Mainspring Conservation Trust

Stewards of the Southern Blue Ridge

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Mainspring Opens Office in Andrews

August 20, 2025

Taking a step toward deepening its impact in the westernmost region of its service area, Mainspring has opened a new office in Andrews, North Carolina. Made possible by a generous grant from Dogwood Health Trust, this move reflects a commitment to serving the communities and landscapes of this unique and ecologically rich part of the state. 

The watersheds in the far west, including the Valley, Snowbird and Cheoah rivers, are as distinctive as the people who live there, each shaped by its own geography, culture and conservation challenges. Conservation in these areas requires an intimate understanding of local nuances, from land use patterns to community priorities. By professionally and personally embedding staff in the region, Mainspring can better support the people who live there and build trust with the communities we serve. 

The Andrews office will be home to two key staff members: Conservation Outreach Coordinator Alina Martin and Land Conservation Associate Graham Garrett. Alina, who joined Mainspring’s staff in February, builds on the ongoing work of Conservation Outreach Director Skye Cahoon. Alina will organize outdoor activities like guided birding hikes and educational workshops that help people connect with nature and one another. Her goal is to spark a love for the outdoors and inspire people to care for the natural and cultural treasures of the far western part of the state. 

Graham, who led the effort to secure the space, has been managing projects specific to the far western part of the service area since the Andrews resident began working with Mainspring in 2022. From this regional outpost, Graham can work more closely with local landowners, navigate the complexities of conservation agreements and respond promptly to emerging opportunities. 

The new Andrews office is the second satellite location Mainspring has established in the far western region of its service area. The first, in Murphy, operated successfully for several years until the pandemic prompted Mainspring to end its lease. 

“We’ve seen how effective conservation can be when it’s deeply connected to the community,” says Interim Executive Director Ben Laseter. “Reopening a regional office, now in Andrews, builds on that success. Having our team members live and work directly in the area is a meaningful investment in the people, the place, and the unique landscapes we are committed to protecting.” 

Laseter adds, “This milestone wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of our supporters and Dogwood Health Trust, whose belief in our mission allows us to continue expanding our reach and impact.” 

The office is located at 379 Memorial Drive in Andrews, North Carolina. 

Filed Under: News, Press Room Tagged With: Cherokee County, operations, press release

Now Open: Executive Director Position

June 13, 2025


Mainspring is currently seeking a strategic, relational leader who is ready to carry forward the mission of a trusted land trust while honoring the unique cultural and ecological landscape of Southern Appalachia. 

Interested? Click here for the full announcement and directions to apply.

Filed Under: employment, News, Press Room

Mainspring and Partners Protect BRP Views

January 27, 2025

JACKSON COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA (Jan. 23 2025) — The Conservation Fund announced today that a critical property in the Great Balsam Mountains of western North Carolina is protected as forest and natural land. The approximately 3,850-acre Balsam Gap property connects to 770,000 acres of previously conserved lands, and continues a 25-year legacy of federal, state and private investment to protect over 12,000 acres of working forest, wildlife habitat, watersheds and recreation land in the region.

The area around Balsam Gap is especially important in the long-term effort by The Conservation Fund and other organizations to protect land bordering the Blue Ridge Parkway, one of the National Park Service’s most visited sites attracting millions of visitors each year. The property shares almost four miles of boundary with the Blue Ridge Parkway and protects spectacular views along a 17-mile stretch of the Parkway, including five scenic overlooks.

“Our efforts to protect this property go back 25 years,” said Michael Leonard, a senior advisor and former TCF Board Chair who has played a central role in several landmark conservation projects in North Carolina. “While our initial efforts were unsuccessful and we feared we might have lost our chance for good, we kept at it because the proximity to the Blue Ridge Parkway made conserving this land vital. North Carolina is a special place, and the things that make it special for visitors and locals alike need to be protected. I’m thrilled that the years of perseverance by our dedicated staff and our partners, including private donors such as Fred and Alice Stanback and Brad and Shelli Stanback, brought about this rare second chance and a big conservation success.”

In addition to preserving the natural beauty of the Blue Ridge Parkway, conserving this property will add to the wealth of recreation opportunities in the area, support local tourism and timber jobs, sustain vital habitat and migration corridors for wildlife, and protect water quality from multiple headwaters. Nature-based recreation and tourism are significant drivers of the local economy, supporting thousands of jobs and generating almost $400 million in annual revenue for Jackson and Haywood counties alone. Taking steps to support and sustain that economic activity is especially important following the devastation Hurricane Helene brought to the region.

The property is now protected by two easements. Mainspring Conservation Trust helped make this conservation success possible by agreeing to hold and steward a 1,147-acre easement that expands an existing no-cut buffer adjacent to the Blue Ridge Parkway. A second 2,703-acre working forest easement, held by the State of North Carolina, will be stewarded by the North Carolina Forest Service. The properties will become a key portion of 55,000 acres of protected land in the Great Balsam Mountains.

“This project represents an incredible opportunity to protect a landscape rich in conservation values,” said Mainspring Executive Director Jordan Smith. “Its proximity to the Parkway and adjacency to already conserved lands made the decision to accept this conservation easement a clear choice for Mainspring’s staff and board. We are deeply grateful to The Conservation Fund for their collaboration and, most importantly, to the landowners for their generous contribution to conservation. Their gift will have a lasting impact on the region and North Carolina for generations to come.”

Members of North Carolina’s U.S. Congressional delegation — including U.S. Senator Thom Tillis and U.S. Representative Chuck Edwards, whose district includes Balsam Gap — expressed support for the project.

“North Carolina is home to some of our country’s most treasured natural resources,” said Senator Tillis. “Today’s announcement is an important milestone to protect those resources, including the Blue Ridge Parkway, for future generations to enjoy. I am proud to see this investment from the Great American Outdoors Act in North Carolina, and I thank The Conservation Fund and the Stanback family for their decades of work to bring this project to fruition.”

“It is important that we preserve our mountains for generations of Americans to enjoy, and I am glad to hear that The Conservation Fund has received a federal award for its project to protect the Great Balsam Mountains from development,” said Representative Edwards. “These funds invested in Western North Carolina will not only protect the natural beauty of the Blue Ridge Parkway, but it will also help spur recreation and tourism which are significant drivers of our local economy especially after the devastation of Hurricane Helene.”

“This conservation easement is a testament to the North Carolina Forest Service’s outstanding conservation partnerships,” said Jonathan Murray, the North Carolina Forest Service’s Forest Legacy Coordinator. “Thank you to the Stanback family, The Conservation Fund, the United States Forest Service Forest Legacy Program, Mainspring Conservation Trust, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, and private donors for your patience and persistence to conserving 2,703 acres of privately owned working forest. The working forest conservation easement will provide timber resources for the local timber economy, protect vital trout streams along Dark Ridge Creek and forever protect the natural beauty and serenity along this section of the Blue Ridge Parkway.”

Funding for this project comes the U.S. Forest Service Forest Legacy Program, Mainspring Conservation Trust, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation and private donors. This project builds upon a 2002 U.S. Forest Legacy Program project.

Filed Under: News, Press Room

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