conservation – Page 7

BPR News: How The Little Tennessee River Was Saved 25 Years Ago

July 3, 2018

By: Lilly Knoepp

July 2, 2018

Twenty-five years ago, representatives from the Tennessee Valley Authority, the League of Women Voters, the National Rifle Association and many more came together at the First Presbyterian Church in Franklin NC.

What brought this diverse group together?

The conservation of the Little Tennessee River watershed. The watershed includes all streams and creeks that flow into the river starting in Rabun County, Georgia and flowing up through Macon and Swain Counties in North Carolina. The 27 miles of free flowing river between Lake Emory in Franklin and Lake Fontana near Bryson City supports one of the most diverse ecosystems of plants and animals in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

View or listen to the rest of the story here.

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.”

Read rest of the article here

Hayesville Family Conserves Farm

January 30, 2018

*Brothers Jim and John Tiger on their family farm in Clay County*

January 30, 2018 – When Peggy Tiger passed away in 2012 at the age of 84, the lifelong Clay County resident had a particular request for her sons: that their family farm, the only farm within Hayesville city limits, be placed in a conservation easement with Mainspring Conservation Trust.

Monday, January 29, her request was fulfilled, and 30 acres is now forever protected.

Owned by a member of the Tiger family since 1938, the land is bordered by 1,300 feet of the Hiwassee River. It is believed to have been part of the Cherokee Town-site of Quanassee, one of the major trading hubs between the British and Cherokee from the early 1700s to 1725. Two of the four main soil types found on the property are classified as prime farmland soils, while the other two are classified as being of local importance.

Jim Tiger is glad to see his mother’s request finalized. “Mom’s wishes were to preserve the property as a farm and prevent it from being divided and developed. She had looked at conserving it in a farm easement and we are seeing that her intentions are carried out. Mainspring was her choice and, after talking with other conservation trusts, it was our choice as well. They are great folks to deal with and have been a huge help in making a complicated decision easier.”

Sara Posey, Mainspring’s Hiwassee Programs Manager, says this project embodies what the regional land trust’s work is all about. “This picturesque farm showcases our mission in so many ways: conserving a working farm that contains prime farm soil, river frontage, cultural significance, and scenic view shed. It’s been great working with landowners who have employed best management practices such as fencing livestock out of surface water and allowing woody vegetation to shade their streams. We’re proud of this project, and so happy Mrs. Tiger’s farm will be conserved forever.”