Lightwood Mountain
People will forever cherish legacies created by those who act with integrity and vision. With the generous donation of 201 acres in the Cane Creek township, Steve and Kathie Weaver have left an indelible mark on the Southern Appalachian landscape for future generations.
“Thanks to Steve and Kathie’s generosity and passion for conservation, this beautiful land will be protected forever,” says SAHC Land Protection Director Michelle Pugliese. “People who have lived in this landscape for generations will continue to enjoy the beauty of the mountain ridges, and wildlife will continue to find refuge in the habitat provided here.”
Ecological Importance
The Mitchell County property is located within the Audubon Society’s Roan Mountain Important Bird Area, very near SAHC’s Hawk Spur Preserve and other protected land in the Yellow Mountain State Natural Area. The tract forms a bowl bounded by three high elevation ridgelines: Lightwood Mountain (4,720 feet) to Rock Creek Mountain (4,680 feet) to Rock Creek Gap (4,100 feet). The undeveloped ridgelines are critical for connected wildlife movement corridors. Preservation of the land also helps protect water quality in the Nolichucky River watershed. Six headwater streams originate on the property and flow into Young Cove Creek, a tributary of Cane Creek before it flows into the North Toe River (and subsequently the Nolichucky River).
The Weavers had learned about Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy’s work in the surrounding area, particularly the preservation of the 7,500-acre South Yellow Mountain Preserve donated to SAHC in 2024. When they decided to donate their land for permanent protection, they felt that SAHC was a good fit.
“We appreciated SAHC’s mission goals to protect scenic vistas, watersheds, wildlife habitat and places for people to enjoy outdoor recreation,” shares Steve. “All four of those principal goals meshed with our goals completely. We were glad to donate the land for conservation; it will be our legacy.”
When Goals Align
Several decades ago, Steve and Kathie Weaver set out to find a place where they would be able to settle to enjoy retirement. About 20 miles north of Mt. Mitchell, they found the perfect tract of land – a large wooded and farm tract which included the top of Lightwood Mountain. However, they eventually decided instead to retire to Wake County, NC, near other members of Kathie’s family. Recently, they faced a decision about what to do with the land.
“We’d owned this tract for 30 years, and we didn’t just want to sell it,” explains Steve. After Steve’s long career in parks and recreation in North Carolina and Nevada, the couple acutely appreciated the importance of land for public enjoyment and ecological services. “It’s just a beautiful piece of property, and we wanted it to serve some public benefit.”
Steve and Kathie read about SAHC’s work in the immediate vicinity, including a newspaper article about the donation of the 7,500-acre South Yellow Mountain Preserve, and they set out to research the organization. They were inspired and reassured by SAHC’s reputation, and decided to donate the land to SAHC.
Memories of the Land
Although they have deep roots in NC, while Steve and Kathie owned the Mitchell County land they lived in Nevada until around 2011. During that time, they returned to NC about once a year and visited the property to hike, enjoy, and manage the land.
“We walked all over the property in our younger days, around the perimeter along the ridgelines,” shares Steve. “There are some beautiful views of Mt. Mitchell from some of the higher elevations. And near the top we found an exploratory mine. It was a small space with hand-dug holes that never produced anything significant, but you can still see mica fragments shining around.”
The Weavers purchased the property from Genevieve (Buchanan) Holder, who had lived there with her husband Clifton Holder in their younger days. The house on the property burned in 1954, and no one has lived on it since. However, open pastures cleared for the farmstead create excellent habitat spaces.
“There were several kinds of heritage apples in the old apple orchard,” recalls Steve. “They were good apples! The bear and deer liked them, too. We would often see claw marks from bears climbing the apple trees. We’ve also spotted large flocks of wild turkey, deer, and a variety of birds. There were close to 50 acres in pasture when we purchased the property; a neighbor grazed cattle on it for a number of years.”
Reflecting on other interesting tidbits about the land, Steve shares, “There’s a historic mail route that goes along one edge of the property. It was the mail route between Bakersville and Glen Ayre, and you can still see remnants of that trail now, where it went zig-zagging up and over the top of Rock Creek Gap.”
Towards the Future
SAHC plans to own and manage the land as a nature preserve for the long-term.
“We’re excited about continuing to manage the land for wildlife habitat, and potentially sharing it with others through guided outings in our Connecting People with Land program,” adds Michelle. “The generosity of the Weavers will go a long way in securing this corner of the mountains for the benefit of people, plants, water, and wildlife. We are deeply grateful to them for donating the property for conservation, and to our generous philanthropic leaders and members whose support made it possible to cover the transaction costs of this project. This is such a beautiful property, and a beautiful success story we’re thrilled to share.”
