After a thoughtful and well considered process, the board of directors and staff of Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy (CMLC) in Henderson, Transylvania and parts of neighboring counties in North Carolina, and the Pacolet Area Conservancy (PAC) in Polk County, North Carolina, and the Landrum area of South Carolina, are excited to announce a consolidation of the two organizations.

As sister organizations, each with deep roots and strong histories of conserving and preserving lands in the areas served, they are uniting to create a new organization that will increase conservation efforts in the area. They believe a united organization will help build a larger community of advocates for the common missions of protecting and conserving natural resources in this burgeoning region for generations to come.

With a broader geographic reach encompassing lands from upstate South Carolina to the foothills and mountains of western North Carolina, the combined expertise, talents and resources will strengthen their ability to raise awareness of the crucial importance of protecting shared land and water resources, and foster appreciation of the unique natural heritage. As a result of banding together, the two groups will be able to protect more land.

The new organization will have offices in Columbus and Hendersonville, North Carolina, with current staff remaining in place under the direction of a new consolidated board of directors and Executive Director Kieran Roe.

Upon completion of the branding process for the newly created organization later this summer, the name and logo of the region’s new champion for saving the places we all love will be announced.

Just in time for spring trout season, anglers get an extra section of pristine river to savor. And the gift extends to all nature lovers who now get to roam free on a new – and critical – slice of Pisgah National Forest southwest of Asheville, NC.

Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy, Trout Unlimited, the U.S. Forest Service and South Asheville landowner Tom Oreck recently closed on a decade-long effort to protect the 84-acre Big Creek Lodge Tract in the Mills River Recreation Area of Henderson County.

Recreation and conservation groups have been concerned about the inholding for decades, which had been slated for an 86-home subdivision.

The land provides access to the North Fork of the Mills River, which contributes to drinking water for some 140,000 residents of Henderson and Buncombe counties. It is considered pristine delayed harvest trout waters, and is home to rare and threatened aquatic species, including the federally endangered Appalachian elktoe and the eastern hellbender salamander.

The $1.56 million tract prized for having a wilderness-like setting close to the cities of Asheville and Hendersonville is an addition to the Pisgah National Forest.

“It is very significant in part due to its location, completely surrounded by Pisgah National Forest and very nearby the Mills River Campground and Recreation Area,” said Kieran Roe, executive director of the Hendersonville-based Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy.

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The scenic ridgeline and south facing slopes of Little White Oak Mountain, slated as the site for a 687-unit residential development north of the Town of Columbus, NC known as the Foster Creek Preserve in the mid-2000s, will now be permanently protected thanks to the cooperative action of local organizations. Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy (CMLC), working closely with the Pacolet Area Conservancy (PAC), purchased the 1,068-acre property in December 2016 to conserve its dramatic views, rare species, wildlife habitats, and opportunities for outdoor recreation.

A major gift from private donors and a $1.86 million loan from the Conservation Trust for North Carolina enabled Hendersonville-based CMLC to close on the purchase with the sellers, American Land Fund of Philadelphia. The conservation organizations are now pursuing a strategy to fundraise and convey sections of the property to collaborating agencies in order to be made whole on the purchase.

Over coming years CMLC and PAC hope to transfer portions of the property to the capable management of state and local partner organizations including the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, the Polk County Recreation Department, and the Housing Assistance Corporation, a nonprofit Hendersonville-based developer of affordable housing.

The Tryon-based Pacolet Area Conservancy has targeted the tract as a conservation priority for over a decade and at one point worked with the previous owner on a plan to protect the high-elevation part of the property with a conservation easement. Although the easement never came to fruition, PAC maintained periodic contact with the owners and, working with CMLC, approached the American Land Fund (ALF) once again in 2015. The dialogue initiated then led ultimately to the offer by ALF to sell for a price below market value if the transaction could be completed by the end of 2016.

Plans call for the majority of the tract – up to 600 acres — to be added to the adjoining Green River Game Lands. The 14,000-acre game land located in and around the Green River Gorge in southeast Henderson and western Polk counties is managed by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and is primarily used by anglers, hunters and hikers. Though the game land has expanded many times since its creation in 1950, this addition will be the first since 2008 and will provide a point of public access from Houston Road.

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Every year around this time, anticipation of spring begins with the laying out of garden beds, checking the planting calendar, eyeing the Farmer’s Almanac… and the appearance of seed catalogs to browse and daydream of warmer times.

With that excitement comes; CMLC’s 2017 SEED SWAP – a free sharing of seeds that staff, members, and volunteers have collected over the season. Yup, free – no cost to you, no dollars, and no cents. CMLC has set up a sharing station in the reception area in the main office at: 847 Case St, Hendersonville, NC. There’s a bowl with seed packets you are welcome to give or to take, it’s that easy.

Take some seeds, grow the plants, make notes on the performance if you like, collect the seeds, bring them back to the sharing station, get more seeds, repeat. There are also a few “make your own” seed packets.

If you’re not from Western NC, consider setting up a community seed swap in your neck of the woods.

Dear CMLC Family,

The Party Rock Fire has impacted our community, requiring some of you to evacuate your homes and endangering people, property and natural resources in the Hickory Nut Gorge. You are on our minds and in our hearts.

Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy has held off up until now in sending out our own communications, while public officials have kept us all updated with the most accurate and critical information about the course of the fire. Although the fire seems to be coming under control, please be aware of current air quality warnings and ongoing fire restrictions. Your health and safety are most important to us. We have had some contact with professionals on the scene and graciously thank all of our firefighters, rescue workers and relief volunteers working in our region to help control the fire.

Two CMLC properties, Weed Patch Mountain and the Hickory Nut Gorge Teaching and Research Reserve, have been in the fire’s path. Once we can safely enter these properties, we will begin to assess the fire’s effect. Our hope is to find a mosaic of newly created habitats, open areas, edges and reinvigorated forest stands.

We do expect increased regeneration of the many species of fire adapted plants found in the natural communities of the Hickory Nut Gorge: low elevation granite domes and rocky summits, and montane oak-hickory forests and montane acidic cliffs. The many non-native invasive plant species that are established in the Gorge will respond in a variety of ways. Fortunately, in some cases their control will be made easier by fire.

Our Weed Patch Mountain tract is the primary location of CMLC’s newest public recreation project: a seven-mile hiking and mountain biking trail that will connect the Town of Lake Lure’s Buffalo Creek Park to Eagle Rock within Chimney Rock State Park. With five miles already completed, trail construction has been suspended and will resume when the work site is determined to be safe.

Though these challenges will take time to work through, we are cautiously optimistic that the Party Rock Fire will ultimately be seen as having been ecologically beneficial. Fires can play a crucial role in controlling invasive plants, which compete with native species for nutrients and space. Burning removes undergrowth, which allows sunlight to reach the forest floor, encouraging the growth of native species. The ashes that remain after a fire add nutrients often locked in older plants to the soil for a variety of new life. Fires can also provide a way for controlling insect pests by killing off the older or diseased trees and leaving the younger, healthier trees to thrive.

We have high hopes for stronger and more resilient natural communities after the Party Rock Fire. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with questions and concerns. We will continue to monitor the situation and will let you know the condition of our lands as we continue to learn more.

Sincerely,

Kieran Roe
CMLC Executive Director

Land acquisition for the forest began in 2009, when landowner and former congressman Charles Taylor approached Carolina Mountain Land Cconservancy. What resulted was a multi-party partnership dedicated to protecting nearly 8,000 acres of land in Transylvania County. In addition to forestry and recreation, a portion of the area will be used as a wildlife refuge.

This conservation effort is part of a landscape-scale approach to protect large, undivided forests in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. The 8,000 acre East Fork Headwaters tract will complete the missing link in a contiguous chain of nearly one million acres of protected, public lands.

The North Carolina Forest Service will own and manage the land as the newly established Headwaters State Forest. Rare mountain bogs found within the conservation project may be included within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s new Mountain Bogs National Wildlife Refuge.

Preview what Headwaters State Forest has to offer. A section of the Foothills Trail, which runs along the North/South Carolina border, cuts through the future state forest. Hike a 5.2-mile out and back to a scenic view point in the Pardee & CMLC White Squirrel Hiking Challenge 4.

Join Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy for a celestial show atop CMLC-conserved Bearwallow Mountain on Sunday, July 17, 2016. Hike to the summit about 90 minutes before sunset in time to watch the full moon rise, then hike back down the gravel road about 60 minutes after sunset.

At 4,232 ft. above sea level, Bearwallow Mountain stands as the highest peak in the widely-visible Bearwallow Highlands range. Straddling the Eastern Continental Divide, it makes up part of the Blue Ridge Escarpment as well as the western rim of the Hickory Nut Gorge. Crowned with a grassy meadow at its summit, the mountain features a nearly 360 degree view that encompasses some of the southern Appalachians highest peaks including Mt. Mitchell in the Black Mountains and Mt. Pisgah in the Great Balsams range. Its breathtaking vista also includes a birds-eye view of Hickory Nut Gorge, as well as downtown Hendersonville. A historic fire lookout tower occupies the summit, as do grazing cattle who call the mountaintop home.

CMLC acquired a conservation easement on 81 acres at the summit of Bearwallow in 2009, forever protecting it from mountaintop development. An additional 85 acres were placed into a conservation easement on Bearwallow Mountain’s ridgeline in 2012. At the moment, CMLC has conserved a total of 165 acres and is working toward conserving more than 300 acres at Bearwallow Mountain by the end of 2016.

Total hiking distance is 2.0 miles. This hike is rated strenuous with a total elevation gain of 537 feet. Attendance is free and open to the public. Begin the hike Sunday evening before the sun sets, and then travel back down the mountain bathed in moonlight. Please note: because of the nature of this hike, plan to pack a flashlight and additional clothes, blanket/sleeping bag to stay warm while on the summit. It will probably be windy.

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Sarah Philipp is an Athletic Trainer with Pardee Sports Medicine and will be talking with participants about the importance of using hiking poles when trail walking. Pardee Signature Care Center coordinator Chelsea Darley will be providing information on the Heels in Motion community walking program she introduced in January of 2016. Both are natives of western North Carolina and are eager to share their love of the outdoors with others.

Trombatore Trail is a strenuous 5.0 mile out-and-back journey, during which hikers will descend into and out of a rich cove forest on the way to the panoramic summit of Blue Ridge Pastures. This hike has steep uphill climbs and downhill runs in both directions, and features a total elevation gain of 1,200 feet.

Participants are required to be in reasonable physical condition and capable of completing a five mile hike over uneven, forested terrain. Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate pets on this hike. Hikers should wear sturdy walking shoes (no flip-flops), bring several layers of clothing in preparation for changing warm and cold temperatures, pack plenty of water as well as a snack/lunch to eat during the hike. Hikers who attend are required to participate in the entire duration of the hike. Hikers must be age 12 and up.

Space is limited, so please reserve your spot today by using CMLC’s Online Hike Sign-Up Form…

AmeriCorps Project Conserve 2016-2017 position descriptions are up. This Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy program places members in service with one of 18 host site organizations working to protect the unique natural resources of the southern Blue Ridge Mountain region.

Each member will serve 1,700 hours during an 11 month term, from September 1st through July 31st. During their terms of service, members will promote conservation through education, volunteerism and direct service.

In addition to serving on individual projects outlined by partnering sites, members participate in 1 to 3 required trainings and service days with the full Project Conserve team. Trainings may cover a broad range of topics including conflict resolution, forest management, trail construction, invasive plant identification, and disaster preparedness.

Members earn a living stipend of $12,530 over the 11-month term of service. Upon successful completion of the program, each member will also receive an education award of $5,775. This award can be used to pay off existing school loans or apply for future education. Other benefits include health insurance and childcare assistance.

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Hemlock Woolly Adelgid is a destructive pest that gravely threatens the eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) and the Carolina hemlock (Tsuga caroliniana). Accidentally introduced to North America from Japan, HWA was first found in the eastern United States near Richmond, Virginia in the early 1950s. The pest has now been established in eleven eastern states from Georgia to Massachusetts, causing widespread mortality of hemlock trees. As of 2015, 90% of the geographic range of eastern hemlock in North America has been impacted by HWA.

CMLC has taken a lead in initiating biological control efforts to protect both Eastern and Carolina hemlocks on conservation easement properties over a multi-county North Carolina area. Over the past 5 years, CMLC has released over 15,000 predator beetles on 40 different conservation properties.

Hemlock restoration is the process of restoring hemlocks and hemlock habitats to health and long-term recovery. The mechanism for this process is biological control of the invasive insect using a USDA-approved predator beetle (Sasajiscymnus tsugae, aka Sasi) that is the native HWA predator for this insect in its Japanese homeland.

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