We have worked for many years to preserve Rocky Fork, the incredible
10,000-acre natural wonder in Unicoi and Greene Counties. We are
close, and have a purchase option on the land, but the deal is not
closed and funds are still needed. Please go to the site listed below
and cast your vote for the Southern Appalachian Highlands
Conservancy's Rocky Fork preservation campaign to receive a $3,000
grant from Patagonia.
Know that when you click on the Rocky Fork selection, not only will
you be voting to help preserve the largest remaining unprotected tract
in the Appalachian Mountains, but also, as we have just learned, the
#1 LAND ACQUISITION PRIORITY IN THE NATION for the United States
Forest service!
After you have voted, would you please forward this message to
friends, family and associates whom you believe share our great
concern for this national treasure that exists right here in our own
NE TN back yard.
Vote for a chance for SAHC to win a $3,000 grant for Rocky Fork
In an effort to raise awareness of the great projects that land trusts
are doing across the state in support of Land Trust Day, the Great
Outdoor Provision Company has launched a Land Trust Day competition.
They are highlighting seven projects from seven different land trusts
that are in need of protection. Patagonia has agreed to the
underwriting of a $3,000 grant to go towards the winning land trust
project. The winning project will be announced on Land Trust Day, June
7th.
ROCKY FORK is the project that SAHC submitted. For those of you that
may not be familiar, here is the latest news:
------
"To say this is a pleasant surprise would be an understatement."
That's the word from Executive Director Carl Silverstein upon hearing
the news that SAHC's Rocky Fork project is now ranked as the #1
national priority for acquisition by the US Forest Service. "We were
pretty excited last year when Rocky Fork ranked as the top USFS
priority in the region," Silverstein continues, "but to work on the
top project in the nation, as a conservationist, it just doesn't get
any better than that."
Nor does it get any more challenging. The 10,000 acre Rocky Fork tract
has been eyed by conservationists and developers alike for years
because of its size, its connection to 22,000 acres of protected land
and its sheer scenic beauty. "This tract is going to become the
favorite place of the next generation of Appalachian Trail users and
outdoor enthusiasts," says Jay Leutze, an SAHC board member who has
traveled to Washington DC four times in the last year to lobby for
federal funds for the acquisition. "For fly-fishing, hiking,
mountain-bike riding, bird-watching and more, this vast land is going
to add a critical link to decades of successful land protection.
Purchasing it to give it to the public is just the right thing to do
for locals, and for the people of the United States."
Situated 34 miles from Asheville, NC, and 34 miles from Johnson City,
TN, astride the new I-26 highway, the $40 million dollar tract stands
on what might have been the next frontier of large-scale high-end
development. Instead, SAHC's partner, The Conservation Fund, has
secured the site with an option to buy the entire tract. "Getting
site security on the entire parcel, having the land under contract, is
key," Silverstein adds. "But closing the deal will still take a
monumental effort involving private, state and federal dollars."
It is not too much of a stretch to say that the top conservation
project in the country will require the top fund-raising effort, too.
"SAHC grows every year," says Leutze. "Our members want to know that
we are capable of protecting the landscapes we all cherish. As a
result we've gotten very strategic about pursuing our priorities,
increased our capacity through partnerships and member-drives, and
worked at building relationships from Asheville to Nashville, and all
the way to Capitol Hill." Silverstein adds this: "We won't celebrate
until the deal is closed, but we're confident that the work we've done
on Rocky Fork is going to pay off."
--------
Below is GOPC's website page with the Land Trust Day project
competition descriptions.
Jerry, thanks for all you do for the voice of conservation in our mountains. It's folks like you who help to insure that we have the beauty for our grandchildren and beyond to enjoy. I've voted and I'll tell everyone I can to vote as well. Thanks again for working so hard for causes like this.
Discussion
7 repliesJerry Greer
Dear friends and Rocky Fork supporters:
We have worked for many years to preserve Rocky Fork, the incredible
10,000-acre natural wonder in Unicoi and Greene Counties. We are
close, and have a purchase option on the land, but the deal is not
closed and funds are still needed. Please go to the site listed below
and cast your vote for the Southern Appalachian Highlands
Conservancy's Rocky Fork preservation campaign to receive a $3,000
grant from Patagonia.
Know that when you click on the Rocky Fork selection, not only will
you be voting to help preserve the largest remaining unprotected tract
in the Appalachian Mountains, but also, as we have just learned, the
#1 LAND ACQUISITION PRIORITY IN THE NATION for the United States
Forest service!
After you have voted, would you please forward this message to
friends, family and associates whom you believe share our great
concern for this national treasure that exists right here in our own
NE TN back yard.
Vote for a chance for SAHC to win a $3,000 grant for Rocky Fork
In an effort to raise awareness of the great projects that land trusts
are doing across the state in support of Land Trust Day, the Great
Outdoor Provision Company has launched a Land Trust Day competition.
They are highlighting seven projects from seven different land trusts
that are in need of protection. Patagonia has agreed to the
underwriting of a $3,000 grant to go towards the winning land trust
project. The winning project will be announced on Land Trust Day, June
7th.
ROCKY FORK is the project that SAHC submitted. For those of you that
may not be familiar, here is the latest news:
------
"To say this is a pleasant surprise would be an understatement."
That's the word from Executive Director Carl Silverstein upon hearing
the news that SAHC's Rocky Fork project is now ranked as the #1
national priority for acquisition by the US Forest Service. "We were
pretty excited last year when Rocky Fork ranked as the top USFS
priority in the region," Silverstein continues, "but to work on the
top project in the nation, as a conservationist, it just doesn't get
any better than that."
Nor does it get any more challenging. The 10,000 acre Rocky Fork tract
has been eyed by conservationists and developers alike for years
because of its size, its connection to 22,000 acres of protected land
and its sheer scenic beauty. "This tract is going to become the
favorite place of the next generation of Appalachian Trail users and
outdoor enthusiasts," says Jay Leutze, an SAHC board member who has
traveled to Washington DC four times in the last year to lobby for
federal funds for the acquisition. "For fly-fishing, hiking,
mountain-bike riding, bird-watching and more, this vast land is going
to add a critical link to decades of successful land protection.
Purchasing it to give it to the public is just the right thing to do
for locals, and for the people of the United States."
Situated 34 miles from Asheville, NC, and 34 miles from Johnson City,
TN, astride the new I-26 highway, the $40 million dollar tract stands
on what might have been the next frontier of large-scale high-end
development. Instead, SAHC's partner, The Conservation Fund, has
secured the site with an option to buy the entire tract. "Getting
site security on the entire parcel, having the land under contract, is
key," Silverstein adds. "But closing the deal will still take a
monumental effort involving private, state and federal dollars."
It is not too much of a stretch to say that the top conservation
project in the country will require the top fund-raising effort, too.
"SAHC grows every year," says Leutze. "Our members want to know that
we are capable of protecting the landscapes we all cherish. As a
result we've gotten very strategic about pursuing our priorities,
increased our capacity through partnerships and member-drives, and
worked at building relationships from Asheville to Nashville, and all
the way to Capitol Hill." Silverstein adds this: "We won't celebrate
until the deal is closed, but we're confident that the work we've done
on Rocky Fork is going to pay off."
--------
Below is GOPC's website page with the Land Trust Day project
competition descriptions.
VOTE FOR ROCKY FORK!
http://greatoutdoorprovision.com/culture/wesupport/patagonia-land-grant/
You are leaving a wonderful legacy for your beautiful daughter...
Harold
Steve