Press release from Mast General Store:
On Saturday, June 3, the Mast Stores in Asheville and Waynesville will welcome the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC) to the stores in celebration of Land Trust Day. Volunteers will answer questions about SAHC, and will offer information about the benefits of protecting land. Mast will donate 20% of the day’s sales to support SAHC’s conservation efforts.
The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy works to conserve unique plant and animal habitats, clean water, farmland, scenic beauty, and places for people to enjoy outdoor recreation in the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee. Spanning the Southern Appalachians from the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to the Highlands of Roan, they forge and maintain long-term conservation relationships with private landowners and public agencies by owning and managing land and encouraging healthy local communities.
Since its founding in 1974, SAHC has protected over 68,000 acres. In 2016, SAHC added to their list of accomplishments: 865 more acres at 11 sites have been protected and will be forever enjoyed by habitat, outdoor recreation, productive farmland, and scenic beauty. Additionally, 150 acres of working farmland was kept in production for healthy, locally-sourced food for our communities, and 20,271 linear feet of stream corridor was protected for clean water and aquatic habitat. Most of this work involved 3,500 volunteer hours that 45o people gave to support the work of SAHC.
The land trust movement started in the 1970s and gained momentum in the 1980s as urban sprawl began to develop at an ever-increasing pace, overtaking open spaces and farmland. In fact, according to the Farmer’s Business Network, via USA Today, “The US Department of Agriculture estimates that 144,792 farms have disappeared across the US in the past decade.” Our land trust partners help preserve many local farms.
Land Trust Day is an important day at Mast General Store. Employees believe in the mission of SAHC and are proud to support land conservancy, clean water, and scenic beauty. Lisa Cooper, president of Mast General Store, appreciates the impact that SAHC has on the local community. “Mast hopes that our support of Land Trust Day encourages awareness of the work of land trusts. It is not only important to our physical and mental health, but also to our economic well-being.”
A land trust can help individuals, families, businesses, and communities take steps to ensure that the land is there for us, our children, and our children’s children. The impact of their work can help family farms remain productive and in the family or ensure that the habitat for a rare species of plant will remain intact.
Stop by the Mast Stores in Asheville and Waynesville on June 3 to learn more about what the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy is doing in the local area and how you can get involved. For more information about Land Trust Day, visit www.MastGeneralStore.com or about the Conservancy, click on www.Appalachian.org.
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