land purchase

Conservation Partners Collaborate to Save Remaining Inholding in Panthertown Valley

October 8, 2025

Thanks to a collaboration among local conservation partners, Mainspring Conservation Trust has acquired a critical 94-acre inholding within Panthertown Valley, and is now on track to be permanently protected.

One of western North Carolina’s most cherished natural areas, Panthertown is often called the “Yosemite of the East.” The 6,300 acres stretch along the Eastern Continental Divide, offering more than 25 miles of trails that wind through granite domes, mountain bogs, trout streams, and waterfalls.

When the U.S. Forest Service acquired Panthertown Valley and the surrounding Roy Taylor Memorial Forest in the 1980s, one parcel—now known as the Slickens Creek tract—remained privately owned. Surrounded entirely by national forest, the property includes more than 2,800 feet of wild trout waters and provides critical early successional habitat for species such as Golden-winged Warblers and Ruffed Grouse. The tract also lies within the Blue Ridge Parkway viewshed and links two popular trails: the Rattlesnake Knob and Turkey Knob trails.

Conserving this inholding has been a shared goal of Mainspring, Friends of Panthertown, Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust, and the U.S. Forest Service for decades. The opportunity finally arrived when the longtime owners’ heirs prepared to sell. Thanks to support from a private donor and Atira Conservation, Mainspring was able to move quickly to secure the land before it could be lost to private development.

“Protecting the Slickens Creek property is about more than conserving acreage—it’s about completing the vision for Panthertown Valley,” said Sophie Vaszquez, Land Conservation Associate at Mainspring Conservation Trust. “This project connects trails, protects rare habitats, and ensures that this wild landscape will remain unspoiled for generations to come.”

Generous donors to the partnering organizations, including the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, have helped us raise $100,000 of the $150,000 needed to remove unsafe structures, create a new trail connection to the Panthertown network, and support the long-term stewardship of the site’s sensitive habitats. If you’d like to help with the remaining $50,000 needed, visit here and apply your donation to “Panthertown Land Purchase” in the drop-down menu.

The Slickens Creek acquisition builds on other conservation projects with the land trust and Panthertown. In 2017, Mainspring purchased a 15.9-acre tract at the Salt Rock Gap trailhead—transforming a pinch point into a welcoming public entrance before transferring it to the Forest Service.

As the final unconserved piece of this significant landscape, this latest Mainspring project links ecological protection with recreation and beauty. It’s the culmination of decades of persistence and partnership, and a great example that when preparation meets opportunity, this region wins.

Click here to support this conservation project.

Land Along the Valley River Conserved

April 7, 2022

New public access to the Valley River is coming to the Hiwassee watershed, after Mainspring Conservation Trust conserved almost 30 acres in Cherokee County.

Situated on Mason Branch, the low topography and location along the historic river channel renders most of the property ideal to be restored as a wetland, which are increasingly hard to find within the Southern Blue Ridge. Ecologically rich and diverse, mountain wetlands are important for providing habitat for many amphibians, birds, small mammals, and invertebrates. Wetlands also act as water purifiers, filtering sediment and absorbing many pollutants, while serving as a sponge to absorb water during storms, reducing downstream flood damage.

The conservation property includes more than half a mile of Valley River frontage, something that Mainspring plans to take advantage of. “In addition to protecting some increasingly rare wetland in the mountains, the staff is working with the Wildlife Resources Commission to provide much-needed public access to the Valley River,” explains local volunteer and Mainspring Board Member Johnny Strawn. “I am very pleased with this purchase.”

In the 1700s, the land was part of Little Tellico, a Cherokee Town, and includes a portion of the Trail of Tears route. Though it has always been a culturally significant tract, it will soon be put to present-day use. Partnerships are in place for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indian artisans to harvest rivercane growing on the property for their use in weaving traditional baskets.

“Our mission to conserve important places, restore them so that they contribute to biodiversity, and then connect people to the outdoors is all summed up nicely in this particular project,” says Mainspring Executive Director Jordan Smith. “I am thrilled that Mainspring continues to expand its conservation footprint into critical places within the Hiwassee watershed.”

For more information about Mainspring, visit www.mainspringconserves.org.

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Deep Impact – How Conservation Wins With Private Land Sale

April 1, 2019

When Barry and Carol Gay of Blairsville, Georgia, considered selling their almost 118-acre Graham County property known as Deep Gap, they knew finding a buyer might be difficult. “We preferred that the property remain protected,” Barry says, “and knew that requirement would limit the potential interest.”

After an unsuccessful attempt at listing the property, the Gays researched the benefits of gifting the land to Mainspring. “We were pleased to learn that, in making a land donation, we could realize a desirable tax break,” Barry says. “It was a win-win for us, as the land would remain essentially protected, and we were able to adjust our direction for a long-term investment.”

In December 2017, the Gays gifted the land to Mainspring. Mainspring then placed a conservation easement on the tract that protected the forested land, which includes the headwaters of East Buffalo Creek and four rare or exemplary natural communities: Rich Cove Forest (Montane Rich Subtype), Rich Cove Forest (Boulderfield Subtype), Montane Oak-Hickory Forest (Basic Subtype), and Rich Montane Seep. Half of the property borders Nantahala National Forest.

One year later, Mainspring sold the conserved property to Stephen and Dawn Robertson of Madison County. Profits from the transaction were divided into Mainspring’s Land Protection, Operating and Stewardship Funds. Additionally, Mainspring purchased a gently used Ford F150 and a UTV for office and land management use.

“This was an incredible gift to conservation in many ways,” says Jordan Smith, Mainspring land protection manager. “We protected a special property with abundant conservation values while simultaneously increasing Mainspring’s ability to continue to conserve new lands and steward lands we’ve already protected.”

A primitive cabin was already built in the forest of Deep Gap, and the Robertsons plan to expand it by adding a few modern amenities. “We’re actually grateful the conservation protections were already in place, because we wanted to leave it as untouched as possible,” Stephen says. “We are working closely with the engineer to upgrade the cabin while keeping as many trees as we can.”

Both the Gays and Robertsons know that the natural cove and unique character of Deep Gap make it a special tract. “A property like this deserves to be protected and remain natural for future generations,” Barry says. And Stephen agrees: “It was exciting to work with Mainspring and learn about the conservation process. I’m glad it’s protected and am thankful we were able to find it.”

*If you are interested in learning more about the benefits of donating property to Mainspring, contact Jordan Smith at [email protected].