Headwaters plan sets conservation roadmap for Jackson County
Schoolhouse Falls.
Will Thomas photo
Jackson County commissioners have approved a sweeping new conservation framework designed to balance growth with preservation across some of the most ecologically significant lands in Western North Carolina, located in the southern part of the county.
The Headwaters District Conservation Plan focuses on southern Jackson County’s steep slopes, fertile bottomlands and the headwaters of four major river systems — the Tuckasegee, Chattooga, Whitewater and Horsepasture — which feed both the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. The plan, more than a year in the making, aims to provide a roadmap for how the county can grow without erasing what makes it unique.
Burt Kornegay, a longtime Caney Fork resident and award-winning outdoors columnist for The Smoky Mountain News, sent along an endorsement of the plan, read aloud by Bill Horton during public comment.
Kornegay wrote that he’d lived in the area more than 40 years, raised a family and operated a local business — Slickrock Expeditions — before retiring. Calling Jackson County “home,” Kornegay urged commissioners to approve the plan because it would protect the land and water that define the region while still allowing responsible growth.
“The conservation plan you’re asked to consider gives guidelines for protecting the Tuckasegee headwaters while at the same time it provides for development,” Kornegay wrote. “It both sustains county growth and conserves the land and water that make our home special.”
Owen Carson, plant ecologist for the ecological services group at Equinox Environmental, told commissioners the purpose was to develop a conservation plan that assesses the priorities of the community and generates recommendations to ensure that rural, scenic and natural character are conserved in the face of increasing development pressure.
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“In a nutshell, that idea can be boiled down into the phrase — plan diligently for the future, protect what is most important to you as a community and prosper because of it,” Carson said.
The plan’s findings make clear why that protection matters. Nearly 85% of the Headwaters District remains forested, containing rare species’ habitat and some of the cleanest coldwater streams in the region. More than 35,000 acres of farmland soils of state or local importance support livestock, orchards and Fraser fir cultivation.
At the same time, the pressures are growing. Carson told commissioners that rapid growth, driven largely by second-home development and tourism, is fragmenting farmland and threatening water quality. By 2040, thousands of acres of farmland in Jackson County could be lost to development. North Carolina continues to be one of the most at-risk states for farmland loss.
“We also found increasing development pressure, rapid growth driven by second home development, strain on resources, potentially losing as much as 2,000 acres of farmland by 2040 and developing steep slopes, which presents risks to safety, property, water quality and life,” Carson said.
The plan is not regulatory. It is a data-driven, community-supported framework meant to guide local decision-making. Over the course of the planning process, a steering committee and nearly 40 key stakeholders met regularly to identify conservation priorities and weigh competing interests. Residents, farmers and developers all had input through public meetings and surveys, which showed overwhelming support for conservation initiatives.
More than 90% of respondents endorsed programs to protect land, water and habitats. Participants emphasized farmland preservation, trout stream protection and maintaining rural character as top priorities.
“We also did find that there is broad support within the community and aligning values there. We have consensus that the public here really appreciates and supports conservation of natural resources,” Carson said.
The plan identifies five core conservation priorities — “safeguarding water resources, directing growth away from sensitive lands, preserving farmland and working forests to preserve the way of life here, connecting landscapes and communities, expanding trail systems, greenways and habitat corridors and promoting stewardship and the outdoor economy,” according to Carson.
The Headwaters District Conservation plan attempts to balance growth with sound environmental stewardship. Mary Anne Baker photo
To advance those priorities, it offers specific best practices for county leaders, developers and landowners. County officials are encouraged to enhance public education, update ordinances and adopt stronger water resource protections. Builders are urged to cluster development to preserve open space and maintain buffers along streams. Private landowners are advised to voluntarily enroll in agricultural and forestry programs or consider conservation easements that maintain family ownership while protecting land.
One of the most significant recommendations is the creation of a Headwaters Stewardship Council, a permanent body that would coordinate conservation strategies across the district and advise the county commission. It would include representatives from local government, land trusts, farmers, developers and land managers from state and federal agencies.
Commissioners were also urged to strengthen land use ordinances to protect steep slopes and ridgelines, adopt formal riparian buffer standards and expand conservation subdivision requirements to encourage clustered growth.
Other recommendations include expanding trail networks, improving access to outdoor recreation areas, and partnering with regional groups to create long-distance hiking and biking routes. Those investments, the plan says, would position outdoor recreation as a cornerstone of Jackson County’s economy while protecting scenic resources.
Carson said the plan recognizes that conservation is not an obstacle to growth, but a prerequisite for long-term prosperity, safety and quality of life. Wholesale adoption of the plan isn’t strictly necessary for it to be effective.
“Implementing even select recommendations in this plan will have a significant positive impact and position you as a leader in balancing conservation and development in Western North Carolina,” said Carson.
Commissioner Jenny Lynn Hooper asked Carson about how to protect farmland.
“There are several ways that we recommend doing it, one of which I spoke about last time, which has already begun,” Carson said, mentioning a study on the value of agricultural land and the cost-benefit of preserving it by bolstering soil and water conservation staff, promoting conservation easements and utilizing other such programs.
“Some of that’s ongoing now as we’re working through this,” Chairman Mark Letson said.
The board voted unanimously to adopt the plan, although commissioners Michael Jennings and Todd Bryson were absent from the meeting.
