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SHC seeks $42,200 from LCAB toward $223,000 North McDarris Ridge conservation project
Summary
SHC requested $42,200 from the Land Conservation Advisory Board to cover part of transaction costs for a donated conservation easement on North McDarris Ridge; total project budget reported at $223,000 with transaction costs about $73,200 and strong landscape connectivity.
Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy asked Buncombe County’s Land Conservation Advisory Board to support transaction costs for a donated conservation easement on North McDarris Ridge, a 55‑acre parcel that abuts SHC‑protected land and Pisgah National Forest.
Michelle (SHC) said the project joins earlier SHC easements on South McDarris Ridge and the Woodfin Watershed and lies within high‑connectivity and climate‑resilience mapping. The property contains four tributaries to Reams Creek, which the presenter noted is classified as trout waters by the North Carolina Division of Water Quality.
SHC provided a project budget it described as the appraised/donated easement value plus transaction costs: a total of $223,000. Transaction costs were estimated at about $73,200; SHC said it is asking LCAB for $42,200 toward those transaction costs, representing about 18.9% of the project budget. Remaining transaction and stewardship amounts are covered by a private philanthropic commitment, SHC said.
The easement would reserve a building envelope for the owner’s existing home and studio, allow one additional small residence (for an intern) inside that envelope, and allow timber management for noncommercial purposes subject to a forest management plan. Michelle said SHC has worked with the landowner for over a decade and that the property is a long‑standing interest for protection.
Board members asked technical questions about how the total project budget is constructed (donated easement value plus post‑easement value differences and transaction‑cost components such as survey, appraisal and stewardship contributions). SHC staff explained the appraisal process and how donated value is leveraged in project funding.
SHC requested the board schedule a site visit ahead of the next meeting and urged board members to complete evaluation scoring in the shared folder before the voting meeting.
