Mars Hill raising funds to protect Bailey Mountain Preserve against development

MARS HILL - The town is working with local groups to raise funds to protect Bailey Mountain Preserve against future development.
The town of Mars Hill put up $120,000 to secure the two-year option to purchase the 75-acre tract of land, known as the West Farm — named after the West family who owns the land — which sits adjacent to the Bailey Mountain Preserve's Smith Farm property off Forest Street.
The two-year holding contract was signed in December.
Once acquired, the West Farm will be placed into a conservation easement to protect it from further development, according to Lee Hoffman, the Richard L. Hoffman Foundation's executive director.
The purchase will require more than $1.6 million, accounting for the town's $120,000 donation and the West family's $144,000 donation.
The total amount to raise is roughly $1.5 million, and the fundraising will be headed up by the Friends of Bailey Mountain.
According to Hoffman, the goal is for the Friends of Bailey Mountain group to raise roughly $100,000 in individual contributions. A GoFundMe page started to raise funds for the cause had received more than $13,000 in donations as of Jan. 28.
According to the Madison County GIS map, the land was appraised at $606,287.
The newest phase of the project marks the third phase in the efforts to preserve Bailey Mountain, according to Ryan Bell, chair of both Friends of Bailey Mountain and the town's Parks and Recreation Committee.
From 1995-2004, the Richard L. Hoffman Foundation, a local organization founded to preserve Bailey Mountain, held its initial campaign to purchase 197 acres southwest of the summit and place the tract under conservation easement.
Then, from 2015-18, the town and the Hoffman Foundation worked together on the additional 87-acre Smith Farm campaign, with the title given to the town.
Now, the two-year option to purchase the additional 75 acres is underway. The two-year option is done due to grant cycles, as much of the fundraising will come from grant funding.
The grant foundations the Hoffman Foundation and Friends of Bailey Mountain have identified include the U.S. Forest Service Community Forest Program, the North Carolina Land and Water Fund, the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund and Dogwood Trust.
According to Hoffman, the purchase of the West Farm will have wide-ranging benefits for the town and region, including increased greenspace and greenway protection and expanding upon the existing recreational and educational opportunities offered by the Bailey Mountain Preserve. Bailey Mountain is a scenic, pastoral grassland environment that is increasingly popular among local nature enthusiasts for bird watches and hikes, particularly near the Preserve's 3,554-foot summit.
"The Bailey Mountain Preserve itself has really become a destination regionally because it's a great place to hike, get a little exercise and walk your dog," Hoffman said. "There are always a ton of people over there."
The preserve affords economic benefits to Mars Hill and Madison County as a hiking and recreation destination.
According to Hoffman, developers have approached the West family about the potential of bringing a high-density subdivision to the property, as the tract has water and sewer capabilities.
Hoffman said the foundation and the Friends of Bailey Mountain have been working with the West family for years to let them know the town has an interest in purchasing the land.
According to Bell, the Mars Hill University administration is supportive of the project too. Bell typically leads an annual freshman hike at the beginning of each fall semester along the Richard L. Hoffman Trail at the Preserve.
"That's kind of a tradition that President (Tony) Floyd brought back when he began his administration to kind of reignite some traditions," Bell said.
Mars Hill professor Laura Boggess, director of the Environmental Action Club and one of the department chairs of the environmental studies program, also holds events at the preserve during Earth Week.
Bell said Floyd has written letters of support for multiple grant projects. Students at Mars Hill Elementary School also utilize the property, according to Bell.
More: Mars Hill renames main trail at Bailey Mountain Preserve in honor of Richard L. Hoffman
More: Mars Hill approves Bailey Mountain improvements, Main Street gazebo walkway replacement
More: Mars Hill's Bailey Mountain Preserve becoming hiking destination in Madison County
More: Mars Hill gallery to benefit Bailey Mountain Preserve is about 'celebrating' the preserve
More: Mars Hill students, faculty join residents to mourn 10 campus trees ahead of removal
According to Hoffman, the West Farm acquisition presents an extraordinary opportunity to the town and to residents alike.
"If we can't make it happen, it could certainly become what we fear, which is another development.
"The town putting $120,000 down is a huge statement. That is important. Conservation is important. Providing outdoor spaces and opportunities for the community is important."
Johnny Casey has covered Madison County for The Citizen Times and The News-Record & Sentinel for three years. He can be reached at 828-210-6074 or jcasey@citizentimes.com.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Mars Hill raising funds to protect Bailey Mountain against development

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