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Spotlight On Natural Heritage Gems
Written By: Walter Wingfield | Issue: 2015/05 - May
What’s your vision for the mountains of southern Macon and Jackson Counties?
The Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust’s 2014-2019 Strategic Plan states that our vision is “Preserving places with exceptional conservation value.” Every time the Land Trust accepts an easement or land donation, the conservation value is determined and documented.
We work very hard to protect those properties of high conservation value, the emeralds of our landscape. However, most of the land conservation projects done in the last 10 years have been opportunistic; those good projects done by good people who walk in the door. Our land protection efforts have been productive, tripling our protected lands since 2006 but they have not necessarily been strategic.
Beginning in 2014 the Land Trust made great steps forward in identifying those “places with exceptional conservation value,” the diamonds among the emeralds. This represents a shift from being opportunistic to being strategic. Using Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies and available natural heritage databases Land Trust staff developed a model to identify places with exceptional conservation value.
Specifically, we identified parcels in Macon and Jackson Counties larger than 25 acres that contained rare biota, steep slopes, water, and were adjacent to already protected lands or those identified by the NC Natural Heritage Program as natural heritage areas. This analysis identified some 47 places with exceptional conservation values, the diamonds of our landscape.
Each of these targeted properties are unique, and each will require a different approach to conserve. We will spend this year looking at a subset of those 47 properties and figuring out the best approach to their conservation. We look forward to continuing to protect those emeralds that come to us but we also look forward to figuring out how to conserve those diamonds.
To learn more about Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust, and our mission to conserve valuable land resources for all generations and to become a member give us a call at (828) 526-1111, email us at [email protected] or visit us online at www.hicashlt.org.
