September 15, 2017  – A conservation solution to private property surrounded by U.S. Forest Service in Clay County could lead to a happy ending for everyone.

Mainspring Conservation Trust, a regional land trust serving the six western-most counties in North Carolina, has entered into a contract with four landowners to purchase fifty acres in the Fires Creek watershed, that would eventually become part of the Nantahala National Forest. Mainspring is currently undergoing a campaign to raise the funds needed to purchase the property.

The 50-acre parcel is well known to many throughout western North Carolina. The owners, who acquired the inholding in 2006, drew public criticism from across the region when they petitioned the Forest Service for access to build a road to their land.

Michael Anderson, owner of Lot 3 of the Fires Creek property, says he and the other titleholders never intended the ownership to be so controversial. “Most of us grew up in this area, and, as little kids, we dreamed of owning the only private property in Fires Creek. Our intent was to have a place to grouse hunt and make memories with our families. The parcel was privately owned long before the Forest Service obtained the land around it and could have been sold to anyone. We never wanted that property to be anything but a place for us to get away.”

Anderson said he contacted Mainspring because the nonprofit understands private property rights, in addition to caring for the land. “We are interested in protecting the property, just like everyone else. I’ve been in conversations with (Mainspring Executive Director) Sharon Taylor for years about the potential to sell for conservation and, once all the owners were on board with divesting, Mainspring was open to additional discussions. We are glad the property will stay as pristine as it is now.”

Fires Creek is designated as an Outstanding Resource Water, the highest designation available in North Carolina. Over eighty-five percent of the property under contract is in the Fires Creek watershed, but it extends across the Valley River Mountains into Cherokee County.  The property previously contained more than a one third-mile of Fires Creek Rim Trail, but the popular hiking trail was rerouted by the Forest Service in 2013 to bypass the private land.

Taylor said she is excited Mainspring has an opportunity to conserve this important tract of land with its high conservation and recreation values.  “The landowners overcame a lot of obstacles to obtain the Special Use Permit needed to access their property. I’m extremely pleased that, even with the permit in place, they chose to give Mainspring an opportunity to raise the funds to purchase the property before proceeding with their original plans.  They’ve always been willing to talk to us about a conservation option, and I look forward to continuing the positive relationship we’ve built together over the past decade.”

Mainspring is in a campaign to raise $525,000 to close on the project before the end of the year. Sara Ruth Posey, Mainspring’s Hiwassee Program Manager based in the nonprofit’s Murphy office, is confident that community members, hiking groups and others who expressed interest in the protection of the property over the past ten years will contribute towards the acquisition.  “The community was very outspoken about saving the watershed, so I feel sure they’ll seize this opportunity to support this project that will not only protect the water quality of Fires Creek, but also allow for the Rim Trail to be reestablished so hikers can avoid the rugged rerouted section.”

People interested in protecting the Fires Creek watershed can support the project by clicking here, where they will then have an opportunity to designate their gift for the Fires Creek project.

 

By: Brittney Burns – Staff Writer
August 10, 2017

In April 2015, with support from the Community Foundation of WNC, Mainspring convened a group of community members from Macon County, the Town of Franklin, and the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians with the initial goal of working together to move past some historical conflicts around management of Nikwasi Mound in downtown Franklin.

The group called itself Mountain Partners, and several of these gatherings began to explore the possibility of how the creation of a heritage corridor linking numerous culturally-significant sites could present opportunities for natural and cultural resource conservation, economic development, and regional partnership.  During the initial phase of research and planning, Mainspring and Mountain Partners received support from the Cherokee Preservation Foundation, Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, Community Foundation of WNC, and other non-governmental sources.

“While Mainspring led the process of getting interested parties to come to the table, we always knew that, if successful, the effort could grow into its own entity with representation from regional leaders, which is exactly what happened,” said Mainspring Conservation Trust Associate Director Ben Laseter. “As its first major project, the Nikwasi Initiative (now a 501c3) chose to help revitalize what was the ancient Cherokee town of Nikwasi along the banks of the Little Tennessee. Mainspring is excited for their interest, as we have also contributed to the revitalization of the river district, having purchased and successfully cleaned-up one brownfield site adjacent to its office in East Franklin, the Little Tennessee River and the Greenway. We are now working to acquire and clean up a second parcel in the area.

“At the request of members of the Nikwasi Initiative, Mainspring negotiated a contract to purchase the former Dan’s Auto property several months ago.  We did this with the understanding that this contract could give them time to find one or more investors who could make possible the purchase and re-development of the property in a manner consistent with a vision of cultural interpretation, heritage tourism, and economic development.”

Last Tuesday, the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indian (EBCI) Tribal Council voted unanimously to approve a resolution to purchase the property to be used “to preserve the significant historical and cultural value of said lands, promote awareness and education of Cherokee history and culture, and be explored for potential economic development and/or cultural preservation activities.”

On Wednesday, the EBCI signed to purchase he property. “We signed the adjacent Nikwasi property purchase into effect today that will allow us to effectively protect and enhance our historical landmark known as the Nikwasi Mound,” said Principal Chief Richard Sneed Wednesday on Facebook. “This is the first step in partnering with the Mainspring Conservation Trust to create a heritage corridor that provides recreation and teaches Cherokee history to the public. Of the 25 known Cherokee mounds in the area, we only own 5, and must strive moving forward to continue to regain control of our ancient, historic sites. Thank you to everyone involved in this project.”

“Mainspring is very pleased that EBCI leadership has chosen to invest in this property adjacent to Nikwasi Mound in Franklin,” said Laseter. “I think there’s potential for a meaningful regional partnership between the Town of Franklin, EBCI, Macon County, and Mainspring. The Nikwasi Initiative project, in particular, has been over two years in the making, and I think this decision by EBCI is largely a result of the collaboration and relationships that have developed around the Nikwasi Initiative table.”

The success of Nikwasi Initiative furthers Mainspring’s work to conserve important places, restore them in a way that’s beneficial, and connect people to the surrounding culture and history.

Currently 25 archaeologically-known mounds have been identified in western North Carolina.  These mounds were seemingly built over the past 3,000 years. Out of the 25 mounds in WNC, the tribe owns five, including the Cowee Mound, also in Macon County. Purchasing the property adjacent to the Nikwasi Mound will put the EBCI in a position to be more involved in the preservation of the historic mound. In the past, the EBCI has attempted to purchase the mound from Franklin, but the town has been reluctant to surrender the property.

In the spring of 2012, maintenance workers with the Town of Franklin sprayed herbicide on the Mound which essentially killed the grass.  This angered many within the Tribe.

“I would rather own the mound and let us take care of it,” then-Principal Chief Michell Hicks told the Cherokee One Feather in May 2012.  “That would be my preference because I know that we’ll do the right thing.  The right thing to do, just like Kituwah, just like Cowee, is to bring it back into the hands of its original owners.”

Nikwasi Mound was put on the National Register of Historic Places on Nov. 26, 1980, and is listed in the Register as Nequasee. The Mound is a Mississipian period mound that is likely 800 to 900 years old.  According to historians, it was built by ancestors of modern Cherokee people.

The EBCI purchased the Dan’s Auto property for $400,000 and allocated an additional $100,000 to study the property and possible uses to further the interest of the tribe and the adjacent mound. The .59 acres of property was appraised at $458,000.