This Land, Your Land

The Nature Conservancy today announced acquisition of 466 acres at the summit of Little Yellow Mountain in Avery and Mitchell counties that it expects to transfer to the North Carolina State Parks system for inclusion in the recently established Yellow Mountain State Natural Area.

"At 5,504 feet, Little Yellow (seen below) is one of the higher peaks in the Southern Appalachians," the Nature Conservancy says in a news release. "Its protection is a valuable addition to a large corridor of protected land in the Greater Roan Highlands, much of which is classified as nationally significant by the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program. It is also an important acquisition from an aesthetic perspective – it can be seen prominently from other High Country landmarks, including the Appalachian Trail and the Conservancy’s Big Yellow Mountain Preserve."

"Mixed hardwood forests of yellow birch, sugar maple and northern red oak run along its slopes. The rare Carolina saxifrage, with its tiny white flowers, is found there along with other uncommon plant species. At its top, Little Yellow is an open area covered in sedges, grasses and a variety of wildflowers.

"The Little Yellow purchase builds on more than three decades of preservation work in the Greater Roan Highlands, which has resulted in 19,000 acres of protected land in the area."

The Yellow Mountain State Natural Area was to be established with an initial land acquisition of about 850 acres through the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, the state Parks and Recreation Division said in August. "It will be located in two tracts along the Avery-Mitchell county line just west of U.S. 19 and south of Pisgah National Forest."

"A state natural area differs from a state park, in that while both protect important natural resources, a state natural area’s focus is on conservation of sites of special scientific and ecological value," the state's release says. "State natural areas often do not have public facilities, but sometimes support limited recreation activities such as hiking and educational programs."