Resources for Landowners

Land Protection in the Southern Appalachian Mountains

Thanks to SAHC’s supporters, we have successfully preserved almost 50,000 acres in Western North Carolina and East Tennessee! The lands we have protected enhance everyone’s quality of life by preserving local farms, water quality, wildlife habitat, scenic views, historically and culturally significant land, opportunities for recreation, and large intact open spaces. Our success stems from the careful consideration we give to the best uses for the land and the landowners’ needs. From the endangered Roan Mountain bluet to the Golden-winged warbler; the Appalachian Trail to the South Toe River; the rich soils of the Hickory Nut Gap Farm to the high elevation peaks of Rocky Fork; we are working hard to save these special places for generations to come.

We work with landowners to find the best way to permanently preserve the important conservation values on their land. For those who want to retain their ownership of the land and permanently restrict future development while retaining certain rights for themselves, a conservation easement is often the most appropriate option. Others may wish to entrust SAHC to own the land as a preserve. Donating land and conservation easements is the simplest and fastest way to achieve our goals. However, in extremely rare cases we have applied for grants to support the purchase of exemplary tracts of land that qualify for specific grant programs. Please read more about our conservation methods, and the tax benefits available for donations of land or conservation easements.

Additional Resources

Land Conservation Options
Introduction to Conservation Easements
Landowner Questionnaire