News – Page 16

Smoky Mountain News: Rally ‘Round the River: Conference aims to unite Macon around watershed conservation

June 14, 2018

By Holly Kays
June 13, 2018

Twenty-five years ago, a group of residents, conservationists and agency officials met in Macon County to talk about water. At the time, the Little Tennessee River had no conserved land along its banks, and there was no nonprofit organization around dedicated to protecting it — but the gathering sparked a change.

“That conference was really the catalyst for the formation of the Little Tennessee Watershed Association and then later the Nikwasi Land Trust, (both of) which became the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee,” said Jason Love, site manager for the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory in Macon County.

Recapturing the spirit

A reboot of the 1993 conference planned for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 16, will aim to unite the community once again around the cause of clean water. Rain, Rivers, Fish and Faucets will feature a variety of speakers and panels on topics ranging from aquatic diversity to runoff prevention to water-based recreation.

The Land Trust for the Little Tennessee, renamed Mainspring Conservation Trust in 2016, has since become a driving force in efforts to conserve land in Western North Carolina, especially in Macon County. Since its founding in 1997, the organization has conserved more than 25,000 acres and connected thousands of youth to nature in North Carolina’s six westernmost counties and northern Rabun County, Georgia.

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Mainspring Receives $100,000 grant from Duke Energy for Restoration Project

June 6, 2018

*The grant will help restore the streambank along Cartoogechaye Creek in the Franklin city limits.*

May 31, 2018 – Mainspring Conservation Trust received a $100,000 grant to continue its commitment to protecting and enhancing regional waterways and the environment. The grant is part of the Water Resources Fund, a $10 million commitment from Duke Energy.

Mainspring is one of 16 organizations across North and South Carolina to collectively receive more than $1.2 million in the seventh grant announcement. The Water Resources Fund is a multi-year commitment that will leave a legacy of improved water quality, quantity and conservation in the Carolinas and neighboring regions.

“This grant will help Mainspring restore an area that can be used for years to come by the citizens of Macon County,” said Sharon Taylor, Executive Director. “We thank Duke Energy for its support and are eager to launch this project so that we can continue restoring an important local waterway.”

The grant will help streambank stabilization and repair a riparian wetland on Cartoogechaye Creek near the Little Tennessee River Greenway in Franklin. Mainspring purchased the 16-acre property to work with the county to expand the popular recreation trail.

Mainspring’s Executive Director Sharon Taylor and Land Conservation Manager Jordan Smith accept the grant award from Rick Jiran, Vice-President, SC Community Relations and Cari Boyce, Senior Vice-President, Stakeholder Strategy and Sustainability and President of the Duke Energy Foundation

“Duke Energy is dedicated to protecting and restoring the rivers and waterways that power our regional economies,” said David Fountain, president of Duke Energy in North Carolina. “We look forward to our partnership with Mainspring and the impact this project will have in the region.”

Investment decisions are carefully reviewed by the Water Resources Fund committee, an independent body that includes five environmental experts and two Duke Energy employees. Selected projects are chosen on several criteria, including whether the project is science-based and research-supported.

Duke Energy anticipates two grant announcements per year over the course of the Water Resources Fund. Visit nccommunityfoundation.org for more information on how to apply and register for the session.

Public News Service: NC Land Conservancies Protect Heirloom Plants

May 1, 2018

By: Stephanie Carson, Public News Service – NC
May 1, 2018

CHEROKEE, N.C. – This week’s warm and sunny weather forecast in most parts of the state likely has many digging out their garden gloves and playing in the dirt. But before you head to a big-box store to purchase your seeds and plants, the state’s land conservancies and family farms hope you’ll consider heirloom varieties.

Nancy Long and her husband, Harold, of Long Family Farms and Gallery, exclusively plant vegetables on their farm in Cherokee County that was passed down from the Eastern Band of Cherokee.

“There’s the ability to share with others by sharing the seeds and the stories and the memories,” she says. “Like, it might be, ‘Oh, these were grandpa’s butter beans or grandma’s favorite tomato.’ All these seeds have so many different stories and the memories that go along with it.”

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