Snowbird Effort Yields Wealth of Benefits for Recreation, Wildlife, and Clean Water

CHEROKEE, GRAHAM, AND SWAIN COUNTIES, N.C. (June 1, 2026) – Open Space Institute (OSI) and Mainspring Conservation Trust (Mainspring) have announced the conservation of more than 4,400 acres across the Snowbird, Unicoi and Cheoah mountain ranges. The multi-year project comprises a patchwork of 17 parcels connecting more than 1.65 million acres of ecologically rich public lands in a region of national conservation significance.  

Long regarded by the State of North Carolina and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) as a top conservation priority, this assemblage forms crucial connections among protected landscapes that stretch across three states. With shared boundaries, connected trails and viewshed impacts, this conservation project enhances protections for the Snowbird Wilderness Study Area, the Cherohala Skyway, and the Appalachian Trail.

Mainspring Executive Director Jeremy Hyatt said the effort has been years in the making. “These properties were among the most significant remaining private lands in the Southern Blue Ridge,” he said. “After nearly a decade of effort, securing them together is a big win for clean water, wildlife, and mountain heritage. We’re grateful to our partners at OSI and the many funders who helped make it possible.”

“The rugged and beautiful Snowbird project perfectly demonstrates ‘how’ and ‘why’ OSI is showing up in the southern Appalachian region,” said Dr. Maria Whitehead, OSI’s Senior Vice President of Land. “The project protects critical natural resources while providing exceptional new recreational opportunities and could only have been accomplished with savvy partners and dedicated funders. We are extraordinarily grateful to Mainspring, the Wildlife Resource Commission, USFS and our funding partners because this landscape deserves nothing less than our best efforts!”

The Snowbird properties had been increasingly threatened by encroaching development. OSI and Mainspring completed the $23.3 million acquisition in early 2026, and will transfer the properties to the State of North Carolina and the USFS between 2026 and 2029. The properties will not be open to the public until transferred and prepared for public use, but once under state and federal ownership and management, traditional recreational uses like hunting and fishing will be preserved.

The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC), which manages more than two million acres across the state, commended Mainspring and OSI on the project. “The protection of the Snowbird properties is a remarkable achievement that strengthens the entire region of conserved lands,” said Tom Berry, Chairman of the Land Acquisition and Property Committee for NCWRC. “We commend the Open Space Institute and Mainspring Conservation Trust for their leadership and for laying the groundwork for expanded wildlife-associated recreation opportunities. Through the stewardship of the Commission, these lands will be opened to everyday people to enjoy hunting, fishing, birdwatching, and a wide range of outdoor activities, ensuring they remain a vital part of North Carolina’s outdoor heritage for generations to come.”

The Snowbird properties feature prominent ridgetops, healthy forests, open meadows and more than 17 miles of headwater streams that provide habitat for a diversity of flora and fauna. This landscape supports state- and federally endangered bat species, several threatened plant types, and species of conservation concern, including the Golden-winged Warbler. Abundant trout streams and high-quality waters protect aquatic habitat and provide clean drinking water for downstream communities, as several tracts lie within municipal water-supply watersheds. 

As part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the landscape contains some of the most biologically diverse forested regions in North America, home to thousands of native wildlife species and more than 100 tree species, including stunning eastern hemlock specimens. This region supports a vast corridor of intact wildlife habitat—the large, unfragmented blocks of land that are essential for species to migrate, thrive, and adapt to the impacts of extreme weather and changing weather patterns. According to OSI’s analysis, the area holds the highest rank possible for greenhouse gas emission absorption and storage: the landscape’s varied forest types and high-quality soils are a carbon stronghold, in addition to protecting wildlife food and water sources. Under the state’s management and stewardship, the properties will continue to perform these vital functions, providing cleaner air and supporting healthy ecosystems.

Support for the Snowbird conservation project came from the USFS Forest Legacy Program, Fred and Alice Stanback, Brad and Shelli Stanback, Knobloch Family Foundation, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Acres for America Program, Mike Leonard, The Nature Conservancy, Ron Thurman, Appalachia Rising, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Conservation Trust for North Carolina, OSI’s Appalachian Landscapes Program, NC Land and Water Fund, and the Foundation for the Carolinas.