Return to North Carolina's Assessment of Need (draft)
Area 8: Southwest Borderlands
Description of Forest Legacy Area and Important Environmental Values
Deep gorges and steep mountains covered with mixed hardwood forests characterize this FLA, where recreation and scenic beauty values, combined with water quality protection and wildlife habitat management are important. The timber resource has long been a vital part of local economies and still sustains an industry dependent on quality hardwood production as well as lower quality fiber. A critically important factor is that many communities have become dependent on tourism geared to the beauty and ecological integrity of the land.
The Nantahala National Forest has a major presence in the area, especially in the higher elevations. Wildlife habitat conservation is represented by the Nantahala and Pisgah Gamelands. Water quality protection is important because of Nantahala Lake, river-based recreation on the Nantahala and Tuckasegee Rivers, and abundant trout streams with both native and stocked populations. Water quality restoration is a hope for the Upper Little Tennessee River and would contribute to the effort to maintain downstream habitat for the endangered spotfin chub and Appalachian elktoe.
Scenic beauty and solitude are important values particularly associated with the Appalachian Trail, which traverses this FLA from the Nantahala River to the South Carolina border. Culturally important sites include the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory and Cradle of Forestry in America.
This FLA includes sub-basins in the Little Tennessee River basin
, headwaters of the Savannah River, and parts of western parts of the French
Broad River basin. The FLA includes Macon and Jackson Counties as
well as parts of Haywood, Swain, Transylvania Counties.
Current and Future Conversion Pressures
Residential, second home, and resort communities are intruding as development pressure from the Atlanta area, only 2.5 hours south, is accelerating and as refugees from northern and eastern cities retire to this region. Many coves throughout this FLA are already entirely developed as golf course and retirement communities.
Land prices are escalating, and either property taxes or inheritance
taxes are prompting sales of lands to development interests. Many
families that historically earned their living on the land are rapidly
losing that ability or facing financial pressures that prompt sales to
development interests. Suburbanization reduces opportunities for
tradtional forest uses, further inciting landowners to convert their properties
to non-forest uses.
Goals and Objectives of FLA for Public Benefit
Maintain large contiguous blocks of working forest lands.
Protect lands adjacent to Nantahala National Forest property.
Restore water quality in the Upper Little Tennessee River watershed
and protect water quality for trout populations and in tributaries
to critical habitat for the Spotfin chub (LTR).
Buffer the Appalachian Trail and other scenic or recreational trails and routes.
Conserve wildlife habitat in association with federal and state
designated wildlife areas.
Potential Partnering Entities
Highlands Land Trust
Highlands Biological Station
Little Tennessee Watershed Association
Nikwasi Land Trust
Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy
North Carolina Division of Forest Resources
North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
USDA Forest Service
Western North Carolina Alliance
Boundary Description
Along the eastern Transylvania County line from the South Carolina line
north to the Haywood County line.
Along the Haywood County line north to US19.
Along US19 west to the Nantahala River (at the Swain/Macon County line)
Along the Nantahala River south until it departs the Macon County line.
Along the Macon County line south to the South Carolina line.
East along the South Carolina line to close.
Figure B-8. Southwest Borderlands Forest Legacy Area.