Current Event Archive

Nora Schubert and her daughter, Mahalia

New Ecologist on Roan
Nora Schubert recalls the first presentation on wildlife that she ever watched. A conservationist brought a red-tailed hawk and bald eagle to her sixth grade class and discussed the biology of the birds with the children. From that point on, that inspired me," said Schubert of Johnson City. "I thought, 'That's what I want to do.'" Now 20 years later, as the Roan Mountain Massif seasonal ecologist for Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, Schubert will have the same opportunity to inspire a new generation of conservationists.

Each summer, SAHC hires a seasonal ecologist to provide public education, lead volunteer restoration crews on Roan, monitor wildlife, gather biological data and maintain trails at Hampton Creek Cove State Natural Area. "Our seasonal is SAHC's daily 'presence on the mountain,' providing the public with information, education, and assistance while sharing the success story of our grassroots effort to protect the Roan Highlands for present and future generations," SAHC Stewardship Director Judy Murray said. "He or she also invites them to become a part of this globally significant conservation initiative."

Since its inception in 1974, SAHC has concentrated its efforts in protecting the rare grassy balds and endangered spruce-fir forests of the Highlands of Roan, where it has helped safeguard 15,000 acres. SAHC has also protected 12,000 acres in the surrounding ranges, such as the Black Mountains, Great Smokies and Balsams.

As a University of Arkansas Master of Science candidate in Biology with a concentration in wildlife ecology, Schubert can impart a great deal of knowledge about ecological systems, Murray said. Schubert has taught and researched in the biology field since 1993.

She has studied in the Ozarks and the varied desert ecosystems of Arizona, but never has she encountered such diversity of species and one-of-a-kind natural communities as on Roan. Schubert imagines that she will become quite attached to Roan during the summer, and does not see herself returning to her native Ozarks anytime soon.

Schubert is an avid birder, and since her move to Tennessee in January, she has joined birding clubs such as the Bristol Chapter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society. This interest in birds will be of great use on Roan, Murray said. "Of particular interest to us is her expertise in bird identification and ecology, which will be utilized in our golden-winged warbler management program in Hampton Creek Cove," Murray said.

"She has a passion to impart to the public the need to recognize, appreciate and conserve natural biological systems," Murray said.

Schubert realizes how living on a farm as a child, playing in the outdoors and hunting with her older brothers shaped her, steering her on the path she is on today. "Caring for animals on the farm gave me a special place in my heart, thinking outside of myself, thinking of animals," Schubert said. "We're not the only species on this earth."

By bringing her six-year-old daughter, Mahalia, into the outdoors as much as possible, she hopes to cultivate this same awareness. "I think exposing her to nature, to the outdoors, it only makes her aware of the importance of wildlife and ecosystems in the future, it helps build that special place in her heart," Schubert said.

Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy Awarded $1.5 Million
The North Carolina Clean Water Management Trust Fund awarded Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy $1.5 million this week for the purchase of more than 500 acres in the Black Mountains of southwest Yancey County.

More than six miles of stream run through the Yancey County property to be protected by SAHC

This was long awaited good news for SAHC and the landowner, SAHC Lands Program Director David Ray said.

"We were ecstatic because we've worked for over two years to try to find a way to protect this property," he said. As the landowner waited patiently, SAHC tried several different routes of funding prior to seeking the grant, Ray said.

The grant will set in motion the workings for SAHC to purchase the property in the spring of 2005 at 80 percent of the appraised value. Leading conservation philanthropists Fred and Alice Stanback of Salisbury, N.C. have also pledged $900,000 for the project.

The property, which peaks at an elevation of 5,500 feet, will remain a nature reserve. SAHC will allow only limited, low-impact activities such as ecological research, trout fishing and group outings for wildlife watching. The landowner, a dedicated conservationist, wanted to make sure hunting and development would forever be prohibited on the land.

The area will become a prime target for development with the widening of Highway 19E from the new I-26 corridor and the planned paving of Highway 197 between Buncombe and Yancey counties. Several resort-style developments already exist nearby and Yancey County’s population is expected to expand by almost 30 percent between 2003 and 2030.

The property, adjacent to Pisgah National Forest, will be part of 125,000 acres of contiguous protected land, and four state-designated significant natural heritage areas are within a mile of it. The Black Mountains region is one of SAHC's priorities and the organization is undergoing a strategic planning and acquisition process to continually expand this protected area.

More than six miles of stream, which feed into the nationally significant aquatic habitat of the Cane River, flow through the property. The creeks boast a healthy population of naturally producing trout.

The land is 99 percent forested, with rich soils, healthy natural communities, rare and endangered plant species, old growth attributes and an absence of invasive exotic species. It is good habitat for bears, salamander, box turtles, garter snakes and ravens. Lush, dense populations of several unique plant species spread across the forest floor creating a diverse herbaceous carpet.

"This property is highly significant and worthy of protection," said Karin Heiman, a biologist who studied the property. It is rare to find an area with few exotic species, which, if present, can take over native diversity, she said. Since the property joins already protected land, it will provide a large area for genetic exchange for all organisms. "The larger, the better in terms of healthy ecosystems," Heiman said.

$50,000 Grant Boosts SAHC's Land Stewardship Capabilities
SAHC will step up its public outreach and land stewardship efforts on the Roan Mountain Massif with the help of a $50,000 grant from the National Forest Foundation.

The grant will further SAHC's capacity to build relationships with landowners of Mitchell and Avery counties in North Carolina and Carter County in Tennessee — the key to meaningfully improving land stewardship for the long term. SAHC and landowners will have the chance to share knowledge on how to manage the land, SAHC Stewardship Director Judy Murray said. “It’s a two-way street,” she said.

This kind of "community-based" land management with local resident's input is exactly what NFF wants to encourage. The NFF, chartered by the U.S. Congress, is a non-profit partner of the U.S. Forest Service that supports community-based programs that promote the health and public enjoyment of the National Forest System. The organization encourages grassroots participation in forest stewardship and wants communities to play a leading role in determining the future of the national forests. It awards grants to organizations involved in community-based forestry, watershed health and restoration, wildlife habitat improvement and recreation.

“It’s not about putting up a fence around Roan Mountain,” Murray said. "It’s about working with the larger community to keep this area the way it’s been to keep it healthy and thriving so they can take their children and take their grandchildren to go hunting and fishing."

"I’ve always seen it not as a park, but as part of a living landscape," she said.

The Highlands of Roan, known for their unique grassy balds, are home to many rare and endangered species. The grasses need to be mowed annually to ensure woody species like rhododendron and blackberry don’t invade and the unique plant communities remain.

"It's one of the most ecologically significant sites in the southern Appalachians," Murray said. "The local people really have a sense of pride in that.”

SAHC plans to use the Hampton Creek Cove State Natural Area and the Big Yellow Mountain Preserve as demonstration sites for best management practices. SAHC works closely with the local farmers who manage the areas. Fence has been erected in the riparian areas to keep cattle from degrading the streambeds and diminishing the water quality.

The sites are ideal for demonstrating ways to install alternative livestock watering systems that mitigate the impact of livestock, repair farm roads to lesson erosion problems, manage forests to protect water and natural heritage resources and remove invasive exotic species. SAHC aims to help find cost-share programs for landowners who want to implement such land practices.

To decide the best way to manage Roan, SAHC works with the Roan Stewardship Committee, which includes residents of Mitchell and Avery counties and representatives from the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, N.C Natural Heritage Program, Tennessee Division of Natural Areas, Appalachian Trail Conference, Eastman Hiking and Canoeing Club, The Nature Conservancy, Roan Mountain State Parks and Overmountain Victory Trail Association.

SAHC Executive Director Carl Silverstein said he looks forward to using the NFF grant to strengthen the land stewardship program on Roan and in the surrounding communities. "Over the last thirty years, we have built strong relationships in the area based on respect and trust," he said. "We believe these relationships enhance the quality of land management on Roan, and we are grateful that NFF is supporting this important work."

Woodfin Watershed Preservation
Partners in the protection of the Woodfin Watershed celebrated on October 15th at the Woodfin Community Center, a land preservation agreement for 1,800 acres at the headwaters of Reems Creek.

Watershed Rocks

The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy is purchasing a conservation easement for 720 acres from Woodfin Sanitary Water and Sewer District with a $4.1 million grant from the N.C. Clean Water Management Trust Fund and a $500,000 donation from Fred and Alice Stanback, leading conservation philanthropists in the southeast.

In addition, the Woodfin Water District agreed to donate an easement for 1,140 acres of the Sugarcamp Fork portion of the watershed to match the CWMTF grant. Together, the purchased and donated easements will safeguard 7.8 miles of waters designated the highest of quality by the state. The water supplies nearly 10,000 people in Woodfin, Asheville and Buncombe County.

The site is one of the largest remaining intact watersheds in western North Carolina. It neighbors more than 70,000 acres of contiguous protected forestlands draining into the French Broad basin. The land borders the 17,000-acre Asheville Watershed, Blue Ridge Parkway lands, the Pisgah National Forest, Mount Mitchell State Park and a 10,000-acre Cane River Club conservation easement. It provides habitat for bear, bobcat, deer, rare plant species and other wildlife.

SAHC Executive Director, Carl Silverstein, said the easement is important not only because it protects so much water, but because it provides necessary funds for the water district.

"The Woodfin Water District has an intense need for capital, and the watershed is its primary asset,' he said. A significant portion of the Woodfin property is not actively supplying water to the district's customers, and could be sold for development by a future board unless protected now by a conservation easement."

Joe Martin, the executive director of the Woodfin Water District, said the board had reviewed some evidence that the slopes of the land could cause sedimentation in the water and increase turbidity. "We're preserving the water supply for customers of the future," he said.

Furthermore, after weighing the potential profits from logging with selling an easement, the easement was actually more profitable. The CWMTF offered $1 million more for the project if the district agreed not to log the area

Martin said the money will be used for infrastructure improvements such as waterline replacements. The watershed district has a need for funding because of its small, low-income customer base. The woodfin Watershed easement is expected to close in April 2005.

For directions to Woodfin Community Center, e-mail SAHC at sahc@appalachian.org or call (828)253-0095.

Member Get a Member Drive
SAHC is in the midst of a membership drive. Any member who recruits a new member gets a free calendar. Let's all work together to let everyone know the importance of SAHC's work and ask their help in continuing the preservation of our highlands.

Hemphill Bald Hike - A Success
The clouds kept the sun from peaking out on Hemphill Bald at Cataloochee Ranch the second Saturday in October, but that didn’t stop the hikers. About forty people and five dogs joined Judy Coker, one of the joint owners of Cataloochee Ranch and member of Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, for a walk up the mountain.

Local Land Trust Protects the Catawba River Headwaters
The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC) recently completed a historic land transaction with Joe and Mary Hemphill of Black Mountain that will permanently protect the pristine headwaters of the Catawba River.

Joe Hemphill of Black Mountain

SAHC received a $444,000 grant from the North Carolina Clean Water Management Trust Fund; a $25,000 grant from the Cannon Foundation; and $50,000 in individual gifts from SAHC members in order to purchase a conservation easement on the Hemphill's 328-acre property in McDowell County, NC, which includes the source flow of the Catawba River and five of its headwater tributaries.

These headwaters are classified as wild trout waters by the State Department of Water Quality. About 1.5 million North Carolinians get their water from the Catawba River.

A conservation easement, according to SAHC's Executive Director, Carl Silverstein, is an agreement in which a landowner continues to own, use and enjoy the land as he or she wishes, but promises not to develop it in ways that would degrade its conservation values. The land remains in private ownership and landowners may quality for potentially significant income and estate tax incentives.

The Hemphills sold the conservation easement to the Conservancy in a "bargain sale" transaction which means they received less than fair market value. The easement appraised at $844,000. The Hemphills received $465,000 and donated the rest as a tax-deductible charitable contribution.

"This property has been in my family since the 1940's. I grew up on the property. I love the property. And I want to see it stay like it is." Joe Hemphill said.

"The Hemphills are setting a great example to the community as responsible and generous stewards of their land," says Silverstein. "We are proud of this partnership with them to safeguard the Catawba headwaters."

SAHC AND U.S. Forest Service Cooperate to Protect Two Key Properties
Two key tracts in western North Carolina will be permanently protected, thanks to a cooperative

Left to right, Dan Belanger, U.S. Forest Service; Carl Silverstein, SAHC Executive Director; Kristy Urquhart, SAHC Associate Director; and Closing Attorney, Richard Maita

effort between the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy and the U.S. Forest Service. On September 2, 2004, SAHC deeded the land to the Forest Service.

One tract-a 62-acre inholding in the Pisgah National Forest along the Pigeon River in Haywood County-was the number one inholding acquisition priority for Forest Service in all of North Carolina last year. After learning about the importance of this tract to the adjoining national forest lands, SAHC purchased that property at auction on the courthouse steps in September 2003.

The second tract is smaller, but equally important. Its 1.66 acres lie squarely in the middle of Deep Gap along the crest of the Black Mountain range in Yancey County. Surrounded for miles by national forest and other protected lands, it is a popular camping spot for hikers trekking north from Mt. Mitchell State Park. This transaction ensures that it will always remain so.

"I don't need to explain how much these two tracts mean to the national forests," said Forest Service lands specialist Dan Belanger at the September 2nd closing. Particularly with respect to the Pigeon River tract, Mr. Belanger credited SAHC for having "stepped right up to the plate" to make it happen when nobody else would. He called the transactions a "tremendous acquisition."

Catawba River Headwaters - 317-Acre Tract Protected
SAHC secured $465,000 in grants from The Clean Water Management Trust Fund (CWMTF), who awarded a $444,000 grant, and from the Cannon Foundation to purchase a conservation easement on a unique 317-acre tract near the town of Black Mountain in McDowell County, NC. This project will permanently protect the pristine source waters of the Catawba River, which serves water needs for about 1.5 million North Carolinians. In order to complete this important transaction, we still need to raise another $80,000 in matching funds.

Tuckaseegee River Headwaters - 300-Acre Tract Protected
SAHC secured a $367,000 grant from The Clean Water Management Trust Fund (CWMTF) to purchase a conservation easement on a 300-acre tract on the Tuckaseegee River headwaters, adjacent to a 630-acre site we protected in 1999 (Jackson County, NC). These sites are just downstream from and buffer sprawl-type development, the much-loved Panthertown Valley, referred to by some as "The Yosemite of the East." We still need to raise another $10,000 to match the State grant and complete the project.

Old Canton Watershed on Rough Creek Protected - 870 Acres
Thanks to a $689,000 grant from The Clean Water Management Trust Fund (CWMTF) and to the efforts of the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, the Rough Creek Watershed near the town of Canton, NC, will be placed into permanent conservation. To learn more about this magnificent place, visit: http://www.cwmtf.net/canton2.htm.