Spicer Easement Permanently Conserves Fairview Land

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by karen cragnolin
on Friday, January 15, 2010

The Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy (CMLC), a non-profit local land trust, has partnered with Mrs. Alma Spicer of Brevard and her family to permanently conserve 161 acres of their 238-acre property on Garren Creek Road in Fairview. The Buncombe County Commissioners and their Land Conservation Advisory Board (BCLCAB) provided the grant that made the conservation easement project possible.

"As a farm family in the neighborhood, we are thrilled with the conservation of some of the finest agricultural land in Fairview," said John Ager of Hickory Nut Gap Farm, and a member of BCLCAB and the Buncombe County Agricultural Advisory Committee. "Our friend, Alma Spicer, has always been a conservation-minded person, and now she and her family have preserved the family farm forever. We celebrate the preservation of a key property in maintaining the rural character of our community."

The decision to grant the conservation easement limiting future development on the property was made by Alma Spicer, her two children and their spouses, and four grandchildren. The Spicer family will reserve farming rights on the property's rich bottomlands and preserve a scenic, forested buffer along Garren Creek Road.

"Working with Tom Fanslow [CMLC Land Protection Director] made all the difference," said Mrs. Spicer. "My grandfather, John Fletcher McBrayer, once owned more than 1,200 acres in the Fairview area. He had four children that received about 300 acres each. I knew that my mother would have wanted our land preserved. After meeting with Tom, the whole family was enthusiastic about the idea [to conserve the land]."

An environmental site assessment found vital habitats for 248 plant and 52 animal species. Four rare species were documented on the Spicer tract, including a pair of sharp-shinned hawks (Accipiter striatus), the first recorded occurrence of nesting sharp-shinned hawks in Buncombe County. The biologist also found three rare plant species listed by the NC Natural Heritage Program. The easement will permanently protect several thousand feet of Garren Creek, and its tributaries. The conserved Spicer lands are 100% forested, primarily with hardwood forests recovering from past logging. The property even boasts a few acres of old-growth timber.

Alma Spicer's father donated the land where the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church is presently located. Members of the church were very supportive of the Spicer conservation project, which will maintain the peaceful setting surrounding the church.

The Spicer family donated 75% of the conservation easement value. A $300,000 grant from the Buncombe County land conservation program, along with private contributions helped to cover the costs of the purchase.

CMLC has a growing record of over 75 conservation agreements that meet the needs of landowners and family members while protecting the conservation value of their properties. The Spicer project complements several earlier conservation easements acquired by the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy and the Buncombe County Farmland Preservation Program in the Fairview area over the past five years including the 82-acre Bleeker Farm that borders the Spicer tract on the west. Together, these two properties create a contiguous corridor of over 240 conserved acres.

Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy (CMLC) helps landowners protect local land and water resources vital to our region's natural heritage and quality of life. They are working with other conservation groups to create a regional network of nearly 20,000 acres of protected farm, forest, park and natural lands. Founded in 1994, CMLC protects land in Henderson, Transylvania, and neighboring parts of Buncombe, Rutherford and Jackson counties. For more information, visit the CMLC website at http://www.carolinamountain.org or call 828-697-5777.

Content Source: www.carolinamountain.org

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