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Blue Ridge
Rural Land Trust
P.O. Box 2557
Boone N.C. 28607
(828) 263-8776
info@brrlt.org
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Volume
1, Issue 3
April 1, 2002
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| Executive
Director’s Message...
WHAT A YEAR!
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A typical easement involves a survey, appraisal,
attorney's fees, and recording fees, not to mention staff time
in negotiating the easement, reviewing documents, preparing a
baseline report, monitoring the easement, and maintaining office
records after the easement is donated. To assist with this process,
our staff has grown within the past year to include a part-time
administrative assistant and a consultant.
We have been quite successful over the past year
in obtaining funding from a variety of sources to cover these
transactional costs involved in easement donation. However, our
highest organizational priority over the next year must be the
diversification of our funding base, in order to rely less upon
foundation grant awards and more upon local support raised through
annual campaigns.
We have begun increasing our Board membership
and the building of an Advisory Committee in order to make this
possible.
Cooperation With Other Land Trusts & Conservation
Agencies
Further, we have ongoing joint efforts with the Conservation Trust
for North Carolina (Parkway support in Alleghany and Ashe), New
River Community Partners (48-acre tract in Alleghany), High Country
Conservancy (290-acre purchased easement in Watauga), NC Division
Of Parks and Recreation (90-acre tract in Alleghany and 115-acre
tract in Watauga). Further, we are a partner in an effort by all
land protection organizations in the area to get funding for a "Land
Protection Specialist" whose services will be shared by Blue
Ridge Rural Land Trust, High Country Conservancy, National Committee
For The New River, New River Community Partners, and State Parks,
avoiding much duplication of efforts.
Volunteers Needed
Needless to say, we have been busy. It appears that we will continue
to be busy for the foreseeable future, as our message of “Neighbors
Helping Neighbors Work to Preserve Rural Communities and Culture
in Northwestern North Carolina Through the Protection of the
Land Resource Upon which They Depend” has begun to resonate
with increasing numbers of landowners. We need volunteers to
assist us in a variety of tasks, including, among others, outreach,
staffing our booth at festivals, financial oversight, and proofing
of draft documents.
It's Time to Renew Your Membership
Any successful non-profit organization such as Blue Ridge
Rural Land Trust largely relies on the support of its friends and
members in order to continue operations. I would like to request
that all members of Blue Ridge Rural Land Trust who are not current
in their dues now take the time to renew their memberships, and
renew at higher levels. I would further request that those who
have been on our mailing list but who have not joined please consider
formally joining BRRLT as members now. As always, BRRLT is an IRS
501c(3) organization and contributions are deductible as allowed
by law.
Should you have any questions, please write, call
or email us. We also invite you to visit our new website at www.brrlt.org.
James Coman
Executive Director
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Special points of
interest:
• Thanks to the effort and generosity
of volunteers Richard Stevens and Jack Lynch, we have
a web-site: www.brrlt.org.
• Thank-you to volunteers Andy Bingham and Kathy Barringer for editing
and graphically designing previous issues of our newsletter.
• Blue Ridge Rural Land Trust needs volunteers to assist with :
• Field trip scheduling and coordination
• Newsletter writing and production
• Fundraising Events
For information on how you
can help, contact BRRLT by phone at (828)263-8776 or by email
at info@brrlt.org.
• Renew your membership
or become a member! See page 6 for details.
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Blue
Ridge Rural Land Trust has had an extremely busy and productive
period since the spring of 2001, with more inquiries from landowners
about the protection of their land through conservation easements
than we thought was possible three years ago. Over the past three
years we have accepted easements on approximately 950 acres,
transferred to a conservation buyer one tract of 280 acres with
easement donation pending, and assisted in the creation of a
state park of 220 acres. Blue Ridge Rural Land Trust is in the
process of finalizing easements on three large tracts totaling
1800 acres, all of which should close by April 2002. Nine additional
landowners holding 1250 acres have pledged to donate conservation
easements on their properties if BRRLT can raise the necessary
transactional costs, which should be accomplished by late 2002.
Inside
This Issue
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Land in
the Sky: The Almond Tract on Pond Mountain |
| 3 |
Harwood
Smith Retires from BRRLT Board |
| 3 |
Council
of Governments Affirms Land Trust's Mission |
| 4 |
Planning
for Another Great Year: BRRLT Directors Retreat |
| 4 |
BRRLT's
new Email Bulletin Board |
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BRRLT
Hosts Field Trips
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Recent & Pending
Projects
Since the closing on the Charles
Mauldin Farm easement of 183 acres in Wilkes County in June,
we have had no less than 65 additional inquiries from landowners,
resulting in the following “front-burner” projects,
all of which should close within six to eight months:
- A 1145-acre donated easement
on a forested tract visible from the Blue Ridge Parkway in
Wilkes.
- A donated easement on a heavily
wooded tract 128-acre with excellent water resources in western
Watauga.
- A donated agricultural easement
on a historically significant 346-acre farm in Ashe with
an 1880 farmstead worthy of the National Register of Historic
Places.
- A donated agricultural easement
on 320 acres of a beautiful riverfront farm in Watauga.
- A purchased agricultural easement
on one of the largest apple orchards in North Carolina, of
640 acres, in the Brushy Mountains of Wilkes.
- A donated agricultural easement
on a 75-acre cattle farm with restored 1916 house in Wilkes.
- A donated 50-acre scenic easement
on a wooded tract in Alleghany on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
- A donated scenic easement on
a tract of 71 acres at very high elevation in Watauga.
A donated agricultural easement on a 62-acre Christmas tree farm
in Avery.
Beyond this group of properties totaling about
2500 acres, we currently have a second tier of projects totaling
about 4900 acres whose owners have approached Blue Ridge Rural
Land Trust requesting information and personal meetings.
Assisting these landowners in their decision-making
processes continues to be the prime duty of the staff of Blue Ridge
Rural Land Trust. Please keep in mind that even though most easements
are donated, the process is expensive.
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| Harwood
Smith Retires From BRRLT Board |
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| Harwood Smith is stepping
down after three years of service on Blue Ridge Rural Land Trust's
Board of Directors. Describing his tenure as "a wonderful
adventure," Harwood adds, "It's not often that one gets
to be in on the birth of something truly meaningful. To have been
a part of the beginning of the Blue Ridge Rural Land Trust has
been a real honor for me."
Harwood and his wife Barbara came to North Carolina in 1962 after
graduation from the University of Alabama and the Lutheran Theological
Seminary in Philadelphia. He served in several small towns throughout
the state before arriving in Watauga County in 1993 as the pastor
of Bethany Lutheran Church in the Green Valley area.
Although Harwood was born and raised in New York City, he considers
his move to Appalachia to be a kind of homecoming. His mother was
a native of Wythe County Virginiahe spent time there during the
summers while he was growing up.
Since retiring from the parish ministry in 1999, Harwood has enjoyed
working on Habitat houses and has recently agreed to serve on the
Watauga County Unit Board. He also serves on the Board of the Watauga
County Children's Council, the Allocations Committee of the United
Way, the local Ministerial Association, Kiwanis Club, and a land
use task force for a Lutheran Camp in Avery County.
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Harwood Smith
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"It'd not often that one
gets to be in on the birth of something truly meaningful."
-- Harwood Smith
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Harwood and his wife enjoy participating in the Institute for
Senior Scholars at ASU and spend a fair amount of time with their
four grandchildren in Hickory.
"Harwood has been an important, stabilizing presence in our young and growing
organization," said Board President Kelly Coffey, "The Board members
are deeply appreciative of his sound judgment and direction during this significant
start-up period." Harwood frequently represented Blue Ridge Rural Land Trust
before foundations, at various regional events, and generally made himself available
to assist whenever help was needed. Executive Director James Coman comments, "Harwood
Smith has consistently given BRRLT and its staff excellent advice and support
in its critical first three years of existence. I have greatly appreciated his
insight and suggestions, and will miss having him at the board meetings."
We are grateful that Harwood intends to remain
active in the land trust as a supporting member and volunteer.
The motivating force behind his conservation involvement would
not allow him to do less. When asked to explain the reason he
became involved in the land trust, Harwood replied, "To
me the protection of the environment is nothing less than an
expression of my faith in and love for a good and caring God."
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Land
in the Sky :
The Almond Tract on Pond Mountain
by Shawn Wolfe
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Larry and Don Almond’s
property on Pond Mountain in western Ashe County is nearly indescribably
beautiful. From this ridge is a breathtaking view of Virginia and
the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. From Pond Mountain,
looking across a steep draw that drops into drainage, then a deep
valley towards Mount Rogers and Whitetop, hundreds of lesser hills
and peaks curve gracefully. The successive layers of rounded mountains
perpetually rise to the crest of Mount Rogers. Solitude and silence
predominate, except for the wind, which whistles wildly.
Mr. Almond is not your typical conservationist. He is a former real
estate broker and currently a developer from Charlotte. As a result
of developing land for a living, he knows a unique place when he
sees it.
“I wanted mountain property with altitude”, he explained. “ We
looked for several years. We wanted altitude with a view and Pond
Mountain has nearly a 360 degree view.” Their Pond Mountain
Property is approximately 5,000 feet in elevation and really is
spectacular. Executive Director for Blue Ridge Rural Land Trust,
James Coman, saw a flock of migrating American pipits during an
October visit. The ridge is no place for the light-hearted. Conditions
are harsh and high winds occur often. To see American pipits, which
normally nest in the Canadian tundra and the trees of a nearly
pure American beech forest that showed 60 growth rings ina tree
3 inches in diameter was unique. In a more typical North Carolina
environment, loblolly pines in the piedmont may take only a few
years to grow to a similar size.
Why would a developer want to put a conservation easement on
a property with such beauty and development potential? “I
thought it would be a shame to have a bunch of houses here”,
Mr. Almond explained. “Several realtors have contacted me
wanting to develop it. It is a pristine piece of property.” As
a result the Almonds decided to maintain the property as it is.
Mr. Almond and his wife will soon begin cleaning hawthorns out
of the old fields and restoring the stream that flows out of the
steep drainage on the property. The Almonds’ part of Pond
Mountain had been owned by the previous owner’s family since
1919. The Almonds hope to show the same stewardship that the previous
landowners showed for the land.
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Larry and Don Almond
Mr. Almond added, “ When we saw this land
we thought it was unique. We live down here [in Charlotte] off
I-485 with interstates all over. We can go up there and hear
nothing. We thought it was a beautiful piece of property and
we just want it to stay that way.” But the question arose
concerning how to keep Pond Mountain from being developed in
the future. The Almonds decided that the type of protection they
were looking for could come through a conservation easement. “I
found out that an easement would permanently protect it,” Mr.
Almond said.
An agricultural conservation easement was designed
by Blue Ridge Rural Land Trust for this 125-acre property. It
allows the Almonds great latitude in future agricultural or horticultural
use of this tract, while insuring that the Almonds’ wishes
of preventing intensive development will be carried out. The
Almonds, and their heirs, will thus be able to keep intact and
enjoy a truly unique tract of land while maintaining a potentially
productive farm, wildlife habitat, and open space.
As far as his experience with Blue Ridge Rural
Land Trust is concerned, Mr. Almond explained, “Blue Ridge
Rural Land Trust fit my desires more than other land trusts.” Additionally,
he explained that Executive Director James Coman, “had
bent over backwards to be cooperative, was very business-like,
and was straight to the point. I don’t like surprises.
I would recommend Blue Ridge Rural Land Trust to a friend.”
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BRRLT
Hosts Field Trips
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Field trip adventurers (from left to
right) Kelley Coffey,
Harwood Smith, Leo Mast, Sue Glen, Anne Burgess, and
Mel Davis
May 2, 2001, BRRLT hosted the first of many planned
field trips to experience, first hand, some of the outstanding
properties that everyone worked so hard to preserve. About 10
Board members and volunteers spent the day hiking and driving
through the beautiful landscapes that make up BRRLT's conservation
easements in Ashe and Alleghany County.
Leaving by van from Boone, the first stop on the
trip was the Tobin Farm, located a short distance from Jefferson,
NC. Paul and Judy Tobin led the group on a leisurely walk to
a high, peaceful meadow that included a cemetery where freed
slaves who once owned the farm were buried. As an added treat,
they graciously invited the group to tour the interior of their
two recently completed guesthouses, one, which had been a barn,
and the other, which was built almost entirely from materials
harvested from the property.
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Next, the group traveled to Alleghany County where
they enjoyed lunch on the breezy porch of BRRLT's Executive Director,
James Coman's log home. The view from the porch looks out over
the sunny, open fields used for grazing the few pet sheep remaining
of James' herd. After lunch, James lead the group to the summit
of his property, one of the highest points in Alleghany County,
where an impressive view extends to the Mount Rogers Recreation
Area in Virginia.
From the Coman farm, the group headed east, stopping
only briefly along the road to admire the Michael and Helen Ruth
Almond farm before reaching the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Bob
Richardson farm. Milly Richardson, niece of Bob Richardson, transported
the group, via the back of her pick-up truck, along a narrow
road through the rhododendron to a spectacular, high field visible
from the BRP. As a grand finale before returning to Boone, the
group traveled to another portion of the Richardson farm situated
in the lower elevations. Here, they hiked a short distance through
the woods to view the magnificent, cascading waterfalls for which
Waterfalls Creek is named.
BRRLT is now planning several Field Trips for April
and May 2002 with more to follow. We will be visiting the Charles
Mauldin Farm in Wilkes on April 20th, the Larry Almond tract
on Pond Mountain at 5000 feet elevation in late April (probably
on the 27th), and the Vannoy farm in Ashe on May 4th. All of
these field trips, and those to follow, will be available to
dues-paid members of BRRLT, and publicized through the new e-mail
bulletin board. (See article on Page 4). Due to variable weather
and other factors, this method will allow us to contact our members
at short notice with meeting details, etc. Please email info@brrlt.org to
be placed on the listserve.
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Planning
For Another Great Year
BRRLT Board HoldsPanning Retreat
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| BRRLT's Board of Directors spent most of the day
on Saturday, February 16th planning for another great year. They
retreated to the Broyhill Conference Center in Boone, NC to review
BRRLT's progress toward accomplishing its strategic plan and to
identify projects for the next year. David Halley of True North
Organization Development Services facilitated the retreat.
BRRLT's strategic plan was developed in 2000 and outlines objectives
to be accomplished by 2003. Objectives relate to the following
categories: land and easement acquisition; landowner and member
outreach; financial management and fundraising; staff development;
and Board development.
The retreat revealed that BRRLT has not only accomplished, but
exceeded its goals related to land and easement acquisition and
landowner outreach. Indeed, we are recording more easements and
receiving more inquiries than we thought possible in 2000. All
this success, however, has created a greater need for funding,
staff, active members, and a diverse Board.
Here are the projects that BRRLT would like to accomplish by the
end of 2003:
Land and Easement
Acquisition
• Hire a full-time Director of Stewardship after 3,000
acres protected.
• Submit
large funding applications to several national foundations for
stewardship and development positions and acquisition funding.
• Acquire
the Beech Creek Bog by the end of the year through public fund
raising.
Membership
Outreach
• Beginning
April, 2002, offer two membership participation activities per
month.
• Immediately
begin a coordinated membership campaign through the newspaper,
direct mail, web site, local cable TV, etc.
Board Development
• Develop
by the May Board meeting a matrix to identify Board talents/skills/connections
and to identify gaps to guide recruitment to Board.
Financial
Management and Fundraising
• Contract
a full-time Development Director for six months to focus on major
gifts and mailing to solicit membership/funds. If successful, hire
full-time by end of 2003.
• Conduct
a major donor campaign by Fall 2002.
• Institute
a direct mail campaign, which will include at least four solicitation
type letters and four newsletters each year.
Staff Development
• Create
a table of organization by April 2002, which will lay out the future
vision of the organization if fully funded (organizational chart).
• Hold
a volunteer orientation/training session every four months.
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Email
Bulletin Board
We are starting this spring, for those members of BRRLT
who are interested, an “E-Mail Bulletin Board” through
which we will be informing our membership of :
FIELD TRIPS
generally put together on fairly
short notice, in which BRRLT, with prior approval of landowners,
will be
able to invite members to assist with several aspects of
Baseline Documentation of tracts currently under protection
or with easement donation pending. We especially need volunteer-members
with expertise in wildflower, butterfly, reptile, and amphibian
identification.
BREAKING NEWS
as BRRLT initiates and completes projects.
ISSUES IN WHICH MEMBERSHIP INVOLVEMENT IS URGENTLY NEEDED
primarily being the legislative process both on the state
and federal level. It is extremely important that concerned
citizens contact their representatives in a timely manner
on conservation issues.
If you wish to be on this email listserve, please email
us a request at info@brrlt.org.
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A
memorial has been established honoring John W. Olive of Wilmington,
NC, who passed away on January 14, 2002. Blue Ridge Rural Land
Trust would like to thank all who generously contributed to this
lasting memorial.
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Council of Local Governments Affirms
Land Trust's Mission |
| Region D Council of Governments recently made a generous $1,000
contribution to Blue Ridge Rural Land Trust. Region D is a voluntary
association of towns and counties, covering the same geographic area
as our land trust- Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, Watauga, Wilkes,
and Yancey Counties. The Council serves as a cooperative extension
of these counties and towns, and offers services to local governments
that can best be provided on a regional basis.
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Region D describes the contribution to the Land
Trust as a statement about the Council’s concern for the region’s natural
environment. Since the agency is involved in economic development
activities throughout the seven-county area, the Council sees the
need to also encourage better stewardship of the region’s
natural resources.
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Blue Ridge Rural Land Trust is proud to be recognized by our local
government representatives. The Land Trust realizes that we have
a mutual goal of maintaining and improving the quality of life in
northwestern North Carolina.
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