News & Events: News

REI Asheville Honored by CMLC and NC Land Trusts for Promoting Conservation

REI Asheville was honored as the 2013 Corporate Conservation Partner of the Year, one of several awards bestowed annually by North Carolina’s 24 local land trusts to businesses, governments and individuals who lead efforts to protect the state’s streams and lakes, forests, farms, parkland and wildlife habitat, thereby protecting clean drinking water and air quality, local food, outdoor recreation, and North Carolina’s unique natural heritage. REI Asheville was nominated for the award by Hendersonville’s Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy. The awards were announced at the annual North Carolina Land Trust Assembly in Raleigh.

Commitment to environmental stewardship is at the core of REI’s corporate philosophy. Whether it is partnering with nonprofits to protect the outdoors and promote outdoor recreation, or mobilizing thousands of volunteers annually to help protect natural places, REI passionately strives to conserve lands and environmental resources.

REI Asheville has been an exemplary partner to many conservation organizations in the North Carolina mountains. Since the store’s opening in 2008, REI Asheville’s outstanding generosity has included countless in-kind donations to organizations and funding of volunteer stewardship programs throughout the region. In 2010, REI made a $10,000 grant to Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy to promote trail-building efforts in Hickory Nut Gorge. In addition, REI awarded a total of $25,000 in 2012 to four conservation organizations in the region.

“REI Asheville has been an outstanding supporter of conservation throughout western North Carolina since the store opened in 2008. Their generous support of Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy and other conservation organizations has included grants to support volunteer stewardship programs, sponsorship of our annual trail race and other events, and donations of outdoor gear for fundraising events and for our volunteers. We are thrilled to see REI Asheville receive the 2013 North Carolina Land Trust Corporate Conservation Partner Award,” said Kieran Roe, Executive Director of Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy.

CMLC conserves land and water resources to benefit the quality of life of residents and visitors in Henderson, Transylvania, and surrounding counties. Since 1994, the land trust has protected nearly 23,000 acres of natural lands in our mountains. For more information, visit www.carolinamountain.org.

CMLC is Applying for Accreditation Renewal with Land Trust Accreditation Commission

The land trust accreditation program recognizes land conservation organizations that meet national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever. Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy (CMLC) is pleased to announce it is applying for accreditation renewal. A public comment period is now open.

The Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, conducts an extensive review of each applicant’s policies and programs. The accreditation seal lets the public know that "the accredited land trust has undergone an extensive, external review of the governance and management of its organization and the systems and policies it uses to protect land.”

“In 2008, CMLC became the first land trust in the state of North Carolina to earn accreditation from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission,” said CMLC Administrative Director Rebekah Robinson. “We are proud to renew our accreditation to ensure our landowners, partners, and supporters know that we uphold the highest standards in our efforts to conserve and steward the precious natural resources of western North Carolina.”

The Commission invites public input and accepts signed, written comments on pending applications. Comments must relate to how CMLC complies with national quality standards. These standards address the ethical and technical operation of a land trust. For the full list of standards, see www.landtrustaccreditation.org/getting-accredited/indicator-practices.

To learn more about the accreditation program and to submit a comment, visit www.landtrustaccreditation.org. Comments may also be faxed or mailed to the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, Attn: Public Comments: (fax) 518-587-3183; (mail) 112 Spring Street, Suite 204, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866. Comments on CMLC’s application will be most useful by July 1, 2013.

Read CMLC's Spring 2013 Landscape Newsletter & 2012 Annual Report

In this issue:

A Doggone Good Year: Conservation Successes in 2012
Public Access Makes Conservation Tangible to Everyone by CMLC Executive Director Kieran Roe;
2012 Annual Report, Financial Summary & Donor Listings;
Honoring Our Land Protection Fund Donors;
In the Field with CMLC: Creating an Edible Forest at Eagle's Nest Camp;
AmeriCorps Project Conserve: Honoring Martin Luther King Jr. with a Day of Service;
Bearwallow Beast 5K Trail Run & Restival - Sunday May 5th;
Our Newest Yellow Lady Slipper Volunteer: Claire Dillman;
CMLC Hiking Challenge 2.0;

Attend CMLC's Annual Meeting: Sunday, May 19 @ Camp Tekoa in Hendersonville

Join CMLC for our Annual Meeting featuring an engaging presentation by speaker Dr. Timothy P. Spira, professor at Clemson University and author of Wildflowers and Plant Communities of the Southern Appalachian Mountains and Piedmont, recognition of our Lady Slipper Volunteer award winners, and the announcement and presentation of our prestigious Lela McBride Award.

Sunday, May 19th

Camp Tekoa's Laurel Lodge - Hendersonville

2:00pm - 4:00pm

This is a free event. No RSVP is necessary. Attendance is open to everyone. For directions to Camp Tekoa, click here. For more information, contact CMLC Outreach Associate, Sarah Bromley, at sarahb@carolinamountain.org.

CMLC Launches WAC-HNG: Weed Action Coalition of Hickory Nut Gorge to Manage Invasive Species

CMLC is excited to announce the establishment of a group aimed at protecting the scenic beauty and natural communities in the Hickory Nut Gorge by combatting invasive plants. The mission of the newly formed Weed Action Coalition of the Hickory Nut Gorge (WAC-HNG) is to thwart further establishment and spread of invasive and exotic plant species in the Gorge through invasive species management. The Coalition, made up of land trusts, local businesses, municipalities, state agencies, and private landowners, is made possible by a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and North Carolina Firewise--a program of the North Carolina Forest Service.

WAC-HNG [pronounced whack-ing] will work throughout the Lake Lure watershed which encompasses more than 66,000 acres of publicly- and privately-owned land. Invasive plants are posing a risk to many of the Gorge’s unique habitats. Encroaching non-native plants decrease ecological biodiversity and disrupt the complex interactions that rare and endangered species depend on. The presence and spread of invasives also decreases the Gorge’s scenic beauty so cherished by countless residents and visitors.

WAC-HNG has made the management of invasive plant species its top priority. Currently focused on inventorying the existing invasives in the Gorge, the group will begin providing resources to interested landowners as early as this winter, with invasive treatments beginning in the spring. For more information, visit:

www.WACHNG.org

Now Accepting Applications for 2013-2014 AmeriCorps Project Conserve Service Term

AmeriCorps Project Conserve is now accepting applications for 34 public service positions at 22 environmental non-profits across western North Carolina that focus on land conservation, water quality, energy conservation and local agriculture. Application deadline is May 22.

AmeriCorps Project Conserve is a national service program in which members come from across the nation to dedicate themselves to serving western North Carolina for an 11 month service term. Project Conserve serves western North Carolina by building stronger, more educated and involved communities that understand the threats to their local environment, are equipped with the tools and resources to take direct conservation action, and have significant opportunities to engage in conservation activities through volunteering. Through the efforts of these dedicated communities and the direct service of AmeriCorps Project Conserve members, we hope to ultimately increase the amount of land and habitat conserved, protect and enhance water quality, promote local food and agriculture, and support energy conservation throughout the region.

Click here to read service position descriptions and apply to AmeriCorps Project Conserve!

Monthly Giving Now Available!

Increase your gift and make a bigger difference in 2013 by enrolling in our monthly giving program!

Make a small monthly donation via an automatic credit card or bank draft (minimum amount is $10) and support land conservation in a big way!

More information and how to enroll here!

Volunteers Needed for the Bearwallow Beast 5K Trail Run - Sunday, May 5

Volunteer for the Fiercest 5K Race in the Southeast: BEARWALLOW BEAST 5K Trail Run: Sunday, May 5

The second-annual Bearwallow Beast 5k Trail Run, benefiting Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy, will be held on Sunday, May 5, 2013. This race is one of the toughest footraces in western North Carolina, climbing up rough and steep terrain—but it would not be possible without the assistance of volunteers! CMLC needs event volunteers leading up to the event and day-of, to help with race registration, festival setup, and photography, amongst other duties. Volunteer information sessions will be held on Thursday, April 25 at 5:00 pm and Friday, April 26 at 1:00 pm at the CMLC office, 847 Case Street, Hendersonville, NC.

Contact Meghan Montgomery at meghan@carolinamountain.org or 697-5777 to sign up to volunteer! Visit www.bearwallowbeast.com for more event information.

Visit www.carolinamountain.org/volunteer to learn more about the wide array of volunteer opportunities that CMLC has to offer.

Thomas Family Conserves Rush Mountain Tract in Flat Rock with CMLC Conservation Easement, Land Donation

Thanks to a generous gift, Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy (CMLC) has permanently protected 59 acres of unspoiled forest and scenic waterfalls in Flat Rock. The newly conserved land is on the slopes of Rush Mountain, adjacent to the Kenmure neighborhood and Camp Tonawanda.

The tract was recently acquired by David and Merrily Thomas of Flat Rock and conveyed to CMLC to ensure its protection in a natural state. “We have enjoyed living adjacent to this undeveloped, wooded land with its variety of wildlife,” said David Thomas. “When we learned it was going to be offered for sale, we decided to try to preserve it in this condition for the future. CMLC has the ability and experience to make this happen for the benefit of all."

The 59 acres were entered into a conservation easement co-held by CMLC and Historic Flat Rock, Inc. and 55 of those acres were donated for ownership to CMLC. In addition to protecting wildlife habitat, the easement will safeguard water quality downstream. The tract hosts a third of a mile of a tributary of Mud Creek. And by ensuring that it remains forested in perpetuity, the property's intact forests also protect the scenic views from nearby Little River Road, designated as part of the Historic Flat Rock Scenic Byway.

CMLC is developing long-term management plans for the property, which might one day include development of publicly-accessible hiking trails. The project was made possible with the support of the North Carolina Clean Water Management Trust Fund and a donation by Fred and Alice Stanback.

Photo credit: Bill Imhof