Mainspring Conservation Trust

Stewards of the Southern Blue Ridge

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Mainspring Earns National Recognition for Strong Commitment to Public Trust and Conservation Excellence

North Carolinians have demonstrated strong support for saving the open spaces they love, and, for the last 25 years, Mainspring Conservation Trust has been doing just that in the Southern Blue Ridge. Now, Mainspring announces it has renewed its national land trust accreditation – proving once again that, as part of a network of over 450 accredited land trusts across the nation, it is committed to professional excellence and to maintaining the public’s trust in its conservation work.

“The tedious process of reaccreditation ultimately pays dividends, ensuring that Mainspring is consistently following the latest Standards and Practices set forth by our accrediting body, The Land Trust Alliance,” said Executive Director Jordan Smith. “Renewing our accreditation shows Mainspring’s ongoing commitment to permanent land conservation in the Southern Blue Ridge.”

Nationally accredited since 2010, Mainspring is required to provide extensive documentation and is subject to a comprehensive third-party evaluation in order to achieve this distinction. Accredited land trusts now steward almost 20 million acres – the size of Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island combined.

“It is exciting to recognize Mainspring’s continued commitment to national standards by renewing this national mark of distinction,” said Melissa Kalvestrand, executive director of the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. “Donors and partners can trust the more than 450 accredited land trusts across the country are united behind strong standards and have demonstrated sound finances, ethical conduct, responsible governance, and lasting stewardship.”

Mainspring is one of 1,363 land trusts across the United States, according to the Land Trust Alliance’s most recent National Land Trust Census. A complete list of accredited land trusts and more information about the process and benefits can be found at www.landtrustaccreditation.org.

Founded in 1997 under the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee, Mainspring has conserved more than 29,000 acres in the six western-most counties in North Carolina and northern Rabun County, Georgia, including the now Needmore Game Lands, Pinnacle Park, Old Cherokee Watauga Town and significant working farms. Learn more at www.mainspringconserves.org.

Clay County Couple Protects Property and Donates Life Estate

July 19, 2021 – A Clay County couple is conserving their 50-plus acres and donating a life estate to Mainspring Conservation Trust, a regional nonprofit land trust based in Franklin, NC.

Bob and Judy Grove’s Brasstown property consists of a small forested watershed, where three springs merge together to provide the majority flow of Jenkins Branch. The Groves have stewarded the property over the last 15 years utilizing a forest management plan, employing a selective harvest that promoted the growth of healthier trees in the Low Mountain Pine Forest portion of the property. Rock outcroppings and a small wetland on the land harbor unique plant and animal species, allowing the Groves to enroll in a Wildlife Habitat Conservation Agreement with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission. That management plan for the upper portion of the property is considered a Montane Oak-Hickory Forest.

Grass-of-Parnassus is a native perennial wildflower found in the mountains of eastern USA

“We began meeting with the Groves in 2018 to discuss conservation options based on their desires for the property,” says Sara Ruth Posey-Davis, Mainspring Conservation Director. “Bob and Judy are intent on keeping their property suitable for wildlife habitat, so our own biologists were able to collaborate with specialists from the NC Forest Service and NC Wildlife Resource Commission to build a suitable management plan that fit that goal. They have taken exceptional care of this land and we are so humbled they placed their trust in our services.”

“Our children and grandchildren were not interested in inheriting the property,” said Judy. “They knew how much the property meant to us and encouraged the conservation easement and life estate. When Bob and I discussed our goals, we knew we didn’t want it being subdivided, so it was a relief to know there is a local organization like Mainspring, willing to take the responsibility of maintaining the conservation values of it forever.”

Mainspring is a nationally accredited land trust, dedicated to conserving the waters, forests, farms and cultural heritage in the six western-most counties in North Carolina and north Rabun County, Georgia.

557 East Main Street
Franklin, NC 28734
828-524-2711