Family’s Land Sale Benefits Conservation Initiatives
There’s a place in Fairview that has always been close to Elaine Friebele’s heart. It’s the family farm where her grandmother McBrayer was born and grew up—land that has been in their family for six generations. Her late mother, Alma Spicer, loved the land so much that, she worked with her children and grandchildren to protect most of it with a conservation easement, so that it can never be developed. The Spicer land was put into a family partnership, and Elaine and her brother, Steve, and their families managed it for sustainable timber harvests. But this year they made the difficult decision to sell the land.
Related Article: Deep Roots in a Family Forest
Elaine and her husband, Joe Friebele, live out of state, in Maryland. Other family members also live far away. The family trust was becoming more unwieldy as the family grew larger, and the limited partnership was due to expire at the end of 2024 It began to feel like passing on the land to younger generations would be putting a burden on them. Ultimately, the family was able to sell the land to a buyer that they feel good about—a neighbor who plans to continue the sustainable timber management.
Elaine and Joe used this moment of parting with their cherished land to make a lasting impact for conservation. They donated a portion of the sale of the property to Conserving Carolina.
Kieran Roe says, “The Friebeles’ love for the land shines through in this very generous gift. With this support, we can pursue important opportunities for conservation in this part of the world where they have such deep roots. Not only is most of their own family farm protected forever, but the sale of that land is helping to protect more land, with extraordinary conservation value.”
The Friebeles’ gift provides much-needed support for Conserving Carolina’s staff, giving us the capacity we need to pursue conservation opportunities including:
- Cedar Cliffs: We are raising funds to buy 192 acres near Saluda, rich in wildflowers and biodiversity. This property adjoins Norman Wilder Forest, Melrose Falls, and the proposed Saluda Grade Trail.
- Joel Ridge Expansion: Our goal is to purchase 400 acres of high-priority forest land, expand a wilderness corridor that links to Chimney Rock State Park, and create new trails in the Hickory Nut Gorge State Trail system.
- Florence Nature Preserve Addition: Not far from the Friebeles’ family land, we are working to acquire a 61-acre parcel would expand a treasured nature preserve in Gerton.
Elaine grew up in Brevard, hiking the trails in Pisgah National Forest, and she shares how she feels a personal connection to these and other Conserving Carolina projects. She says, “I hiked the Florence Preserve a few years ago and found it to be the most delightful area. I loved seeing the spring wildflowers, rhododendrons, and hearing warblers next to the rushing stream. What a treasure, and now happily, it will be expanded!”
She also has a family connection to both the Saluda Grade Trail and the Ecusta Trail. Her grandfather was a Southern Railway engineer who ran trains on the dangerously steep Saluda Grade. One time the brakes failed and he and the rest of the crew had to jump off of the runaway train before it crashed!
Meanwhile, her father worked at what became the Ecusta plant in Brevard. He would get up in the middle of the night to receive shipments from trains coming from Hendersonville on the Ecusta railroad.
Elaine and Joe regularly visit Western North Carolina and enjoy walking on new Conserving Carolina trails as they come open. As an ecologist by profession, she says, “I wanted to further the work of Conserving Carolina because I think it’s such a great organization. They do such great work with conservation and preservation in really valuable ecological environments. I just wanted to help them keep that going.”
Although the Spicer family has parted ways with their land, the conservation easement assures that the majority of the property will never be developed. Conserving Carolina holds an easement on 161 acres and will continue to visit every year to ensure that the land is managed in keeping with the easement. Joe and Elaine say they appreciate knowing that this forested land will continue to provide habitat for many species of wildlife.
This protected land also helps them to pass on a safer, healthier world for their children and grandchildren. Elaine also says, “With all the worries about climate change, I just think it’s so important to keep our forests. They suck up a lot of carbon dioxide and they’re a way of solving the problem.”
We are deeply grateful to the Friebeles’ commitment to conservation, from Elaine’s mother who first envisioned protecting the land, to Steve, who managed the forestry, to Elaine and Joe who extended this legacy of conservation!