Bailey Mountain Preserve and the Smith Farm: A Community Coalition Wins Protection for Local Heritage Land Resources
"This project came together because regular people in the community (including students) cared about the mountain. It wasn't 'important people' or 'someone else' that protected the mountain, but rather a community that got organized and knocked on doors and tabled at fairs and baked treats for bake sales." Professor Laura Boggess
Appalachian Barn Alliance records the Heritage of Bailey Mountain - Located in the heart of the western North Carolina mountains in rural Madison County, the Bailey Mountain Preserve with the Smith Farm Heritage Farmstead is a tribute to the strength of community and love of the local heritage. Members of the community came together (led by an effort of the Richard L. Hoffman Foundation) to make this a reality.
Friends of Bailey Mountain - The Friends of Bailey Mountain of Mars Hill, NC convenes to support stewardship of Bailey Mountain including preservation, management and access. We meet quarterly and are open to all. Sub-committees convene as necessary prior to larger Friends group meetings, with each committee’s chair report to the larger Friends group. The Chair of the Friends of Bailey Mtn will report pertinent concerns and recommended actions to the Town of Mars Hill's Recreation Committee and Town Manager. Find the friends of Bailey Mountain in your community here in this document.
North Carolina Land and Water Fund - Since its creation in 1996 by the General Assembly, the North Carolina Land and Water Fund (NCLWF), formerly known as the Clean Water Management Trust Fund, has conserved well over one-half million acres and protected or restored 3,000 miles of streams and rivers. The North Carolina Land and Water Fund holds the conservation easement on portions of the land in the Bailey Mountain Preserve Smith Farm Property.
Smith Farm Master Plan - The Town of Mars Hill acquired the Smith Farm property in 2019 through the generous support of Clean Water for North Carolina. This is after several years of planning and strategizing the future Parks and Recreational needs for the community as a leadership team. Greenways had previously been identified as a priority for the town in the Pedestrian Plan completed in 2007.