The Plateau

On December 28, SAHC recorded a conservation easement on 112 acres of land in Madison County, near the Cherokee and Pisgah National Forests.

“The Plateau is remarkable because it fills an immensely significant gap between the Cherokee National Forest and the Pisgah National Forest. One of our primary focuses is to protect land adjacent to State and National Forests; thus, to secure a tract of land that bridges two National Forests is a spectacular accomplishment,” said Carl Silverstein, SAHC Executive Director.

As another SAHC-held conservation easement that is highly visible to the public, the Plateau project helps secure the scenic landscape for outdoor recreation enthusiasts, visitors, and residents of Western North Carolina. The Plateau property can be seen from the French Broad River, Appalachian Trail, and the Dixie Highway.

View of the French Broad River

The Plateau also lays in close proximity to five Natural Heritage Areas: Lower French Broad Aquatic Habitat, Paint Rock Road Natural Area, Davis Branch Floodpain, Mine Ridge, and Murray Branch Slopes.

With approximately 17,610 feet of streams on the property, the conservation easement will positively affect water quality of the Lower French Broad River.

SAHC protects additional land adjoining the Sandy Mush Game Lands

Land adjacent to the Sandy Mush Game Lands in northern Buncombe County has been donated to the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy. The newly donated 88-acre tract of land, called Norco, will connect the Sandy Mush Game Lands on two different sides.

This property bridges the gap between major portions of state-owned game lands, which are managed by the Wildlife Resource Commission (WRC).

“SAHC has played a role as a major partner in the protection of the Sandy Mush Game Lands,” said Carl Silverstein, SAHC’s Executive Director. “This property will protect a corridor for wildlife in the largest contiguous network of protected lands in this portion of northern Buncombe County. We are so pleased we were able to continue our work in preserving this area.”

The state holds a conservation easement on the donated property. The land will be enjoyed for birding and hunting in the future.

“It is always encouraging to protect land that benefits the public,” said SAHC’s Land Protection Director, Michelle Pugliese. SAHC hopes to utilize this protected property this Spring or Summer with a creek walk or hike along one of the Norco streams.

SAHC purchases 248 acres in Sandy Mush community – the Robinson Rough property

On December 28, 2011, the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy saved another special piece of land from development in the Sandy Mush community of Buncombe County, North Carolina. The 248-acre property holds pristine streams, steep slopes, and is adjacent to working farmlands. Due to a slow economy and eager seller, SAHC was able to acquire this valuable property at a great value.

“The property could have been sold to a developer in a heartbeat, but we acted quickly and protected another striking piece of land,” said Carl Silverstein, SAHC’s Executive Director.

Cabin on the Robinson Rough Property. This purchase preserves a valuable nugget of Appalachian heritage.

Located at the end of a state road with excellent access, southern exposure and creeks, the property was just waiting for a developer to buy it, according to William Hamilton, SAHC’s Farmland Program Director.

“It would have been a shame for a large development to go in right next to properties that SAHC, Buncombe County, and landowners in the area have worked so hard to preserve,” said Hamilton.

Hamilton continues, “The property was a developer’s dream. Robinson Rough has beautiful creeks, sun exposure, views into the Sandy Mush valley, and includes an 1885 farm house and hand-hewn cabins. It was a great success for SAHC to acquire such an impressive property.”

SAHC purchased the property in order to safeguard the mountain from development. The deal is a major addition to the protected landscape in Buncombe County, and a good deal for conservation.

“We have adjoining property under conservation easement, and we’re really happy that the property is going to stay as it is and not be developed,” said Bill Duckett, neighboring farmer and cattleman.

The parcel bookends a ridge in the Newfound Mountains that SAHC has been working to protect since the 1990s. The purchase will also protect the headwaters of a major tributary of Sandy Mush Creek.

Hamilton adds, “We did what we’re good at – we acted quickly to protect a piece of property with exceptional conservation values and ensured that the land would remain a positive resource for the Sandy Mush community.”

192 Acres Protected in Yancey County

Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC) established another conservation easement in Yancey County, NC. The 192 acres rise to an elevation of 5,163 feet at the summit of High Knob.  The property holds spectacular northerly views over the Black Mountains and sits close to several other prominent conservation easements, including the Big Tom Wilson Preserve, public tracts of land such as Pisgah National Forest, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and Mount Mitchell State Park. The property is also within several miles of another SAHC easement.

“The Elk Fork property epitomizes what land conservation trusts try to do on a daily basis–protect pieces of land that hold aesthetic, practical, and intrinsic value.” States SAHC Executive Director, Carl Silverstein. “It is pivotal that we continue to protect properties that are highly visible to the public eye.” Elk Fork is definitely that. On clear days, Elk Fork can be seen from Mt. Mitchell and along the Cane River.

The size of the property, complemented by its close proximity to several other protected properties, makes Elk Fork biologically significant.  Elk Fork is made up of primarily Oak and Cove hardwoods that range from 20-60 years old and potentially older trees at higher elevations. NC wildlife biologists have found Allegheny Woodrats (State Special Concern Species) and Least Weasels (State Significantly Rare Species) in the rock habitats on the property. 

“Our family has long shared a dream of protecting natural areas for the future. This easement ensures that our property will continue to support a small part of the incomparable biological diversity of the Appalachian Mountains,” said Russ Oates, landowner of the Elk Fork tract.

Tributaries to Elk Fork Creek

The conservation easement costs were made possible by a complete donation by the landowners and from the generous assistance of Fred Stanback. “It is reassuring to know that remarkable pieces of land can still be protected today thanks to the ecological awareness and economic generosity of others.” Says, SAHC’s Land Protection Director, Michelle Pugliese.

 Elk Fork is within the French Broad River Watershed and includes tributary streams of Elk Fork Creek which flow into the Cane River.

“Conservation of the property helps protect tributary streams of the French Broad Watershed from sources of sedimentation and other types of pollution,” says SAHC Stewardship Director, Hanni Muerdter.

Landmark Protection Project Finished on Little Pisgah Mountain

On December 22, 2011, the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy recorded conservation easements protecting 474 acres in southern Buncombe County. This project combines with neighboring conservation easements and other preserves to bring the total amount of land protected on Little Pisgah Mountain to more than 1,400 acres.

“The Little Pisgah project is a major step in preservation of mountaintops in an important focus area of the Buncombe County land conservation plan,” according to Albert Sneed, chairman of the Buncombe County Conservation Advisory Board.

The property contains 100 acres of high elevation pasture, rock outcrops and cliffs, and 374 acres of forested land, rising to an elevation of 4,400 feet on the top of Little Pisgah Mountain.

Tailoring the conservation easements in this complex project involved six separate parcels, and was made possible by the dedication of the MacKay family to protect the unbroken scenic views, wildlife corridors, and water sources afforded by the property. Two generations of the extended MacKay family came together with SAHC to protect this large tract that has been in their family for over 60 years.

“For each of us and our children and grandchildren, the Little Pisgah tract has meant camping, hiking and experiencing the unique joy of unspoiled wildness.  We are thankful that the dedicated people of Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy have made it possible for us to preserve this unique place for future generations,” said members of the Mackay family, Elizabeth MacKay Fisher and her husband Bob, who live in Buncombe County, and Buddy MacKay and his wife Anne, who have a summer home on the Little Pisgah tract.

The four branches of the MacKay family came together to protect the tract from unplanned development that could have added 47 ten-acre home sites on the highly visible mountain top property.

The family worked cooperatively with SAHC to limit the number of future home sites to six. In addition, they worked with SAHC and an experienced landscape architect to locate those home sites in areas that protect the overall conservation values of the land.

“It was a pleasure to assist the MacKay family over 18 months as they worked through the many issues that are part of a project as significant as this.  This project is the culmination of work by an experienced team of conservation professionals at SAHC and willing landowners,” said Michael Green, who led the efforts on behalf of SAHC. Green won SAHC’s 2011 Volunteer of the Year award for his extensive work on the combined Little Pisgah conservation easements.

With 20% of the land open for pasture or farm use, the project particularly appealed to SAHC’s mission to preserve farmland and agricultural heritage. In all, SAHC has helped protect over 15,000 acres in Buncombe County, including over 700 acres in the Fairview farming community.

Buncombe County’s $337,000 contribution toward the project was matched by more than $1.2 million in donations by the landowners and a private philanthropist.

Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy purchases 90 acres adjacent to public trails and the Woodfin watershed in Buncombe County

View from Snowball Mountain

On Friday, December 16, the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC) purchased 90 acres on Snowball Mountain in Buncombe County, permanently preserving scenic views for recreational visitors, clean water sources for area residents, and habitat for native species. Nestled in the publicly treasured Craggy Mountains, this tract is highly visible from the Blue Ridge Parkway and national forest land, and it adjoins the publicly accessible Snowball Mountain Trail and Camp Sequoyah Trail.

“Protecting part of Snowball Mountain is a beautiful example of what we try to do here at SAHC,” says SAHC’s Land Protection Director, Michelle Pugliese. “Snowball Mountain holds immense conservation value as it will protect viewsheds, threatened wildlife habitat, high water quality, biodiversity, and pockets of quality high elevation northern hardwood forest. We are thankful to work with such generous landowners and conservationists on this project.”

This 90-acre purchase will particularly help preserve the wilderness experience for hikers along the Snowball Mountain Trail, accessible to the public off the Blue Ridge Parkway below Craggy Gardens.

Additionally, the property is adjacent to the Woodfin Watershed and contains the headwaters of Reems Creek. Permanently protecting Snowball Mountain from development will secure these headwater streams from sedimentation and other sources of pollution while preserving drinking water resources.

This is the second land protection project that SAHC has accomplished this year adjacent to Buncombe County watersheds. In October, SAHC purchased 225 acres on Laurel Ridge between the Bee Tree and Burnett reservoirs, adjacent to the Asheville watershed. SAHC protects the high-elevation properties near these watersheds to help ensure a clean water supply for residents of the region.

An Eastern Columbine found on the property

The Snowball Mountain tract joins a significant swath of state and federal protected land, contributing another piece to a vast network of over 125,000 acres of contiguous protected forestlands.  SAHC’s Snowball Mountain acquisition will safeguard wildlife corridors, habitat for native species, and diverse plant communities adjacent to the Pisgah National Forest. With development spreading towards the Black Mountains, many large areas of biological habitat, old-growth forests, and Blue Ridge Parkway viewsheds remain at risk. The Snowball Mountain purchase helps further insulate these protected areas from encroaching developments.

Protecting noteworthy, high elevation viewsheds has always been a priority for SAHC. Since Snowball Mountain is the 76th highest peak in the southern Appalachians and now one of many high elevation properties protected by SAHC, this acquisition is truly worthy of celebration, according to Peter Barr author of Hiking North Carolina’s Lookout Towers.

Although acquiring Snowball Mountain was important to SAHC, finding the funding to purchase such a significant property was a difficult process in this tough economic climate.  Fortunately, due to the generosity of the property landowners and a donation from Fred and Alice Stanback, SAHC was able to buy the land below appraised value through a bargain sale. SAHC’s executive director, Carl Silverstein points out, “Because Snowball Mountain is an intrinsically important property from a conservation standpoint, we are thrilled to protect such a beautiful peace of land at such reasonable price.”

114-acre Property Protected in the Swannanoa Mountains

Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC) is with busy land project closings from now until the end of the year. At the end of October, SAHC closed on a 114-acre conservation easement in the beautiful Swannanoa Mountains, along Jim’s Branch, that will protect important tributaries that flow into Christian Creek and is within 6,600 linear feet of the French Broad river basin.

Jim’s Branch is approximately two and a half miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway and practically adjacent to two other properties held by SAHC.  While there is no direct landscape connectivity between Jim’s Branch and the Blue Ridge Parkway or other conservation lands, the conservation easement is connected to neighboring forested land, other SAHC conservation easements, and natural corridors that allow for species movement. Jim’s Branch close proximity to other protected land greatly increases the conservation value of the property and the viewshed from the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The easement protects a large stand of mixed hardwood and rich cove forests that shelter a variety of different birds and mammals. Within the rich cove forests, there are several rare rock outcroppings that host plants and other vegetation that require very specific altitudes and other growing conditions to prosper. Some of these unique plants within 2.5 mile radius of the property include: purpleleaf willowherb, Glade spurge, Cliff spurge, Northern green orchid, shooting star, and the pinnate-lobed black-eyed susan.

Lastly and perhaps most importantly, Jim’s Branch contains four unnamed tributaries that run directly into Christian Creek. SAHC’s effort to protect the integrity of western North Carolina’s and eastern Tennessee’s water quality has always been a critical goal. The presence of aquatic life such as crayfish and salamanders are great indicators of a healthy stream.

Salamanders are a good indicator of a healthy stream

Animals, humans, and western North Carolina will all benefit immensely from this 114-acre conservation easement, and as SAHC’s Land Protection Director, Michelle Pugliese, explains that Jim’s Branch is, “another piece in the conservation landscape puzzle”–but a significant one at that.

SAHC transfers 35 acres to the US Forest Service

On August 8th, 2011, Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC)  transferred 35 crucial acres to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) and the US Forest Service. Located in Macon County, North Carolina, Wesser Bald will be utilized as a buffer between ATC lands and private property which is at risk of being developed.

SAHC originally acquired the 35 acres in 2007, with the intent to sell the land to the Forest Service once the Forest Service attained the appropriate funding. Although it has been four years since the original acquisition, the transfer ensures that the ecological standards of Wesser Bald will always be upheld.  The addition of this tract, along with an adjoining 42 acres on which SAHC holds a conservation easement, closes a wide gap in a swath of contiguous Forest Service lands that were vulnerable to development.

In the Fall of 2006, Wilderness Society newsletter, Wesser Bald was highlighted as  ”at-risk” and a priority for conservation acquisition. After publication of that article, AT enthusiasts and the ATC encouraged SAHC to help conserve this property. Fortunately, SAHC was able capitalize on the opportunity and prevent developers from compromising such a significant piece of land.

With the state of the current economic market, funding for the acquisition of additional land had almost come to a halt. Fortunately, SAHC was able to work in conjunction with generous donors and organizations that continue to make transactions like this possible.

In addition to the extraordinary views, this protected land will contribute a multitude of other benefits to the ecosystems of the Little Tennessee River watershed, the Nantahala National Forest, and the Appalachian Trail Corridor. The land will serve as a catalyst for the protection of significant watersheds, providing a contiguous wildlife corridor that will provide high quality wildlife habitats and ecosystems for rare plants and will assure that the land will stay pristine for generations to come.

SAHC’s long-standing partnerships with the ATC and the Forest Service were instrumental in completing such a crucial transaction. SAHC’s Executive Director, Carl Silverstein says, “we are proud to be working with these partners to add an important sight along the AT that’s visible to a lot of people.”

ATC’s Southern Regional Director, Morgan Sommerville, echoed similar sentiments, while emphasizing the importance of continuing to acquire land to bolster the width of the Appalachian Trail Corridor. Sommerville explains, “ATC really appreciates SAHC’s commitment for this project…because the upper part of Wesser Bald has been on our list to acquire for a long time. We hope to continue these successes further south.”

Crucial Property Protected Adjacent to Yellow Mountain in the Highlands of Roan

The Tuesday before Thanksgiving, Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC) acquired the title to a critically significant property in the Yellow Mountain State Natural Area in the Highlands of Roan. This 225 acre tract will be protected forever.

Look closely for the ice climber

As Board Member, Jay Leutze put it, “Spear Tops has it all.” From endangered and threatened species such as Rock Gnome Lichen and Trailing Wolfsbane, to a stunning waterfall, this property is one of SAHC’s most spectacular pieces of land. At 4,900 at the summit, Spear Tops offers remarkable views of the Highlands of Roan and is a crucial addition to North Carolina’s conservation landscape.

Spear Tops was on the cusp of being developed as roads had been built and plans to transform the pristine land into a gated community were coming into fruition. Leutze points out that it was so close to being developed, “that we thought we’d lost it.” The economy took a turn for the worse in 2008 and the property went into foreclosure.  Obtaining Spear Tops was a complicated process and there were other interests who eagerly pursued the property as well. SAHC acted swiftly in a small window of time and was fortunately able to acquire Spear Tops, and outbid competitors for the title.

The peak of Spear Tops lies close to Yellow Mountain and is clearly visible from Big Yellow Mountain. The property offers an incredible range of biodiversity and is visible to the public from the Appalachian Trail, Overmountain Victory Trail, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and Highway 19 E. Aside from its scenic value, Spear Tops will play an important role in protecting the prospering trout streams that flow into the North Toe River. The fish will not be the only animals protected within the property as Spear Tops has also been marked by the Audubon Society as an “Important Bird Area”.

SAHC’s executive director, Carl Silverstein points out that, “although acquiring Spear Tops was a complicated, stressful, and trying process at times, the end result is a remarkable conservation success story and we are thankful that the property will remain untarnished.”

“SAHC is literally changing the map in the Southern Appalachian mountains, and Spear Tops is another piece of the puzzle that’s finally been put into place,” concludes Leutze.

Namaste, Yoga on the Mountain

The first weekend of October, the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC) joined up with Lighten Up Yoga, for a wonderful Sunday afternoon of hiking and chaturangas on beautiful Hemphill Bald, in Maggie Valley, North Carolina.

Folks came out for a gorgeous day that warmed up nicely. The group was led up the mountain by SAHC’s Allison Kiehl. Once up top, everyone practiced poses under the tutelage of Lighten up Yoga’s instructor, Kim Drye, for an opportunity to get out of the studio and practice outside besides an incredible collage of fall colors.

Hemphill Bald was an exceptionally special spot to practice yoga not only because of the unrivaled views and grassy balds but also as a means of celebrating such a remarkable conservation easement in western North Carolina. Hemphill bald is one of the seven other conservation easements at Cataloochee Ranch, in Maggie Valley, NC.

Cataloochee Ranch was founded in 1933 and epitomizes how an ecologically responsible farm/ranch should operate. With six easements totaling over 300  acres of gorgeous land, SAHC is proud to work with Cataloochee Ranch to protect western North Carolina’s mountains. There are a slew of other pieces of land that SAHC has protected that would offer an incredible environment to practice yoga.

“Yoga on the Mountain” has grown immensely popular since its inception last summer and SAHC hopes to continue the tradition this spring. There are an abundance of idyllic locations to choose from which offers participants an incredible experience no matter the spot. These hikes are great opportunities for members and non-members alike to enjoy some of the most beautiful protected areas in North Carolina and Tennessee.

With so many spectacular protected pieces of land to choose from, SAHC will continue to offer “yoga on the mountain” at different locations throughout the year. SAHC’s Land Protection Director and avid yoga fan, Michelle Pugliese says, “‘Yoga on the mountain’ is a great opportunity for folks to visit a property that is typically restricted from public use and then take a yoga class essentially for free (entirely free for members).”

Thanks to all of those who came out to Hemphill Bald and be on the lookout for another “yoga on the mountain” this spring.