Where Outdoor Recreation and Conservation Intersect

Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy works with towns and counties in NC and TN to conserve land for new outdoor recreation park spaces. In the long term the nonprofit land trust’s stewardship staff monitors conservation easements to ensure that land and water resources at the parks remain protected for future generations.  

Josie Cohen, a stewardship technician with the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy(Se abre en una nueva ventana) (SAHC), steps to the edge of a pedestrian bridge over Hominy Creek. The bridge forms the main entrance to the Town of Canton’s Chestnut Mountain Nature Park. To the right, a section of the park entry remains roped off with bright orange construction flagging for repair work from flood damage caused by Hurricane Helene. 

“This is where we plan to conduct the stream restoration project,” says Josie, pointing to an area behind a bend in the creek. The serene setting, with a large red barn in the background, belies the scale of flood damage caused two years ago by this swollen tributary of the French Broad River. 

“SAHC purchased this 4.16-acre property in 2025 to help increase floodwater storage and lessen impacts from future storm events,” continues Josie. “After we complete the stream restoration project, we’ll transfer the property to the Town of Canton to become part of the Chestnut Mountain Nature Park. This addition may also help to create more easy, accessible trails and education spaces.” 

As part of SAHC’s land stewardship team, each year Josie monitors the conservation easement protecting habitat and water resources at the park. In 2020 SAHC purchased the 448-acre Chestnut Mountain property as part of an innovative, multi-partner project to permanently conserve land and water while creating a community-centered space for outdoor recreation. Located in an important wildlife corridor in Western North Carolina, the property encompasses the top of Chestnut Mountain and streams that flow into Hominy Creek. SAHC transferred the tract to the Town of Canton in 2022, subject to a conservation easement that protects the natural resources for future generations. Prominent park signage and road frontage along a heavily traveled highway between Asheville and Canton, NC attract a wide range of visitors. 

“People often do not realize that our responsibility for protecting land doesn’t end when a land purchase or conservation easement project closes,” explains Josie, as she and a group of colleagues and young conservationists begin the ascent up the steep, multi-use trail into the park. “As an accredited land trust, it’s our responsibility to ensure that conserved land remains protected.” 

“On your left,” calls a trail runner speeding up the mountain behind them. The group pauses often to check out plant species and discuss trail design and land management.  

“One of the most complex things about stewarding this property revolves around balancing relationships, interests, and responsibilities among the large number of partners and stakeholders involved,” adds Josie, stopping to show the group how the stewardship team tracks information for monitoring reports. “This was a really ambitious project—creating a new, conservation-oriented park space for people to enjoy, explore, and learn about nature close to town. It’s a unique kind of partnership.” 

As the group ascends to the higher elevations of the property and backcountry trails, road noise from the highway along the park entrance fades away, replaced by bird song and the steady scrunch of hiking boots on rocks. It’s a fairly quiet mid-week morning, but the group encounters a handful of other people enjoying the trails—a young couple, a man with a dog on leash, a family of five, and a mountain biker.  

“I should have brought my mountain bike,” laments SAHC Land Protection Director Michelle Pugliese. An avid cyclist, Michelle is hiking the trails today to learn more about how long-term partnerships for a conservation-oriented park evolve.  

For three years, Michelle has devoted time and effort to what she considers a career-defining project—finding a way to save a 342-acre property atop Deaverview Mountain, overlooking Asheville, NC. That tract includes a 3,118-ft mountain peak, 16 headwater streams in the French Broad River watershed, and forested habitat—all visible in scenic views around the region and from world-renowned tourist landmarks like the Blue Ridge Parkway.  

Working in partnership with Buncombe County, Michelle and SAHC sought and successfully secured grant funding to purchase the land, with a vision to create a conservation-friendly outdoor recreation park close to the heart of the county. In March 2026, Buncombe County purchased the Deaverview Mountain property using grants from the NC Land and Water Fund (awarded to SAHC) and the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program (awarded to Buncombe County).  

Over the next several years, the county will engage in a park planning and improvement process—eventually opening it in phases for the public to enjoy. 

“I’m so excited to see how the Deaverview Mountain park evolves,” shares Michelle. “One of the things I’m most excited about is that people will be able to hike there without having to drive a long way to a trailhead. The park entrance is located near a bus stop, and a neighborhood elementary school is less than a mile away. I can imagine people visiting after work—to take an afternoon hike and see the gorgeous views overlooking the valley and surrounding mountain ridges.” 

As a conservation organization, SAHC primarily works in remote areas of the NC and TN mountains. However, in the last decade, the organization has increasingly partnered with local towns and counties to help protect land for outdoor recreation closer to where people work and live. Michelle’s efforts on the Deaverview Mountain project were supported by a grant from The Conservation Alliance(Se abre en una nueva ventana) (TCA). By mobilizing more than 140 outdoor companies and communities across North America, including Osprey, TCA helps ensure that places like Chestnut Mountain and Deaverview Mountain remain protected today, and for future generations. 

“I’m thrilled that Deaverview Mountain will provide a space for all people to connect with nature for their physical, mental, and emotional health,” says Michelle. “I can’t wait to see people explore the mountain and make memories.” 

Find out more at Appalachian.org/deaverview(Se abre en una nueva ventana) and chestnutmountainnaturepark.com(Se abre en una nueva ventana).  

Photo Credit: Angela Shepherd