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.

Key Tract Off Parkway Protected in the Craggy Mountains – 37 acres adjacent to Asheville Watershed, Pisgah National Forest, and the Blue Ridge Parkway

Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC) recently worked with

Chauncey's coneflower on the property

Joe Carson, a generous landowner in Buncombe County, who donated a conservation easement on his 37- acre property in Swannanoa. Conservation of this land is crucial because of its location. It is less than a mile from the Blue Ridge Parkway and is adjacent to the protected Asheville Watershed and Pisgah National Forest. It is also close to SAHC held conservation easements that total over 2,500 acres. This easement contributes to the network of protected lands within the Craggy Mountains and protects the scenic integrity of views from the Blue Ridge Parkway and other public roads.

Carson said he bought the tract in 1996 with plans for a cottage, but decided instead to work with SAHC to put it under easement in order to protect it from future development and to preserve its ecological integrity. “I wanted to leave a legacy of untouched nature and open space for future generations to enjoy,” he says. “By working with SAHC to put a conservation easement on my property, I was able to do that.”

The property is within the Swannanoa River watershed and is located on the southern slopes of the Craggy Mountains. It features significant wildlife habitat, forested lands, and intact riparian corridors. Its protection preserves these important conservation values for the future.

The property is entirely forested and ninety-percent is Oak-Hickory forests between eighty and one hundred years old. Some individual trees, mostly chestnut oak and white oak, are over one hundred and fifty years old, said Josh Kelley, biologist for WNC Alliance and member of SAHC’s Land Protection Committee. The conservation of this property also protects water quality in our region. It contains a network of stream corridors that are tributaries of Long Branch Creek, which eventually flows into the Swannanoa River.

The conservation easement is within the Black and Great Craggy Mountains Important Bird Area, indicating that this tract provides essential habitat for a diverse variety of birds. Ninety-one species of nesting birds have been observed on the property, including the Black-throated warbler, Chestnut-sided warbler, and Red-breasted Nuthatch.

The southern portion of the property features large mafic rock outcrops, one that is almost an acre in size, that have been shown to support globally rare plant community types. Unique plants that were found on the property include Appalachian beard-tongue, little bluestem, shooting star, and Chauncey’s coneflower, among many others. Shooting star and Chauncy’s Coneflower are both on the state rare list.

Carl Silverstein, SAHC’s Executive Director, says this conservation success is a step closer to landscape-scale protection of the Craggy Mountains. “This easement not only protects outstanding water resources, plant and animal habitat, and scenic views from the Parkway, it also builds on existing conservation work in the area to promote connectivity between protected lands.” he says.