commissioner of Agriculture for North Carolina, threats to the food industry in North Carolina include loss of farmland, and access to roads, water, and energy. Troxler emphasized the need to do more to preserve farmland now, saying that farmland preservation is an essential issue to the future of agriculture in the state. Speaking at the annual Agricultural Development Forum in early February, Troxler highlighted the many challenges rapid growth has brought to the state, including access to natural resources, outdated infrastructure and urban sprawl.

“North Carolina ranks number three in the nation as far as the number of people that are moving in here,” Troxler said, cautioning that North Carolina could lose up to one fifth of its 8.3 million acres of farmland

The new conservation easement preserves ‘prime’ agricultural soils, which are important for growing food crops. Photo by Michael Fredericks, CNPA

Full Sun Farm offers fresh cut flowers, including some U-Pick options. Photo by Kathleen Brannan, CNPA

View of the farm, in fertile Sandy Mush valley. Photo by Michael Fredericks, CNPA

Full Sun Farm

New

Other SAHC Conservation Easements & Preserves

Buncombe County Protected Land

Full Sun Farm Phase I Conservation Easement (2021)

to development over the next 15 years. The American Farmland Trust ranks North Carolina the second most likely state to see large-scale farmland losses by 2040. According to Troxler, rising land prices are making it harder to make headway in conserving farmland. So far, the state has conserved about 34,000 acres of farmland - just a fraction of what is needed.

“A farm is so much more than just what you think of as producing food; it also is an open space; a wildlife habitat; is a place where water percolates into the ground instead of running off and causing flooding,” Troxler said during the address. “Protecting farmland is paramount to all these issues. For protecting one farm you get just so many different things that are good for North Carolina.”

A Community Effort

“We thank Southern Appalachian Highlands

Conservancy for the important work that they have done to protect Full Sun Farm Phase 2,” said Ariel Zijp, Buncombe County’s soil and water conservation farmland preservation manager. “We are ecstatic to see another working farm protected in the county, especially such a beautiful working farm with significant prime agricultural soils, that has played a big role in the vibrant local food scene in Buncombe county. We are getting close to reaching Buncombe County Commissioner’s Land Conservation Goal of protecting 20% of Buncombe county by 2030, and these acres continue to help make that impact.”

This conservation easement on Full Sun Farm was made possible by grant funding from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Services’ Agricultural Conservation Easement Program – Agricultural Land Easements (NRCS ACEP-

Conservation Easement at Full Sun Farm

“Full Sun Farm is such a beautiful farm, being beautifully managed. Fields of flowers and organically grown vegetables are surrounded by stunning mountain views.” – Jess Laggis. Photo by Michael Pittman, CNPA

“We are concerned about the impacts from climate change, and it’s good to know that in preserving this land, future generations will be able to grow healthy food here for a long time to come.” –

Vanessa Campbell, Full Sun Farm

ALE program), generous support from the Stanback family, a philanthropic $15,000 contribution from The Biltmore Company, and a $31,000 grant from Buncombe County toward transaction costs to complete the project. The landowners donated a significant portion of the value of this conservation easement.

“Full Sun Farm is such a beautiful farm, being beautifully managed,” says Laggis. “Fields of flowers and organically grown vegetables are surrounded by stunning mountain views. In the spring, the irrigation pond

provides the amphitheater for a symphony of frog and toad songs. It’s a hard place to leave.

Thanks to the generous support of philanthropic leaders, The Biltmore Company, and both local and federal grants that support farmland conservation easements, this place will remain a special farm for many years to come. We are grateful to all of these, the landowners, and SAHC members for making it possible to protect this remarkable place!”

Fresh Flowers and Produce – Direct to YOU.

Full Sun Farm operates as a direct-toconsumer vegetable and flower producer with U-pick flower, flower and vegetable CSA, as well as tailgate market outlets. They grow to organic standards and follow Best Management Practices, including extensive cover cropping, strong riparian buffers along waterways to protect water quality, and mechanical pest interventions.

“For the health of our soil, ourselves, our customers and our community, we grow using organic methods. Our focus is growing beautiful flowers and a lot of different kinds of tasty, beautiful vegetables for sale at farmer’s markets. We are so grateful to have a chance to farm and live here and take care of this place. And, we are even more grateful to have it protected in perpetuity. Sandy Mush is such an amazing jewel of a place, and we love being part of the community. We’ve been out here since 1997, and had grown on rented land a few years before that. We love being outside and just being able to grow vegetables, sow seed, watch the plants grow and come up with produce at the end — it’s just very rewarding, interesting, exciting, and challenging work, even after 20 years!”

More info at FullSunFarm.com

Robust food and flower production. Photo by Kathleen Brannan, CNPA

Young Home Place

On Willow Creek, in Sandy Mush

The Wells/Young Homeplace on Willow Creek Road has served as home to generations of the Wells family in the Big Sandy Mush community. Patricia (Patsy) Young inherited the homeplace of her Wells ancestors and worked with Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy to protect 90 acres of the family farm with a new agricultural conservation easement.

“This farm completes a missing puzzle piece in an otherwise solid pattern of agricultural conservation, fitting neatly between the Willow Creek conservation easements that SAHC holds, and the Buncombe County-held easement on Aubrey and Rieta Wells’ Homeplace,” explains Farmland Protection Director Jess Laggis. “All told, the addition of this 90-acre easement consolidates hundreds of acres of connected, protected lands.”

“I am thrilled that Patsy decided to conserve this important part of the

original family farm,” says Terri Wells, conservation landowner of the Willow Creek land. “With this part of the original Wells homeplace now conserved, a rich farming heritage will continue for future generations. This missing piece links previously conserved farmland of various Wells family members to connect several hundred acres of the original farm. I know I am partial, but Sandy Mush is a special place that has such a rich agricultural history and beauty that I know these important conservation efforts will be appreciated by many in years to come.”

Almost a third of the recently protected acreage contains important agricultural soils, with 11.4 acres of nationally important Prime soils and 16.4 acres of locally important soils. Used for cattle, tobacco, silage, and a range of homestead crops, the land was part of a much larger farm which once totalled about 350 acres and has been divided amongst family members through the years. The protected property spreads on either side of Willow Creek and Willow Creek Road, rising to 3,375 ft elevation with 1.75 miles of streams. Permanent conservation of this land,

The new conservation easement neatly fills in a missing piece of permanently protected land from the Wells family homestead on Willow Creek, in a beautiful corner of Big Sandy Mush.

Aubrey Wells Farm uses conserved land on the family homeplace for cattle grazing and hay. You can find contact information to purchase from Aubrey Wells Farm on Facebook or visit farmheritagetrail.org/aubrey-wells-farm.

visible from the Buncombe County Farm Heritage Trail, helps protect the scenic character of this valley.

A grant from the N.C. Department of Agriculture supported the purchase of the conservation easement, and a grant from Buncombe County helped cover the transaction costs to accomplish the project.

“Buncombe County is thrilled to continue our partnership with SAHC and their commitment to protecting our natural resources,” says Ariel Zijp, Buncombe County Soil and Water Conservation Farmland Preservation Manager. “The Wells/Young Homeplace Farm will add to a contiguous area of bucolic farm and forestland already under easement and help to retain the Sandy Mush region’s historic agricultural community. Additionally, the water quality and scenic viewshed protection from this project is highly impactful in retaining the attributes that make this region unique. We thank the SAHC staff and Young Homeplace landowners for their dedication to this work and congratulate them on protecting more of our natural and cultural resources!”

Continuing the Family Farming Tradition

Map: Four New Sandy Mush Conservation Projects in this Issue

New SAHC Conservation Projects

Other SAHC Conservation Easements & Preserves

Buncombe County Protected Land

“These new conservation projects in Sandy Mush add to an extensive network that SAHC and our partners have diligently pieced together over the past 25+ years,” says Associate Director Kristy Urquhart. “In total, SAHC has protected close to 15,000 acres in Sandy Mush and the surrounding region.”

Mush. Patsy’s nephew Aubrey Wells (and wife Rieta) farm on a neighboring parcel and use part of her land for pasture and hay for their herd of Black Angus cattle.

The new conservation easement at the Wells/Young Homeplace adjoins other protected land and adds an important piece of working farmland to the network of conserved farms across Big Sandy

“I’m happy that she preserved it and that it will stay undeveloped,” says Aubrey. “I’m glad that the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy was able to raise the money to preserve the land, and that it and other parts of the original family farms are still undeveloped. The homeplace property was once much,

much larger, and has been broken up over the years as the family grew”

Former dairy farmers, Aubrey and Rieta transitioned their herd to Black Angus beef cattle several years ago. Aubrey notes that running a successful dairy operation requires deep knowledge of animal husbandry and constant attention – and a great deal of energy, which they had aplenty in younger years. Today, they tend their herd of heritage breed cattle, continuing long-familiar family farming

traditions and selling locally sourced beef to the community.

“I think that farmland conservation is a good program,” continues Aubrey. “It’s not for everyone, but we need to set aside some acreage for farming.”

Memories of the Land

“The first time I saw Patsy Young’s Homeplace, it was walking through the empty rooms of her childhood home with Patsy, Terri Wells, and some representatives from the Historic Preservation Society,” shares Jess Laggis. “Patsy told us about her mother’s garden out front, and how she and the other children in her family grew up playing in the nearby creeks, fields, and forests. It’s a privilege to get to work with Patsy and that love to ensure the homeplace will remain a farm forever.”

The house structure and outbuildings were excluded from the conservation easement, but protecting the land preserves the surroundings of this historic homestead, the tangible connection to cherished memories of days long gone.

“This was the only home I knew, growing up,” shares Patsy. “The house was built in the 1800s by my great-grandfather and then passed down to my grandfather Charles Wells, my Aunt Gerty, my father, and then me. That’s where all the family had grown up. My dad’s parents died when he was young, and his eldest sister Gertrude brought him up. She was a teacher. Later, Mother and Daddy lived there with Aunt Gerty and raised me and my brother there, too. The land had been divided up amongst all the children, and those that moved out of the area sold

their land back to Daddy or one of the other family members who stayed. It was such a wonderful place to play and grow up, and the house had big rooms and fireplaces. There was a lovely porch outside and big boxwoods around the house that I’d make playhouses in. I roamed the mountains and hills all around with my dog and pet goat. It was just a wonderful childhood. I climbed the mulberry and persimmon trees and played in the creek and waterfalls [small cascades] above the bridge. I could take a sandwich for lunch and be gone all day, playing and climbing.”

Patsy vividly remembers days when life moved at a different pace. She recalls using a bold imagination to enjoy all kinds of adventures and to camp out and tell stories to her nephews Aubrey and Roger by the creek. However, the freedom and joy of the farmstead came with a variety of chores.

“It was fun, but it was hard work, too,” recalls Patty. “I had chores like milking the cow and filling the woodbox in the kitchen for the cookstove and fireplace. When we had a goat or calf, I’d tend to them. Another chore was to fill the reservoir on the stove with water brought in from the spring. We had a bucket for drinking water and a tin dipper - and you wanted to fill the drinking water before dark! Nights were always special times. With the fire in the fireplace, I’d love to climb up and go to sleep in Daddy’s lap, and he’d carry me up and put me in bed.”

The John W. Wells farmhouse, built in the early 1840s for John and his second wife, Rachel Penland, stands as a testament to the generations of farmers who worked the land in this quiet community of Buncombe County.

The 90-acre conservation easement protects fertile bottomland, pastures, and forested mountain slopes (yellow outline). Google Earth image.

“Mother and Daddy had beef cattle and grew tobacco,” says Patsy. “Mother always helped Dad on the farm - it was just the two of them. We grew everything we needed, and Mother pickled (canned) most everything – beets, peaches, pears, beans, even corn on the cob. When I

family. Mr. Boyd would come out of the mill and set me off the horse, then we’d grind the corn and get back on the horse, and he’d hand me back up to Daddy.”

“I know the hard work that went into the land,” – landowner Patsy Young.

came home from school on the bus, one of my chores was to cook supper. I’d get to pick whatever I wanted to cook from the springhouse, then wash dishes and do homework. When my friends came home with me, they loved going to the spring house to help pick what they wanted for supper. In those days, if you wanted to have a friend visit, they’d just come home with you on the school bus and stay. Aunt Gerty taught me how to cook. We didn’t have electricity when I was little, so we had a big wood cookstove and fireplace in the kitchen. In the summertime, our big meals were in the middle of the day – that was dinner – and we’d have a light meal for supper in the evening, We’d cook dinner and blow through a horn to call Mother and Daddy in to eat. We’d sit out in the yard under the shade of two maple trees and talk. Then Mother and Daddy would go back out to work, and Aunt Gerty and I would clean up and put up the leftovers, which we’d have later for supper.”

“When we needed corn meal, Daddy would saddle up the horse and put a bag of shelled corn behind the saddle, then set me in front of him and ride down to the mill,” recalls Patsy. “There was a Black family that lived in Sandy Mush and was loved by everyone, and that was the Boyd

Along with the mill, a small general store with a long counter and well-stocked shelves served the farming families’ needs in Sandy Mush, selling shoes, clothes, candy, and other trade items.

“I know the hard work that went into the land,” says Patsy. “My Mother and Daddy always loved the land. They never had a lot, but they loved being able to grow crops and be on their own. It was hard work and hard times, but also so good. They loved the land, and I love the land and all its beauty – the trees, waterfalls, the rocks. It was just a special place. I loved all the little things that we now take for granted, like catching lightning bugs and putting them in jar (and letting them go), finding salamanders and fishing in the creek, looking at the stars and constellations when there were no lights to block them out, and taking fresh eggs down to the bridge to sell to the peddler when he came through, then buying a Pepsi to share. We had a deep enjoyment of the simpler things, and it all centered around the land.”

The house structure and outbuildings were excluded from the conservation easement, but protecting the land preserves the character of this historic homestead,

“My children also love the land because Mother and Daddy were alive when they were younger and we went every other weekend out to Sandy Mush to visit,” adds Patsy. “I’m hoping it will stay in the family, but I’m glad that in the future it

will go together as a whole. I would love to see my family go back there. I’m also glad that other pieces that were originally part of my great-grandfather’s farm have also been protected and will stay as they are.”

French Broad River Valley Focus Area

Sandy Mush Creek

A Conservation Legacy

Sandy Mush creek runs through the heart of the property.

When Simmons Covington Lettre and her brother Archer Covington inherited the mountain land their father once loved and enjoyed, they decided to follow through on his wishes to permanently protect 136 acres of the property with a conservation easement. Tom Covington purchased the land in Garrett Cove in 1972 and lived there on-and-off until his retirement, when he moved there full-time. Tom and his family developed close friendships with surrounding neighbors, including the Garrett family who sold him the land.

“Dad really cared about the people in Sandy Mush and the health of the community as well as the health of the land,” continues Simmons.

“When he retired he lived out there full time, about 15 of the last years of his life. For years he waged a war against kudzu. He wanted to conserve the land, and we wanted

to make sure that we honored his wishes when he passed.”

Sandy Mush Creek runs through the heart of the property, which rises up forested mountain slopes on either side of the creek. Four headwater tributaries of Sandy Mush Creek flow through the landover 1.5 miles of streams, including over one quarter mile classified by NC Dept. of Water Quality as Trout Waters. The Sandy Mush Creek conservation easement touches SAHC’s 235-acre conservation easement on Bee Branch, contributing to a network of SAHC-protected properties that totals

over 1,400 acres. Elevations on the property range from 2,600 ft. at the flat bottomlands to 3,700 ft. on the ridge.

“Moderate topography with direct access to a state road and rural scenic beauty could have made this tract desirable for development,” says Land Protection Director Michelle Pugliese. “The Farm Heritage Trail, a driving tour that highlights the rural agricultural communities in western Buncombe County, passes less than a mile from this conservation easement. The property’s two ridgelines are visible from multiple points along the Farm Heritage Trail, including a farm stop at Sandy Hollar Farm, which is also protected by a conservation easement with SAHC. The Sandy Mush Creek conservation easement

The 136 acres consists of both forest and open areas.

protects significant natural resources as well as the rural character of the region.”

Conservation of the land was made possible by contributions from generous donors, a donation of more than half the appraised value of the conservation easement from the landowners, and a $43,000 Buncombe County grant approved by the Land Conservation Advisory Board. “Completing the conservation easement was a large process,” adds Simmons. “We appreciate the perseverance of Michelle and Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy in helping us continue through this process to complete the protection of the land, as our dad wanted.”

A Tale of Three Trees, in Garrett Cove

The conservation easement at Sandy Mush Creek preserves a landscape interwoven with multigenerational stories and multiple family experiences. Three heritage trees stand around the historic house built in 1899, once the center of the Garrett family homeplace.

“My father was close friends with Vance Garrett, whose family homeplace was there at that property,” recalls Simmons. “Vance’s uncle planted the giant maple tree in front of the house when he came back from serving in World War I, and it has stood there ever since. The

oldest tree is an ancient white oak, probably 150 years old or more. When we were little, Dad built a playhouse for my brother and me under that white oak tree, and we painted a sign on the outside that said ‘Simmons and Archer’s clubhouse - little kids only’. When my girls were young, he rebuilt the clubhouse for them and kept the sign. Now, my brother’s children are starting to enjoy it as well. We definitely want to keep this place in the family, for all of us to enjoy. My father’s tree is the newest, an apple tree planted in 2022 with his ashes entwined at its roots. These three trees form a triangle around the house, and all this history is embedded into the landscape – into the trees. These people are rooted there (literally) — and I’m so grateful to have them live on with us.”

“One important thing about the land in Sandy Mush isn’t the

The conservation easement protects significant natural resources as well as scenic beauty of this rural landscape.

Tom built a playhouse for his children, and then grandchildren, at the base of an ancient oak tree.

land at all – but rather how it connects you with the people and community there,” continues Simmons. “Some of the friends I had out there growing up are still friends today, and they help look after the place if we can’t be there. The land and the community — that’s what makes it so special. We want to preserve it, for it to survive for future generations to spend time on the land. It’s a really special place, and important for the community.”

“In those later years, I would call to talk and ask my dad what he

was doing, and he’d say he was just watching the seasons come in,” she adds. “He would spend time on the porch just watching the mountains. Recently my own kids have gone to college and I’ve had the time to go out there and stay, where it’s quiet. Now I know what he meant when he said he was ‘watching the seasons come in.’ When I go there I feel his spirit, feel connected to him – and it is really special to live into that experience, to share the way he was experiencing the land.”

Farm Neighbor Perspective –Dale Hawkins of Sandy Hollar Farm

One of the family’s friends and neighbors is Dale Hawkins, who works on his family land nearby, at Sandy Hollar Farms.

“I hope to see that generations to come experience the same kind of life that I have,” says Dale. “The land is still being used, but we’re not looking at houses dotting the mountaintops. I’m glad that Sandy Mush is one of those areas of Buncombe County that is most protected; we have several neighbors who have protected their land with SAHC.”

“The sad part is that in the future, the younger generation coming along will have fewer ties to the land than my generation,” continues Dale. “They didn’t get to cherish those times learning to work the land with grandad, like I did, and they don’t have the direct ties back to the land. Both of my grandfathers farmed, and I’ve followed in their footsteps, although our production has changed. I am the fifth generation here, and

Headwater tributaries of Sandy Mush Creek flow through the property (left). A view of the ancient oak and playhouse (right).

Tom Covington loved “watching the seasons come in” across the mountains.

I’ve seen tremendous changes in agriculture since I was a kid. Times have changed, crops have changed, but I’m still farming. A friend of mine once said ‘We as human beings are 3-4 generations away from knowing how to produce food, and that’s really hard to gain back.’ Once you grow homes on the land, you can’t grow crops. When it’s gone, it’s gone forever. I think all of us have to look up and say ‘Where is my food coming from?’ I may be a small dot producer, but It takes a lot of small dots to feed the world. If you’ve eaten up all your prime soils, where is your food coming from? You can’t grow more mountains, and once the trees have been cut down and the land developed, there’s no sequestering of carbon or ways to tie up the rainfall to prevent saturation and worsening floods. I want the

mountains to stay as they are. If we have the opportunity to hold a piece and preserve it, that is something that can be enjoyed 100 years from now. WNC is very special. Everyone comes to see and enjoy the mountains, but if we keep carving off a piece here and there, this place would be changed forever. We don’t recover that - when it’s gone, it’s gone. We are fortunate that we have a lot of people in the area who have moved here and understood how special this place is, and they have taken on stewardship of the land and helped to protect it and not subdivide it. Conservation is very important here; once we change the mountains, you can’t get that back.”

In Memoriam: Tom Covington

Thomas Leak Covington Jr. passed away in December 2021 at the age of 82. Born in Rockingham, NC and a graduate of Davidson College, he loved the Western North Carolina mountains. He moved to his beloved Big Sandy Mush near Asheville in 1977 and worked for Buncombe County government.

Tom hosted many “Spring Thaw” weekends at his farm, complete with pickin’ on the porch, camping in the fields, and telling lies from rocking chairs. In 1981, Tom moved back to Raleigh to become the NC General Assembly’s Director of Fiscal Research – a post he held for 18 years. As one former legislator shared, “Tom had little patience with fools or selfcentered politicians, but he understood that you had to be able to work with them to at least some degree, or what needed to be done would not happen.” He led an amazing team and loved them deeply. After retirement from the NC Legislature in 1999, Tom was the Executive Director of the NC Progress board where he spent his days thinking about the future of his beloved state and working to ensure that NC was on track toward continuous improvement for its land and citizens. Tom was also involved in many community projects and served on many boards.

Upon retirement, Tom moved permanently to Big Sandy Mush. His best days were spent sitting on the front porch watching the seasons change on the mountains. Often sitting beside him were his two Plott Hounds. He’d swap stories on the porch with his neighbors and friends who frequently visited his haven in the mountains. He entertained his grandchildren by helping them build fairy houses in the woodshop or pushing them on the swings underneath the 150-year old oak tree in the backyard. He played his autoharp and sang with family and friends, pickin’ and singing deep into the evenings.

Spring on Sandy Mush Creek.

The property was the homeplace of the Garrett family. Tom became close friends with Vance Garrett and enjoyed spending time on the porch with friends and neighbors.

Andy’s Branch

188-acre Ridgetop

In February, Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy purchased 188 acres along a long ridge west of North Turkey Creek, permanently preserving forested mountain slopes, streams, and scenic views in the Sandy Mush community. Four headwater streams originate on the property, including Andy’s Branch.

“Our new Andy’s Branch Preserve extends protection along this ridgeline north of Pinnacle Knob,” explains Land Protection Director Michelle Pugliese. “The property stretches from 2,400 to 3,400 ft. elevation

and is highly visible from North Turkey Creek Road. Conservation of the land will protect habitat along the ridgeline wildlife corridor, as well as scenic views from the valley floor and surrounding community. With four headwater streams originating on the property, this preserve contributes to the protection of water quality in the French Broad River watershed.”

The recently purchased tract adjoins other SAHC preserves, adding to the efficiency of ecosystem services (benefits that humans derive from healthy ecosystems) across conserved land. Groundwater from the top of the ridge flows downslope into Sugar Creek on one side and North Turkey Creek on the other, making the protection of water on Andy’s Branch contribute to the health of multiple watersheds. A stone chimney stands

as the only remnant of a historic homestead on the property; the land has remained mostly wooded since at least 1936.

“This property had been listed for sale in the local real estate market,” adds Michelle. “We are very grateful to the Stanback family and to all of SAHC’s supporters for making it possible for us to purchase and preserve this land.”

The protected ridge will be managed as a nature preserve for the long term.

Land Protection Associate Kyle Shute inspects a relic from an old homestead on the property.

The tract provides a variety of spaces for wildlife to flourish.

Farm Pathways

The challenges of making a living through farming have led to a troubling trend – fewer folks going into farm businesses while a generation of veteran farmers prepares to retire. SAHC, the Organic Growers School (OGS), and NC Farmlink teamed up to develop purposeful pathways to support beginning farmers. The collaborative project Beginning Farmer Success: Farm Pathways to Long-Term Land Tenure (“Farm Pathways”) is funded by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program.

The Farm Pathways partnership creates an intentional network and process to connect emerging farmer and farm businesses with the training, resources, networks, infrastructure, and client base they need to create successful farm businesses. This all begins with extensive training programs offered by OGS, such as the Farm Beginnings and Journeyperson programs.

“We know that beginning farmers face significant barriers starting and sustaining a career in farming,” says Cameron Farlow, OGS Executive Director. “They’re often under-funded, don’t have access to capital or land, and come from nonfarming backgrounds. The Farm Pathways project creates a new trajectory for farmers to enter the workforce and grow resilient, and viable farm businesses. OGS supports aspiring and beginning growers to gain production knowledge along with important business and financial planning skills to operate a farm business. By providing classroom and field learning within the context of a cohort of peers and mentors, OGS helps participants find connection and mutual support in the farming community.”

At an intermediate stage, SAHC’s Farm Incubator Program provides land and infrastructure support while entrepreneurial farmers grow their farm business. We recently updated the certified commercial Value-Added Kitchen (VAK) at the SAHC Community Farm, which participants can use to earn more money

from their farm products by turning fresh produce into shelf-stable goods like jams and hot sauce. Our participation in Farm Pathways also includes permanent protection of farmland through conservation easements – ensuring that future generations of farmers will have something to farm when they are ready.

Farmers who are ready to find land to farm on their own can browse the Find a Farm database on the NC Farmlink website or create a farm seeker profile in the Find a Farmer database. The NC Farmlink program, an initiative of NC State Extension, helps match aspiring, beginning, and experienced farmers with land waiting to be farmed.

“Through the partnership, we’ve been able to build our capacity to help farmers with transition issues,” says Stephen

Bishop, NC FarmLink Western Director. “Transitions are vulnerable times for farms, and often farmers and landowners are overwhelmed by the process of transition and legacy planning. In 2023, we started offering free farm succession consultations to landowners and I think that has been really successful, not only for farmers in terms of helping them get started with the process, but for us in terms of identifying farmers and families who may not have a successor. For instance, after meeting with one older couple who had a 100-acre farmstead but didn’t have any children, we were able to connect them to a young farming couple. They recently signed a three-year lease, so that was a really exciting connection.”

“My biggest advice for landowners and senior farmers is to start early with transition and succession planning,” continues Bishop. “Don’t wait till a crisis situation because you won’t have the bandwidth to work through the issues. My advice for young farmers is to go slow and get experience working or volunteering on farms.”

The beauty of the Farm Pathways project is that it is a multifaceted collaboration. SAHC and our partners weave connections that provide pathways for strong agricultural production in Western North Carolina. All three organizations work together with the goal to support beginning farmers, from education to building markets to securing land access.

For more info, visit OrganicGrowersSchool.org, Appalachian.org, and NCFarmlink.ces.ncsu.edu.

Photo courtesy Organic Growers School.

SAHC Community Farm Conservation • Education • Celebration

Our ever-evolving 140-acre farm and education center in Alexander, NC continues to expand with exciting new programs and hands-on experiences. Come out to the farm for a guided farm tour (held monthly), 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.

NEW Food Forest

This year we have again teamed up with Contour Lines, Inc. to host an educational workshop and plant 2,000 trees in a new 13-acre food forest project on the farm.

Similar to the silvopasture project which

was installed last year, we planted the new food forest on contour to help prevent erosion and protect water quality flowing into the French Broad River watershed. However, in this case, the Food Forest project focuses on space outside the pastures, so there will be no livestock

grazing beneath these trees. Instead, we are planting a variety of nut and fruit trees, with native support trees, which will provide multiple levels of production — and potential U-pick or community food programs.

“We are planting the food forest as a stacked canopy system, with different things growing on the ground, at knee height, and in a low canopy,” explains Community Farm Manager Chris Link. “The system acts symbiotically with

REI Asheville store staff helped manage habitat in the stream restoration project area, as part of a volunteer service work day.

The new Food Forest at the SAHC Community Farm, another agroforestry project conducted in partnership with Contour Lines, Inc.

Volunteers plant fruit trees during a hands-on Food Forest workshop.

the different layers, providing more biodiversity and support for each other.”

“These diversified systems on farms are also becoming increasingly important for bird conservation,” adds Stewardship Director Sarah Sheeran. “Farms like the SAHC Community Farm with unique, diverse practices are important for avian species – and also important as a carbon sink.”

Farm Incubator Program

Black Trumpet Farm joined our Farm Incubator Program this year, and farmers Gwen and Jay are experimenting with mushroom compost from their gourmet mushroom growing operation. They produce specialty mushrooms and naturally grown forest products for local farmer’s markets, restaurants, and select wholesalers.

Jay and Gwen have been living in the Asheville area for 15+ years. Their background is steeped in permaculture, agro-ecology, and plant biology. Gwen began her farming career in 2006 with an apprenticeship at the Aprovecho Institute in Cottage Grove, Oregon. She then moved to Asheville to be closer to family. She has certificates in woodworking and permaculture design, as well as a B.S. in

Biology with a focus on field botany and plant genetics. She is an Organic Growers School Farm Beginnings graduate and is currently working towards her Master’s in Horticulture from NC State University. Jay grew up in Marion, NC on his family’s homestead. He has a bachelor’s in Photography from UNCA and an associate degree in Civil Engineering. He loves to design earthworks, water catchment systems, and efficient mushroom production spaces.

Visit them at BlackTrumpetNC.com.

Suzanne Nolter of Blazing Star Flowers is in her last year of production at the SAHC Community Farm and currently seeks land to continue farming. Blazing Star Flowers is a small flower farm and floral design studio serving the Asheville area with sustainable flowers and lush, garden-inspired arrangements. Find info for workshops, weddings, and flower CSAs at BlazingStarFlowers.com, or purchase direct at the RAD Farmers Market (Wednesdays, 3-6 pm).

Utopian Seed Project and the Heirloom Collards Project

A nonprofit partner growing on a portion of SAHC’s Community Farm, the Utopian Seed Project promotes regional agrobiodiversity and cultural connections with food crops. Greater seed variety leads to stronger, more culturally significant and interesting food systems.

“By having more varietal diversity, we have more resilience in the food system,” says Chris Smith, executive director and founder of The Utopian Seed Project. “Plus, personal stories make the different varieties really special.”

According to Chris, there are multiple stories about the origin of collard crops. Seeds likely originated in Europe and migrated with colonists. However, Europeans did not necessarily use collards as a substantial food crop. This changed with the growth of the transatlantic slave trade. Enslaved West Africans utilized the crops and begin including them in recipes.

“In West Africa, there is a deep appreciation for dark, leafy greens, but a lot of those crops were left behind,” Chris said. “We see an enslaved African adoption of collards as a nutritionally important green that Europeans were less interested in, but appreciated by Africans.”

According to Smith, “collards are great because they are tough and adaptable. They were loved in the southeast because you could have a collard patch year-round and produce enough food to provide for your family.”

The average person who shops in a grocery store would typically have access to only one type, but Chris notes that there are over 60 different varieties of collards ranging in different colors. Part of the Brassica family, collards are coolloving greens that tend to taste sweeter after enduring frost – so they are great in the fall months.

Utopian Seed Project is conducting seed trials to help regenerate a diverse collection of collard varieties so more people can enjoy them. Learn more at HeirloomCollards.org.

Utopian Seed Project’s purple selection of ultracross collards, growing at the SAHC Community Farm.

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 (for Beginning Farmer Success - Farm Pathways to Long-Term Land Tenure), and a costshare grant from USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Pathways to Environmental Leadership

“Equity work is a core value of conservation because the protection of land for clean water, food, and recreation impacts everyone,” says Equity and Education Manager LaKyla Hodges. “In recent years Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy and other conservation organizations have worked to understand barriers and traumatizing past events which can make accessing land and enjoying outdoor recreation more difficult or painful for many people of diverse backgrounds.” In this newsletter series, LaKyla hosts discussions with peers to find out more about their journeys in environmental careers. In Part 2 of this series, Tallis Monteiro shares her experiences.

“I grew up outside of New York City along the Long Island Sound,” says Tallis. “I recall my first introductions to the environment there, flipping over rocks to look for little crabs or turning bellyup horseshoe crabs over so they could get back into the water. I also remember playing in the small garden behind my mother’s parents’ apartment and watching my grandfather take care of his plants. Interacting with nature has, for a long time, drawn me in with a sense of curiosity and amazement – especially for learning about the different roles and interactions that everything in nature plays together that are critical to life!”

Tallis decided to attend UNC Asheville largely to experience the area’s rich biodiversity. She built her major in environmental science, international studies, and human rights, three intrinsically connected subjects.

“I see myself as an advocate and steward of environmentalism and conservation through my work and personal enjoyment of nature, which I find to be inextricably tied to issues of social justice and liberation,” says Tallis. “I also see myself as a student of my environment because I have so much to learn from it.”

“Climate justice advocate Mikaela Loach makes an analogy comparing mycelium to movements for social change,” continues Tallis. “Mycelium are extremely tiny fungal “threads” that we can’t always see; they exist underground forming a

massive network connecting trees and plants, and connecting dead organisms to living organisms — truly amazing and foundational for life. They mirror the way that issues in the world are truly connected in some way. As we illuminate these connections, we can learn how to work together to each use our skills and roles to do our part to unravel those issues. It is important to understand the strength of your local community as it is tied to the global community.”

“In my current position working as a remote sensing project lead with NASA’s Develop National program, I am able to see these common threads between environment and human rights on a global scale in real time,” she adds. “My team is working to investigate and map wetland loss in Cali, Colombia. Although I work remotely, my colleagues in Colombia have shared how important it is to speak with people native to these areas to piece together the full history of their wetlands.”

Tallis cites experiences like this as resources for furthering her understanding of how to navigate and incorporate intersectionality in her professional and personal relationships with environmentalism.

“I think my identity has helped the formation of my relationship with the environment,” she says. “Being a young, Latina woman, I feel strongly connected to my ancestry which has come from generational fisherpeople and stewards of the land and environment.”

In her career pathway, Tallis also worked as a Community Gardener at UNC Asheville and environmental educator at Asheville GreenWorks. She saw firsthand the changes that comfort in outdoor spaces can have on an individual.

“I value the positive effects that access to green spaces can have,” said Tallis, “but I also know all too well that there is a longstanding practice of degrading the environment around communities without social capital, to the point of becoming hazardous.”

Because of this, Tallis believes that reestablishing our connection with nature and overcoming negative perceptions of the outdoors are vital steps toward developing a lasting passion and career.

“Incorporating care for the earth into our daily lives can be the first step to fostering a positive connection to the outdoors, and eventually assisting with creating new pathways for others,” she adds.

Tallis Monteiro, UNC Asheville graduate, now studies air quality and wetlands at NASA.

Tallis values the positive effects that access to green spaces provide for people.

A Role Model for the Next Generation

SAHC provides weekly environmental education for youth in after-school programs at Asheville Parks and Recreation community centers and YMCA Horizons. Equity and Education Manager LaKyla Hodges leads interactive sessions with these and other partners, fulfilling her career goal to serve as a role model for aspiring young conservationists. Summer offers additional opportunities for field trips and engaging outdoor adventures, and LaKyla is excited about planning a summer full of adventure.

“I’ve been active in the environmental field since I was old enough to become a junior ranger or camp assistant,” shares LaKyla. “In about 12 years of experience, I’ve only had one Person of Color in advisory position to me. That was one reason that I shifted from having environmentalism as my hobby and interest to wanting it to become a career field – because I wanted to be the representation that I was seeking out. I had role models from afar, but I didn’t have anyone I could talk to directly about it, who could relate to some things in the same way, and that’s part of why I’m here today, doing what I do. I lead

Spring 2024 interns

education programs here at SAHC, and I connect with groups of people who are underrepresented in the environmental field. I enjoy sharing that passion for the environment with other people – both in formal settings like classrooms and out in nature. I feel really lucky to be part of a cohort of underrepresented people coming up in the environmental field and becoming professionals in it.”

In addition to regularly scheduled programming, LaKyla organizes diverse outings and one-off programs with diverse groups. In March, she led a walk for Girl

Scouts of Southern Appalachians group along a stretch of the Tweetsie Trail, a rails-to-trails project traversing the former East Tennessee & Western North Carolina Railroad right-of-way between Johnson City and Elizabethton. Joined by SAHC Board member and avid historian Mary Fanslow, the group learned about the history of the “Tweetsie” railroad, constructed in 1882 to connect Johnson City to iron ore mines in the Cranberry Community of NC. The line also transported other goods and provided access for people in isolated mountain communities.

Maddi Nguyen is interning as SAHC’s Media Content Creation Intern this semester. Maddi is a senior at the University of North Carolina Asheville, studying mass communications and sociology. Maddi recently graduated from Challenger Early College High School with her Associate’s in 2022 and hopes to work in public relations and marketing. Maddi loves to travel and explore different states and hopes to travel across Europe once she graduates. In her free time she likes to read, journal and stay busy outside.

View Maddi’s interviews with SAHC staff at YouTube.com/@SAHC

Talia Weiztman is a senior at Asheville High School interning at the SAHC during her last semester. She was born and raised in Asheville and has loved living near the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains. Talia is passionate about environmental protection and plans to major in Environmental Studies in college. She is the president of the Sustainability Club at her school, where she advocates for environmentally sustainable practices in her community. She is very excited to have the opportunity to work with the SAHC and learn more about environmental conservation. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, traveling, reading, seeing live music, and playing bass guitar in her band. Thank you, Maddi and Talia!

LaKyla led a group of Girl Scouts of Southern Appalachians for a walk on the Tweetsie Trail in Johnson City, TN, with support from SAHC Board member Mary Fanslow.

Flying Squirrels for 3rd Grade

Roan Stewardship Director Marquette Crockett gave a special presentation to her nephew’s third grade class at Lincoln Memorial University’s J. Frank White Academy about the formation of “sky islands” in Appalachia and the rare plants and animals that live in these cloudland conifer forests. Students learned about Red Crossbills, spruce-fir moss spiders, and Carolina Northern flying squirrels. They saw flying squirrel nest box contents, mimicked Saw-whet Owl calls, and used a giant ball of yarn to create a “food web” to better understand the connections between these rare plants and animals. The group talked about how

Conservation Education

Elementary to Early College

Roan Stewardship staff recently took to the schools to provide a look at conservation, critters, and potential career paths for students in both Tennessee and North Carolina.

environmental changes like the weather or ecological changes like overpopulation could change the whole ecosystem (the food web got very tangled and broken several times).

“It was so much fun and so inspiring to hear such insightful questions from the kids,” says Marquette. “They asked about what challenges these species faced in their environments, what they could do to help, and what SAHC does to help. When I told them SAHC has protected more than 80,000 acres, I asked if anyone knew how much an acre was. One said “that’s just the size of my backyard” and all the kids got it instantly – 80,000 backyards make a big impression! We left the class with Freddy the Flying Squirrel coloring sheets and some “field snacks”. The high point of the entire event was when my

13-year old niece, Mary, bravely donned a flying squirrel costume and pulled out some dance moves! We left with lots of hugs.”

Mayland Early College

In the quiet foothills of Avery County, Preserve Manager Park Greer presented to two of the classes at Mayland Early College High School in Spruce Pine, NC. Park highlighted SAHC’s mission of protecting land with significant ecological, scenic, and recreational value, then regaled the students with his own professional journey in the field of conservation. Park’s story sparked several questions from students who are starting to seriously consider their majors, colleges, and future career paths – perhaps as future conservationists!

Stanback Fellows from the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University

We welcome two Stanback Fellows to the 2024 Stewardship Team, who will assist with collecting data for visitor use management and creating a spruce restoration plan for the Roan Highlands.

Vignesh Arunkumar grew up in South Central Pennsylvania, enjoying the outdoors, exploring the forests, and spending most of his time climbing trees and looking at all the critters. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2022 with a B.S. in Environmental Science. After working as a park ranger in the city of Pittsburgh, he decided to attain a graduate degree in Forestry at Duke University, where he is pursuing a Master of Forestry and a Master of Environmental Management with concentrations in Terrestrial and Freshwater Ecosystems and Analytics and Modeling. He is also working towards the graduate certificate in geospatial analysis. “I know this time at Duke and my fellowship opportunity will help me gain the knowledge and skills to further my career in forest conservation,” says Vignesh.

Fiona Bleu is originally from the “Heart of America”, growing up in Kansas City, Missouri. Graduating from Stephens College in 2020 with a degree in Theatre Studies, Fiona transitioned to the environmental field after an inspiring tenure with the National Park Service in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, where she worked as an interpreter and science educator through the AmeriCorps program. This experience bolstered her appreciation for biodiversity and conservation work through an array of natural resource management practices, leading her to her current venture: pursuing a Master in Environmental Management (Concentration: Community-Based Environmental Management) at Duke. “I am thrilled to be back in Appalachia this summer with SAHC!” says Fiona.

YOUR Voices: 50 Years of Conservation

Bettye & Saylor Boone, Volunteers of the Year 2016

In celebration of SAHC’s 50th Anniversary, we’ve gathered memories and perspectives from volunteers, Board leaders, partners, and staff who have helped shape the organization’s success over the past 50 years. Thank you for sharing your memories! Do you have a story to share? Email sahc@appalachian.org.

“We first learned of Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy in 2010 when we were up at our house working in the garden and Conservation Director Hanni Muerdter came down our road, introduced herself, and shared information about SAHC. She had been monitoring land on our road which SAHC had purchased for conservation. Hanni followed up by sending us information on SAHC’s mission, and we welcomed their protection of land in our area. Several years later we met Marquette Crockett, Roan Stewardship Director, and meeting those two staff members ignited our desire to become active volunteers. We felt SAHC’s mission was essential to protecting the Highlands of Roan, and we wanted to contribute in any way we could.

mountains but also farmland, watersheds, and ridgetops from development.

Of all the conservation projects we have participated in, the Grassy Ridge Mow-off volunteer weekend is the most valuable. Without this habitat management effort, the grassy balds would be overtaken by invasive species and our balds would no longer remain bald. It is an incredible amount of work, but very rewarding to know that our efforts have made a positive impact on the mountains we love.

Over the years we have participated in numerous hikes to SAHC-protected land. Through these hikes, we have learned about native plants, invasive species, and the need to protect plant and animal habitats. We have volunteered to help eradicate invasive species, restore habitats, remove trash, plant native species, and improve/maintain hiking trails. SAHC’s mission has educated us about the need to protect not only the

In our opinion, there is no better organization to become involved with and to support through volunteer activities than SAHC. They appreciate their volunteers and work hard to make the experience enjoyable for everyone. Most of all, we have learned more about conservation in eleven years of volunteering with SAHC than through our previous lifetimes. As we often say, we have gained far more from our experience with SAHC than they have gotten from us. Their work will not only benefit us, it will benefit our children and grandchildren for years to come. Thank you SAHC for 50 years of service!”

This year we welcome Madison Crabill as our seasonal Roan Naturalist. This position is hosted by SAHC, in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service and supported by a grant from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. The Roan Naturalist helps educate hikers, manage habitat, and mitigate visitor use impacts in the fragile ecosystems of Roan Highlands.

Madison grew up in Hillsborough, NC. Her love of the outdoors began at the age of 11 when she registered her family’s land as a Certified Wildlife Habitat. Madison began pursuing a Film and TV BFA at New York University before pausing her studies to hike the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails. The natural beauty she encountered during these hikes ignited her desire to help protect and preserve fragile ecosystems. Madison is excited to return to the Appalachian Mountains as a Roan Naturalist to assist SAHC’s conservation efforts. She will continue her studies in fall 2024.

Grassy Ridge Mow-off — July 20-21

Camp out or come for a day! Join other volunteers as we work to maintain the globally rare grassy and shrub balds found on Grassy Ridge, one of the most beautiful and ecologically significant sites in the Roan Highlands. Our annual Grassy Ridge Mow-Off is more than just a work day — it’s an incredible way to experience the Highlands of Roan and to share cherished moments with friends. More info and registration at Appalachian.org.

Golden-winged Warbler

American Birding Association’s Bird of the Year

With a flash of gold and silvery gray, the Golden-winged Warbler flits through scrubby edges between forests and open fields. Nesting pairs migrate to raise young in the high elevations of the Roan Highlands, where SAHC protects and manages Golden-winged Warbler habitat. However, these charismatic songbirds still face a steep population decline.

Golden-winged Warbler

A migratory songbird that spends summers in North America and winters in Central and South America, the Golden-winged Warbler has been in decline since the 1960s, threatened

by habitat loss in both wintering and breeding grounds. In the southern Appalachian portion of their range, Golden-winged Warblers are found in the highest elevations, such as the

Highlands of Roan. They require ‘early successional habitat’ for nesting sites – a habitat type once prevalent in the rolling mountain farms that dotted the area. Early successional habitat occurs where forest edges open into sunny areas, providing both nesting sites, shelter, and areas for fledglings to fly. For more than a decade, SAHC has protected and restored habitat for the Golden-winged Warblers, to support these colorful songbirds and to benefit a variety of other species that thrive in the same habitat.

Habitat Restoration

“SAHC has protected hundreds of acres of Golden-winged Warbler habitat across the Roan Highlands including our preserves in Hampton Creek Cove in Tennessee and throughout Roaring Creek in North Carolina - two “hot spots” for the preservation of this species,” explains Roan Stewardship Director Marquette Crockett. “The Roan Highlands are particularly

important for Golden-winged Warbler conservation because the vast expanses of open habitat on the Roan are found at elevations high enough to protect them from competition and hybridization with Blue-winged Warblers.”

SAHC actively manages this critical habitat to ensure that it is best able to support breeding Golden-winged Warblers. This work, which is guided by best management practices developed for the species, includes thinning encroaching shrubs and trees to keep them at an ideal density, treating invasive species, grazing, and rotational mowing. Most of this work is completed by staff and volunteers or by contracting work using grant funding provided by partner organizations.

“Partners for habitat management work on our preserves include the Audubon Society, Carolina Bird Club, Blue Ridge Audubon, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and USDA EQUIP programs,” continues Marquette. One

An early morning for bird surveys in the Roan Highlands.

Golden-winged Warbler

of our most recent habitat management projects focused on the removal of remnant Christmas trees and thinning of black locust and small tulip poplars along field margins on SAHC’s Wiles Creek Preserve. We documented Golden-winged Warblers on the Wiles Creek property in 2022, and with a small amount of restoration, we hope to maintain this habitat for years to come.”

Technology for the Birds

In addition to habitat management, for the last 10+ years SAHC has completed annual surveys for Golden-winged Warblers on many of our preserves and across U.S. Forest Service lands on Hump and Little Hump Mountains.

“This work is challenging, as many sites are extremely remote and spring weather on the Roan can be unpredictable and

blustery, conditions not conducive to hearing birdsong,” says Marquette.

“We hope to improve our survey efforts using technology. In 2024, we were awarded a grant by the Tennessee Ornithological Society to purchase and use Autonomous Recording Units (ARUs) to record birdsong on our preserves. These units can be installed and set to record for a certain number of minutes at specific times for multiple days. Staff and volunteers will be able to put the recorders in the field and get multiple days of data with one field visit! This work will allow us to get a better picture of where Golden-winged Warblers are nesting on our properties and help us target areas for protection and management.”

The data collected for Golden-winged Warblers will need to be sorted “by ear.”

If you are a birder who would be interested in helping us install recorders or listen to birdsong to identify Golden-winged Warblers and other species of concern, please email marquette@appalachian.org.

YOUR Voices: 50 Years of Conservation – Kent and Jeanette Blazier Founding members and former Board member and Board president (respectively)

“Our favorite spot that SAHC has protected is the Highlands of Roan – where we started with the organization. We came to Kingsport in 1966 and became involved in the group that later formed SAHC. It was an early endeavor for Kent, who was part of AT maintenance group led by Stan Murray. Stan had the idea to do something to preserve the Roan because development was creeping in on all sides – and we sat at the kitchen table with him and other founding members, brainstorming what to do.

The Roan has such special meaning for our family. From early days we took our children to hike and backpack on Roan, and did the same with our grandchildren. They have developed a tremendous love for being there. And we have introduced so many people to the Roan. Every season there is something just terrific about being there – something very special. We are so proud to be part of an organization involved in saving and protecting this resource for future generations. We’ve also both worked in Hampton Creek Cove – for restoration of Golden-winged Warbler habitat, and Kent briefly helped with relocation of the AT up to Round Bald. We have a family tradition of going to the Roan during the Labor Day weekend, when it’s not as crowded as when the rhododendron are blooming. Kent has also enjoyed being on Roan when the AT thru-hikers go through in May, and talking with them.

SAHC has been so effective for so long. We are just amazed at how well staff works, and has done for 50 years; we have so much appreciation for the staff. Everyone is committed to the mission and focused on what needs to be done. We were proud of SAHC becoming a nationally accredited land trust; that was a tremendous growth step for the organization. And, we’ve been impressed with more involvement of young people in recent years. In the early days SAHC mostly consisted of middle-aged to older folks. We love seeing the young people coming in now and all the wonderful Americorps service members. The future of the organization depends on younger folks getting involved. Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy means so much to both of us, there just aren’t words to adequately describe our emotions around it.”

Land Protection Director Michelle Pugliese with Jeanette and Kent Blazier

June Jamboree 2024

Saturday, June 15 in the Highlands of Roan

Join friends and family for SAHC’s signature day of FREE, guided summer hikes and outings in the stunning Roan landscape. Learn more about recent land protection in the area, and help celebrate our Volunteer of the Year! Our afternoon social and post-hike gathering this year will be SAHC’s Elk Hollow Preserve, at the confluence of Roaring Creek and Elk Hollow.

Elk Hollow Falls with Pathways to Parks

at SAHC’s Elk Hollow Preserve

Start Time: 10 am

Leader: Larry Pender, SAHC Board Member

Difficulty: Moderate, 1.5 miles Hike along the Everett Bowman Memorial Trail through Golden-Winged Warbler habitat and lush forests, along the tranquil cascade of the permanently protected Elk Hollow Branch. This outing is guided by our partners at Pathways to Parks, dedicated to encouraging People of Color to embrace the great outdoors, ensuring accessibility and enjoyment of nature for all.

Birding at the Bird House

at SAHC’s Bird House Preserve

Start Time: 8 am

Leader: TBD

Difficulty: Moderate, 2 miles

SAHC’s Bird House is located at 4,500 ft elevation, surrounded by early successional habitat and thousands of acres of protected land. Please join us along with professional ornithologists as we search for migratory warblers, year-round avian residents, and raptors soaring overhead. This event starts early, so we are offering participants the opportunity to camp out at this location the night before and enjoy stargazing.

Pine Knob Hike

at SAHC’s new South Yellow Mountain Preserve

Start Time: 10 am

Leader: Park & Katie Greer

Difficulty: Moderate, 3 miles

Explore a portion of our newly protected 7,500-acre South Yellow Mountain Preserve. Preserve Manager Park Greer has spent the past two years getting to know the property, and he has chosen this hike especially for our June Jamboree event. AmeriCorps

Project Conserve member Katie will co-lead this hike to see magnificent waterfalls, breathtaking views, and vast expanses of protected land.

Big Yellow Hike, at Big Yellow Mountain Start

Leader: Jay Leutze

Difficulty: Moderate, 2 miles

Time: 9:30 am

Join SAHC’s Jay Leutze to discover a lesser-known destination in the Roan Highlands. Jay is a published author, Senior Advisor to SAHC’s Board of Trustees, and a local resident of Big Yellow. He will take you on a short but steep hike that offers sweeping vistas of the Roan, and share stories of the land along the way.

Challenge Hike – Roaring Creek to Big Yellow Loop

at Yellow Mountain Gap Trailhead

Start Time: 9 am

Leader: Travis Bordley, Outings Program Manager

Difficulty: Difficult, 5 miles

We will start at Yellow Mountain Gap Trailhead at the end of Roaring Creek Road, climb the ridgeline along the AT to Little Hump, hike out to Big Yellow Mountain, and then descend the mountain, off-trail through land protected by SAHC. This bush-wack will land hikers back on Roaring Creek Road, meeting a shuttle vehicle. This hike will be very challenging and will require hikers to walk long distances up steep terrain and be comfortable hiking off-trail.

Roll n’ Stroll

at SAHC’s Bird House Preserve

Start Time: 10:30 am

Leader: TBD

Difficulty: Easy, Under 0.5 mile

We invite folks to come enjoy the fresh air at our Bird House. Located high in the Roan Highlands, this spectacular location offers something for the whole family. Participants can hike into the woods or just watch birds flying from a rocking chair on the cabin porch. Pack a lunch or bring a frisbee to this awesome spot and enjoy the Roan from above.

Participants on this outing will meet at Elk Hollow Preserve and carpool to the Bird House.

Elk Hollow Yoga

at SAHC’s Elk Hollow Preserve

Start Time: 10 am

Leader: Lillah Schwartz

Difficulty: Moderate, 0.5 mile

SAHC is excited to announce that Lillah Schwartz, a professional yoga instructor, author, and mentor from Asheville, NC, will be joining this year’s June Jamboree. Lillah will lead a nature-based yoga class at our Elk Hollow Preserve, providing a grounding yoga session in the heart of the Roan Highlands. We are thrilled to have her professional services as part of our event.

Full hike descriptions and sign-up forms for outings AND the afternoon social are online at Appalachian.org/june-jamboree-2024. These guided outings are all free, but pre-registration is required, and space may be limited. We will send detailed emails to registered participants prior to the event. Most hikes will have an opportunity to stop for lunch along the way — please plan to bring your own lunch.

Post-Hike Drop-in Social

Time: 1 to 4 pm Location: SAHC’s Elk Hollow Preserve in Roaring Creek Valley

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

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

Thank You Corporate Partners!

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

Corporate Partners

Mt. Mitchell: $25,000+

Biltmore Estate

Wicked Weed Brewing

Witherspoon, Platt & Associates

Waterrock Knob: $15,000+

Highland Brewing Company

Mast General Store

Salesforce

Roan Mountain: $10,000+

Hunter Hometown Foundation

Cold Mountain: $5,000+

Kee Mapping and Surveying

Headwater Environmental, Inc.

Big Yellow: $2,500+

New Belgium Brewing Company

Max Patch: $1,000+

Altura Architects

Asheville Hiking Tours

Equinox Environmental

French Broad River Garden Club

Foundation

HandUp Gloves

Hickory Nut Gap Meats

High Five Coffee

Jus’ Running

Lillah Schwartz Yoga

NC Native Plant Society

Revel Real Estate

Roberts & Stevens, Attorneys at Law

Webb Investment Services

Westmoreland & Scully

White Oak Financial

Wildwood Consulting, LLC

Partner Highlight: The Biltmore Company

We are very grateful to The Biltmore Company for supporting SAHC’s conservation work at a Mt. Mitchell Partner level! This support includes a $15,000 grant towards the completion of farmland conservation at Full Sun Farm (page 8-11).

“Biltmore thanks the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy for their great work to protect the natural resources of our region for the benefit of present and future generations,” said Biltmore’s Vice President of Compliance and Legal Services Tim Rosebrock, who also leads Biltmore’s Corporate Social Responsibility work. “We consider supporting this land easement a vital part of who we are as a local family business. When our founder George Vanderbilt planned his estate in Asheville, part of his vision was to preserve the surrounding landscape and to nurture the land’s resources for years to come. Out of that vision grew Biltmore’s family focus on sustainable farming and the environment. In supporting conservation of the high quality farmland at Full Sun Farm, Biltmore is honored to help ensure a secure food supply for future generations and the continuation of the farm’s legacy of scenic beauty, natural wonders and recreational offerings.”

Find out more at Biltmore.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.

Black History Bicycle Ride and Lunch with Pathways to Parks – Saturday, May 18

SAHC Community Farm to Historic Alexander Chapel Baptist

Church & Cemetery – 10 am to 2 pm

Join us and special guests from Pathways to Parks on a special 16-mile countryside road bike ride exploring farmland conservation and rural Black history in WNC. This loop rolls over gentle hills through the Alexander/ Leicester area with views of open farmland valleys. Some road cycling experience and proper safety equipment are recommended. The ride will begin at the SAHC Community Farm and proceed to the site of a historic African American church and cemetery, where Annette Coleman will share stories about the cultural significance of the site and her family who lived in the area. Afterward everyone will enjoy a catered lunch at the SAHC Community Farm, courtesy of Pathways to Parks. The vision of Pathways to Parks is to motivate Americans of color to get outdoors and enjoy the benefits of nature in our national, state and local parks and to help make it easy and accessible for them to do so. More details and registration at Appalachian.org.

Asheville Beer Week Collaboration – May 16 to May 26

Wicked Weed Brewing and Highland Brewing Company, two of our very generous, long-standing “For Love of Beer and Mountains” partners, have teamed up to brew TWO collaborative small batch beers in honor of SAHC’s 50th Anniversary. This is the first time that these two breweries have partnered on a collaboration. They will use ingredients harvested from SAHC-protected land to craft each brew, including ingredients from Blazing Star Flowers (at SAHC Community Farm). Highland Brewing Company and Wicked Weed Brewing will donate a portion of the proceeds from the collaboration to support SAHC’s conservation efforts. These special small-batch brews will be on tap at each brewery during Asheville Beer Week, and Wicked Weed Brewing will keep theirs on tap through Land Trust Day.

Land Trust Day: Saturday, June 1 — Shop and Dine to Support Conservation

Land Trust Day coincides with National Trails Day and is celebrated on the first Saturday of June to recognize the public benefits of conservation. Local businesses pledge to donate a portion of sales on this day, to support SAHC’s ongoing land and water conservation efforts. Contact Cheryl Fowler at cheryl@appalachian.org to find out more and participate as a sponsor.

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

National Trails Day Hike: Snowball Mountain – Saturday, June 1

Snowball Mountain Trail, Off Blue Ridge Parkway – 10:30 am

This moderate 3-mile hike will take hikers along a high elevation ridge with remarkable views. We will start out on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail near the Craggy Gardens Picnic Area and split off to climb Snowball Mountain. Proceeding to Hawkbill Rock, we will enjoy sweeping scenic views of SAHC’s Snowball Mountain Preserve, the Woodfin Watershed conservation easement, our Reems Creek Bowl Preserve, and South McDaris Ridge. Hikers should be prepared for a short trip, but steep elevation changes along the way. Details and registration at Appalachian.org.

YOUR Voices: 50 Years of Conservation

Carl Silverstein, Executive Director

Before becoming SAHC Executive Director in July 2000, Carl was already familiar with the work of the organization through his position with the Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition. He recalls being inspired by the reputation, success, and diverse initiatives of SAHC, at the time staffed by Lynn Cox, Kristy Urquhart, and Judy Murray. With 24 years of experience as Executive Director of SAHC, Carl has guided staff through countless obstacles and navigated successful conservation outcomes for some of the most exciting and worthwhile projects in our 50-year history.

“Two of my early projects upon joining SAHC were the Frosty Knob conservation easement near Barnardsville, donated by Bob Brunk, and the Cove Creek Gap conservation easement, donated by Kay Hultquist and her family,” shares Carl. Located next to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the conservation easement at Cove Creek Gap preserves 65 acres directly adjoining the Cataloochee entrance to the most visited national park in the United States.

“Kay possessed a lifetime of beautiful memories on the property with her husband and family,” continues Carl. “She shared her love of the property along with wonderful stories of camping there with their children – providing the kind of childhood experiences that imprint us with love of nature and the outdoors.”

Carl is also proud of SAHC’s innovative work with mountain communities to permanently conserve their public watersheds, while simultaneously providing capital for municipal budgets. SAHC has secured several State grants to purchase conservation easements on municipal watersheds, including Canton (Rough Creek), Waynesville, Weaverville, and Marshall.

to the water system, the water district had proposed logging and then selling a portion of the land for development. Instead, SAHC stepped in and secured a State grant from the NC Land and Water Fund to permanently protect the land instead. The community received the funding they needed, and people who

2012 and later transferred most of the land to the State of NC in 2014. A key location in the Roan Highlands, there was something almost hallowed about that property. Being able to finally conserve it was a major milestone.”

“In so many of these landmark conservation projects, we have very small windows to seize opportunities before they are lost,” continues Carl. “Working intently on such fleeting opportunities requires a high level of rigor and fortitude. The cumulative impact of work as we continue saving land adds up over the decades – the more we do, the more effective it is.

lived in the area enjoyed seeing the land permanently protected – it was a win-win. This project provided an anchor for future protection in the Reems Creek watershed, a major tributary of the French Broad River.”

SAHC again successfully applied for NC Land and Water Fund grants to preserve nearly 2,500 acres at Montreat, a conservation easement project Carl recalls as deeply meaningful.

Over the last 50 years SAHC has amassed a significant network that creates real impact on places for wildlife, headwaters, averting floods, and keeping hillsides forested. It has been a joy for me to see these efforts build up over time.”

“The Woodfin Watershed conservation easement protected water quality and brought NC Land and Water Fund grants (then NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund) into the community,” says Carl. “To raise needed capital for repairs

However, his favorite project may be the Grassy Ridge/Stuart estate tract in the Highlands of Roan.

“The Grassy Ridge property had been one of SAHC’s top three priority projects since its inception,” shares Carl. “We purchased the 600-acre tract in December

“I am also proud of SAHC’s position as a national leader in the evolution of the land trust movement, including drafting and defending conservation easements,” he adds. “Looking at land protection for the long term, we helped create the Terrafirma Risk Retention Group, a charitable risk pool created by the national Land Trust Alliance to insure its members against the legal costs of defending conservation interests. It gives me great pleasure to serve in fulfilling conservation permanence for land trust work across the nation.”

Carl, Kristy Urquhart, and Kay Hultquist in 2000.

50th Anniversary Celebration

Rooted in the Past and Growing for the Future: Celebrating 50 Years of Conservation

Friday, May 31 from 1-3 pm TN Welcome Center on I-26 (Unicoi), Overlooking Rocky Fork

You are invited to celebrate with all of the SAHC family at our special 50th anniversary event, soaking in the beauty of protected land. Looking over a breathtaking view of the 10,000-acre Rocky Fork watershed, one of SAHC’s keystone successes, we will toast milestone achievements of the past 50 years and announce major projects for the future of conservation. SAHC has grown from a dauntless cadre of volunteers brought together by a love of hiking the Roan Highlands to a sophisticated, multi-state, non-profit organization at the forefront of nationally recognized conservation efforts. Share the good stories, reminisce about the hard times, resonate with the poetry of place, and be inspired by epic conservation plans on the horizon.

This celebratory gathering will feature special guest speakers and light refreshments, to be followed by a guided hike at Lamar Alexander Rocky Fork State Park.

Featured Speakers:

Dr. Mamie Parker – Breaking barriers in the field, Dr. Parker spent a successful 30-year career as a distinguished biologist and senior executive in the federal government with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. She received the 2020 John L. Morris Award in recognition of her lifetime of contributions to fish and wildlife conservation.

Wiley Cash – New York Times best-selling author of the novels When Ghosts Come Home, The Last Ballad, A Land More Kind Than Home, and This Dark Road to Mercy, Wiley serves as the writer-in-residence at the University of North Carolina Asheville.

Carl Silverstein – SAHC Executive Director.

More info & registration at Appalachian.org/50th

YOUR Voices: 50 Years of Conservation

Witt Langstaff, Jr. Former Board President

“Growing up in Kingsport, I had the privilege of occasionally trout fishing in Rocky Fork in the 1960s. It was a mystical, enchanting place. Up there, the only thing better than the natural beauty was the speckled trout fishing (native brook trout). Rocky Fork was the iconic, unspoiled Southern Appalachian watershed with cold, crystal-clear water tumbling down every hillside through the rhododendron. It was magical. The good news is that it still is. The essence of Rocky Fork has not changed much in the past 55 years. It’s still just as wonderful and enchanting – a great place to take a break and recharge.

I was on the SAHC board when SAHC undertook a six-year effort to preserve Rocky Fork from ever being developed. As someone who had experienced the wonders firsthand and developed a reverence for this land, it was devastating to think that Rocky Fork could be filled with construction. Preventing it from being sold to a development company was a worthy goal, but the size and scope of the challenge – 10,000 acres – seemed overwhelming. Fortunately, a great number of people, organizations and agencies pulled together to keep this development from happening.

I am eternally grateful to all the people who worked so hard to pull this off… and proud that SAHC worked so hard to recruit, encourage, and collaborate with key players. Reflecting on Rocky Fork makes me even more proud of SAHC and our hard-working staff and volunteers who find ways to protect these areas that make our mountains special.”

Rocky Fork

An Epic Conservation Story

Successful efforts to conserve the 10,000-acre Rocky Fork watershed span more than six years (2006-2012), involving local heroes, multiple non-profit organizations, national and state agencies, Tennessee politicians, and devoted hiking clubs. SAHC is proud to have been a leader in protecting the 10,000-acre Rocky Fork watershed. A unique, fragile ecosystem with rare and endangered species, the expansive forested land is prominent in the view from I-26 and the surrounding area.

Partnership in Action

“Rocky Fork had long been one of the top priorities for conservation in the southern Appalachians because of its vast size, adjacency to the Appalachian Trail and the Sampson Mountain Wilderness, its sixteen miles of blue ribbon trout streams and other chart-topping conservation values,” remembers SAHC Executive Director Carl Silverstein. Although it was privately owned, it had been leased it to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission for decades, and people enjoyed hunting, fishing and camping there as though it were public lands.

“In 1998, while I was still working with the Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition, the land came up for sale. Under leadership of Ed Williams III, the conservation community worked together to secure an appropriation from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund to add part of the property closest to the Appalachian Trail to the Cherokee National Forest. But the landowner sold the whole 10,000 acres

before we could act on it.

When I became the Executive Director at SAHC and the property came up for sale again in the early 2000s, it was a second opportunity to save this incredible place that I thought had been lost. Plans to sell and develop the land were circulating in the early 2000s, and the owner was negotiating with developers. Local conservationists, outdoor enthusiasts, SAHC and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy pulled together to find a way to preserve Rocky Fork. SAHC boldly submitted a letter of intent to the owners to purchase the property for $32 million, and they indicated they would sell the property for $40 million. We recruited The Conservation Fund as a national partner to help give momentum to the multi-million dollar acquisition. We prepared and submitted an application to the TN Heritage Conservation Trust Fund for $6 million, which was awarded in 2007. Although a critical step forward, this grant only covered a fraction of the $40 million price tag for the land.”

“Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy and our principal partners, Appalachian Trail Conservancy and The Conservation Fund, were emboldened by this success,” recalls Jay Leutze, SAHC’s Advistor to the Board. “The partners launched an ambitious two-prong public/private strategy. We approached philanthropists in both North Carolina and Tennessee and began to engage Senator Lamar Alexander of TN, a champion for the project. We also cultivated public agency partners at both the state and federal level.”

“Despite SAHC’s determination, we did not have access to the $34 million dollars needed to close the gap between our $6 million in hand and the $40 million purchase price for the entire property,” Jay continues. “SAHC and our partners chipped away in concerted effort, and after some successful fundraising and commitments, the gap began to shrink.”

In December 2008, the U.S. Forest Service purchased 2,237 acres of the property for Cherokee National Forest. Simultaneously The Conservation

Photo by Bill Richards, Carolinas Nature Photographers Association

Fund used their own money to eliminate the funding gap and close on the balance of the property, with a phased plan for land to be sold and transferred to the U.S. Forest Service over a period of years (2009-2012). In total, the U.S. Forest Service purchased close to 8,000 acres with more than $30 million from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). The U.S. Forest Service acquired the final tract for Cherokee National Forest in September 2012. The initial $6 million grant secured by SAHC was used to purchase the acreage that is now Rocky Fork State Park. The state park was designated in 2012, opened to the public in 2015, and renamed Lamar Alexander Rocky Fork State Park in 2019. In 2016, SAHC assisted the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation in purchasing a 1-acre tract near the park entrance to better enable public access.

Today, SAHC is thrilled that people can enjoy access to these public lands in the national forest, state park, and a section of the Appalachian Trail.

Project Highlights

The Rocky Fork watershed encompasses a western portion of the Unaka Mountain Range, in Unicoi and Greene counties in TN.

Named for the pristine waters of Rocky Fork Creek running through it, the land has also been called TN’s ‘Gateway to the Southern Appalachian Mountains.’

More than 16 miles of streams, with large cascades and waterfalls, drain the 10,000 acre Rocky Fork watershed. Moss-covered rocks, eddies, and gentle pools surrounded by lush growth provide cool waters for native trout and mesmerizing places to relax and connect with nature. The land provides prime habitat for black bear, deer, turkey, and many other kinds of wildlife. Species of note which have been documented on the property include Peregrine Falcon, Eastern Hellbender, Yonahlossee salamander, Woodland jumping mouse, Star-nosed mole, and Smoky Shrew.

According to a flora survey, the Rocky Fork land produced 749 vascular plant species – of which 19 were on the Tennessee Rare Plant List and 34 were on the Cherokee National Forest Species Viability List.

Approximately 4 miles of the Appalachian Trail crosses the 10,000 acre Rocky Fork tract near the NC/TN border. Prior to being acquired and protected by conservation partners, the land had been logged extensively, and old logging roads throughout the area provided a framework for trails.

For more information, visit

Appalachian.org/rocky-fork-watershed

YOUR Voices: 50 Years of Conservation

Tom Speaks, Former Forest Supervisor for the Cherokee National Forest

“My first memory of SAHC is meeting at their office in Johnson City, TN in the early 1990’s to discuss land acquisition opportunities and where the US Forest Service and SAHC may have similar interests and priorities.

As time progressed, it became apparent SAHC was playing a greater role in advocacy and support of land acquisition in not only the Highlands of the Roan but across the Southern Appalachians. On more than one occasion, staff or board members made key contacts to solicit support for specific acquisitions with the public and congressional representatives. I was pleasantly surprised at how effective SAHC was at securing public support, congressional support and funding.

This ability was never more apparent than the negotiations for the acquisition of the 10,000-acre Rocky Fork property in TN. The US Forest Service made several attempts for over 30 years to acquire the property for its incredible attributes, including rare plants, miles of native trout streams, historic significance, recreational opportunities and miles of Appalachian Trail protection. At a critical time when the transfer of ownership of this property from one private party to another occurred, the plans for major development were imminent. SAHC stepped in to revive stalled negotiations with the owners, organize multiple state and federal agency action, recruit national partners like The Conservation Fund , and garner both public and congressional support – eventually resulting in the complex acquisition of the entire property by the state of TN and the US Forest Service. SAHC’s early work and advocacy for this acquisition was critical in making public ownership a reality.”

Guided hike at Rocky Fork State Park; photo by Witt Langstaff, Jr.

In Memoriam: Woody Farmer

Woody’s generosity of spirit and expansive curiosity were legendary. He lived life to the fullest, and wherever he went he collected experiences, inspiration, and stories. One of his proudest accomplishments was completing the Appalachian Trail, which he started in 1995; his trail name was Dancing Bear.

In his own words, Woody explained: “As I grew up, I discovered that I had a passion for how people, histories, and cultures connected. I’ve always felt lucky to have grown up in such a fascinating and historic place as Asheville. Here I was able to grasp the small histories, such as family and regional histories, that form the fabric of this community. I was also able to look beyond, along the Blue Ridge Parkway, into Appalachia and far beyond. The two things that guided my way were my geographical curiosity and my hunger for historical inquiry. What I discovered was that histories and boundary lines are never quite as neat and tidy as we would like them to be. We all have a contribution to make because we can all offer different perspectives, memories, and interpretations of who we are and where we’re going. It has been my longtime hope that my own passion for history and storytelling will contribute in some small way to our collective understanding of the world around us.”

Memorials — as of March 27, 2024

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 Vance Lyn

Brabham

Dick & Kirkie Gibson

In memory of Jim Crews

Mary Crews

In memory of Marty Dean

John Hansen

W.D. & Neysa Hurt

John Legerton & Kathy Meacham

Penelope Ponder

In memory of Alice Droller

Dave Droller

In memory of Nancy Ellington

Helen C. Gift

In memory of A. Murray Evans

Jean Bangham

Peggy Good

Deb & Jim Hejl

Kathleen Kozak

Dee Montie

Paul & Lois Somers

In memory of Woody Farmer

Ashley Blevins

Stuart Camblos

Talula Cartwright

Gay Coleman

Dewey Property Advisors

Bernice and Patsy Farmer

Lee and Jeff Hatling

Josephine Hicks

Francie and Damaso Lopez

Bill and Dee Dee Maxwell

Blair and Ivon D Rohrer, Jr.

In memory of Robert (Robbie) Gault

Bettye Boone & Saylor Fox

In memory of William Hamilton

Cheryl Fowler

In memory of Dr. William G. Hamilton

Field Coxe & Florence Henry

In memory of Robert M. Harvey

Gwendolyn Boesch

In memory of Tucker Hill

Anonymous

In memory of Kay Hultquist

Kathy & Jim Overholser

In memory of Neil McPhee

Mary Anne & Victor Allwein

Redus & Amy Brooks

Ronald &Susanne Calhoon

Cheri Fisher

Robert & Leslie Player

Diane Rosfjord

Kathleen & Randy Treiber

Betsy & Andy White

Margaret Whitney

In memory of David Rozzell

Brenda Hughes

In memory of Stu Ryman

Nancy Ryman

In memory of Wyatt Stevens

Randy Hunter

In memory of Susan Grey

Kenerly Stevenson

Marquette Crockett & Michael

Welch

Michael Deem

Lisa Fancher & Steve Frank

Cheryl Fowler

David & Carol Newsome

Brenda Robinson & Larry Rodgers

Dennis & Catherine Winner

In memory of

Barbara & William Turner

Martha Turner

In memory of Joan W. Worth

Juliellen E. Sarver

Tributes — as of March 27, 2024

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

In honor of Adventure Marketing Group

OBOZ Footwear LLC

In honor of Dr. & Mrs. Kent Blazier

Dr. & Mrs. Harrison Turner

In honor of Jack & Amy Boyles

Art & Charlotte Ellis

In honor of Elizabeth

Cheesborough

Jeanne & Charles Cummings

In honor of Steve Compton

Jonathan Compton

In honor of Jordan & Alex Correia

Jane Torbert

In honor of Maxine & Jack Dalton

Carol-Ann Bloom

In honor of Nancy Edgerton

Lia & Pat Reagan

In honor of Art & Charlotte Ellis

Tom & Jo Brock

In honor of Catharine Ellis & SAHC

Sara Evans

Ginger Hain

Michele & Michael Kennedy

Mary Alice & Michael Lodico

Tim & Tracy McCracken

Theresa Oursler

Elizabeth Wall

Marjorie Warren

In honor of Lisa Fancher

“My Wonderful Big Sis”

Sara Voelker

In honor of Robert Gault

Ruth G. Wells

In honor of Arthur & Joanna

Griffith

Chuck & Claire Bowling

In honor of Hanni, Adams & Baby Lars

Pamela Anderson

Catharine Ellis & Kent Stewart (Nana & Pop)

Joyce Hooley & Robert Gingrich

Joe Sam & Kate Queen

In honor of Henry Hitchcock

Dan & Molly Hitchcock

In honor of Alan & Chrissy Householder

Glenda & Darrell Eastridge

In honor of Bruce & Charis Kabat

Marge Cavanaugh

In honor of Malcolm Kendall

Jeanne & Charles Cummings

In honor of Jane & Bob Knight

William Knight

In honor of Jay Leutze

Allan & Betsy Clark

Arthur & Denise Foley

Elizabeth, Jamie & Mary Cate Kiser

In honor of Ann & Alfred Mackay

Robert & Elizabeth Fisher

In honor of Buddy & Anne Mackay

Robert & Elizabeth Fisher

In honor of George Mackay

Robert & Elizabeth Fisher

In honor of Dee Dee & Bill Maxwell

Fielding & Julia Lewis

In honor of Penny Morrell Ponder

Martha Dean

In honor of Bill Ryan

Lee Ryan & Nancy Aalberg

In honor of Alison & Dave

Schuetze

Caroline & John Clark Ann Thayer

In honor of Cynthia Shealy

Robert Borom

In honor of Babbie & Waid Shelton

Mignon Durham

In honor of Dr. & Mrs. R.W. Shelton

Roberta & John Toole

In honor of Kathy Singleton

Eleanor Lamb

In honor of Jasper & Ellis Tait

Megan Sutton & Andrew Tait

In honor of Sophronia Ward & Allan Morgan

Sylvia Dry

In honor of Tom Ward

Harold & Libby Ward

Giving Appreciated Stock

Do you like to get more for your money?

When you give an appreciated asset, like stock you’ve held for more than a year, your gift is more valuable for you and for the charities and causes that benefit.

Tax Smart Ways to Give from Your IRA

If you are 70½ or older, using your IRA for charitable giving can make good sense. Once you are 70½, you can make “Qualified Charitable Distributions” (QCDs) from your IRA. A QCD is a direct transfer from your account to a charity, like SAHC. Using QCDs, you can give any amount, up to $105,000 in 2024 (spouses with separate accounts may each give up to that amount). QCDs count toward your required minimum distribution (RMD) and are excluded from taxable income.

It’s also possible to use a QCD from your IRA to fund a charitable gift annuity (CGA). A charitable gift annuity is a simple contract that pays income to you (or you and a spouse) now, and provides a charitable gift later. This way of giving works best if you are 73 or older, don’t itemize deductions, and like the idea of receiving annuity income for your lifetime.

We always recommend you consult with your financial advisor before making a significant gift. For more info, visit Appalachian.org/waysto-give or email Emma Goldrick at emma@appalachian.org

ANNUAL REPORT

2023 Year in Review

1,045 MORE Acres Protected!

With your help, Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy protected 1,045 more acres across five of our six geographic conservation focus areas in the mountains of Western North Carolina and East Tennessee.

Map: 2023 Completed Projects in SAHC’s Six Conservation Focus Areas

These included: additions to multiple SAHC preserves; new land and conservation easement donations; important wildlife corridors and native plant habitat; headwater streams in the Nolichucky, French Broad River, and Pigeon River watersheds; and partnerships with Cherokee National Forest and NC Wildlife Resources Commission, to add to public lands.

CONNECTING PEOPLE WITH NATURE

In the past year, SAHC’s outreach and education programs have been robustly active, catering to people of all ages eager to connect with conserved land. Your support makes an impact in our communities.

1,059

4

60

10

11

4,000+

300+

Stewardship = SAHC’s ongoing commitment to care for conserved land. When you contribute to SAHC, you support ongoing monitoring and management of protected land, including globally important grassy balds habitat in the Highlands of Roan.

Hand-mowed

25 Acres on Round Bald, and assisted U.S. Forest Service partners in managing 20 acres on Hump Mountain & Bradley Gap

291 Monitored Conservation Easements &

56,000 Acres!

Engine Gap & Grassy Ridge

634

Completed

Program Grants and Supporting Funds

Thank you to the following organization and foundations for their support for SAHC’s conservation work. (Funding provided in the 2023 calendar year)

Appalachian Trail Conservancy — $2,509 to support grassy bald management volunteer efforts, $5,000 for feral hog control

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

The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina — $50,000 to support programs and projects at the SAHC Community Farm, and $4,900 to support access to the historic site Alexander Chapel Baptist Church and Cemetery.

REI Cooperative Action Fund $10,000 for general operating support, to support the initiative Opening

James G. K. McClure Educational and Development Fund — $15,000 to support stewardship of the Strawberry Gap Trail and for SAHC Community Farm support.

NC Native Plant Society — $2,000 to support floristic inventory of new conservation land.

Appalachia - Ensuring

Equitable Outdoor Recreation for All.

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

Trout Unlimited

Overmountain Chapter $6,000 for stewardship of the Tom’s Branch tract.

USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program $74,433 to support SAHC’s partnership in Beginning Farmer Success – Farm Pathways to Long-Term Land Tenure.

Conservation Easement & Land Acquisition Supporting Funds

Appalachian Trail Conservancy — $77,000 to support new land conservation in the Highlands of Roan. Buncombe County — $43,000 to help fund conservation easement acquisitions in Buncombe County.

The Felburn Foundation — $50,000 to support the purchase of the Tom’s Branch tract in the Highlands of Roan.

NC Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services $3,000 to support land acquisitions at Dutch Cove and Scott’s Ridge.

NC Dept. of Natural Resources — $353,900 acquisition of the Reems Creek Bowl Preserve

Private and Individual Giving — $5,649,483

Transfer of land to U.S. Forest Service — $943,340

in protecting sources of clean water, threatened wildlife habitats, places for people to connect with the natural world, and farms to feed our communities.

Your generous contributions leveraged substantial grant funds, land donations, and matching support that carries forward critical land and water conservation in NC and TN. SAHC completed 13 land conservation projects in 2023, and we are working on an overflowing slate of more than 50 potential new projects in progress! We could not accomplish this work without you.

Financial Statement

Fiscal year ended June 30, 2023

YOUR SUPPORT IS CRUCIAL THANK YOU!

41 Members in States and Washington, DC

Not including $7 million for purchases of land & conservation easements.

If ‘Make a Will” is on your to-do list for 2024, we can help. Learn how easy it is to make a gift to SAHC through your will. Legacy gifts can provide peace of mind while ensuring that future generations benefit from protected land and water. For more information, contact Cheryl Fowler at cheryl@appalachian.org or 828.253.0095 ext 209.

If you have included SAHC in your estate plans, please let us know. We would like to thank you for your generosity and recognize you as a member of our Legacy Society.