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.

It’s our treat to be with you on this journey!

Members, landowners, and staff on SAHC-protected properties

In the past few weeks, we have enjoyed splendid views of the magnificent autumn colors from our outing hikes and volunteer work days in the highlands of North Carolina and Tennessee. We are sincerely grateful for the support and commitment of our volunteers, donors, and members. YOU have helped us achieve the amazing conservation projects which give all of us these stunning views, as well as clean water to drink and local food produced on permanently protected, local farms.

As you enjoy your autumn views & adventures, please help us meet our Annual Giving goal of $125,000 so we can continue to save the places you love in this region.

This yearly fundraising campaign is crucial in giving us the capacity to continue the phenomenal land protection work you expect from SAHC. PLUS, if we meet our goal by the end of the year, we will receive an additional $35,000 in matching grant money from the Merck Family Fund!

Please visit our secure online donation page https://co.clickandpledge.com/default.aspx?wid=46727 today to make your contribution.

Thank you for all you do to help us preserve the Southern Highlands!

Conservancies Join Together to Reach Conservation Goals on Little Yellow Mountain

Asheville, NC – The Nature Conservancy and the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy ushered in the 35^th anniversary of their conservation partnership with the joint purchase of the 104-acre Indian Saddle tract on Little Yellow Mountain in Avery County. The property was the result of a foreclosure proceeding after a projected development project failed and has been a long-time priority for both organizations.

TNC's David Ray with Little Yellow Mountain in the background. Photo by Jay Leutze.

“This tract bridges a gap between the mountain peak, which the Nature Conservancy bought last year, and Mollie’s Branch, which the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy protected earlier,” explains David Ray, NC Mountains Program Director for the Nature Conservancy. “Successful conservation is a matter of cooperation, not competition.” Together, the two conservancies have now protected 1,115 acres on Little Yellow Mountain that would otherwise have been developed.

Little Yellow Mountain is part of the Roan Mountain Massif, one of the most biologically diverse areas in the Southern Appalachians. The area is a haven for rare and endangered species; a staggering seventy-six rare plants and animals have been discovered there. The reason for this is the variety of habitats the Roan Mountain Massif provides, including grassy balds, rich coves, spruce-fir forests, and high elevation rocky summits.

“Protecting this property builds on the work that the two conservancies have done since 1975,” says Jay Leutze, SAHC Board Member. That year, the two groups began joint management of Big Yellow Mountain Preserve, located across from Little Yellow Mountain. “Together, the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy and the Nature Conservancy have made a real difference.”

The sale was made possible through a generous grant from the North Carolina Natural Heritage Trust Fund and private donations to both organizations. Eventually, these Little Yellow Mountain properties will be transferred to the North Carolina Natural Heritage Trust Fund to become part of the newly created Yellow Mountain State Natural Area.

SAHC Purchases Another Key Tract in the Highlands of Roan

Avery County, NC- On Friday, November 12^th The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC) closed on the purchase of the 136-acre Views at Cranberry tract on Hump mountain in the Highlands of Roan. The property has been a longtime priority of SAHC because it presents an opportunity to preserve headwater streams of the Elk River watershed, which protects the public’s water sources, and to preserve the integrity of the Roan Mountain Massif as a landscape-scale ecological unit. The priority tract was actually marketed for sale as a development called “The Views at Cranberry” for over three years, which illustrates how close to development this environmentally significant property was.

The tract is part of a nearly 40-year conservation effort among multiple federal, state, and private agencies to protect the Highlands of Roan, a 24,000-acre conservation area that is among the top ecological jewels of the Southern Appalachian mountains. It lies within the boundaries of a NC Natural Heritage program-designated nationally significant natural heritage area, described in NC NHP’s 2006 Avery Country Natural Areas Inventory as “encompassing one of the most outstanding clusters of rare species and natural communities in the Southern Appalachians” and is an Audubon Important Bird Area.

The tract shares an extensive boundary with SAHC’s May Jewell tract, acquired in 2006, and the Forest Service on the east face of Big Hump mountain. Further, the property lies within one half mile of the protected Cranberry Iron Mine tract on which the NC Wildlife Resources Commission holds a 200+ acre conservation easement in order to protect the endangered Virginia Big Eared Bat. The Views at Cranberry property will also protect habitat for this endangered species. The protection of this tract will help buffer the Appalachian Trail corridor to preserve the experience of solitude that hikers experience on the trail.

Tucker Holler branch, a headwater tributary of Cranberry Creek, and the Elk River flow through the property. The property contains 13.7 acres of riparian buffers that serve to moderate water temperature, filter run-off, take up nutrients, prevent erosion and loss of land, and provide food and habitat for both aquatic and terrestrial wildlife. This project represents a unique opportunity to protect both riparian and upland areas of considerable elevation; the highest point is 4,800 feet.

The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy is so excited about this accomplishment and is appreciative of everyone who made this conservation project possible. To see 136 acres go from being marketed as a development to being permanently protected in the span of just  a few years is a priceless success.