Hoping to Extend Biodiversity Along the Saluda Grade
By Conservation Easement Manager, Torry Nergart.
By now, news has hit that Conserving Carolina and regional partners are under contract to purchase the Saluda Grade railroad line. The land that once served as rail transport of both passengers and freight climbs through the steepness of the great ‘Blue Wall,’ the Southern Blue Ridge Escarpment. Some of the notoriety of this railroad line (or its infamy) is ascribed to that steepness- having the once highest bridge for an H&O scale rail. The Saluda Grade climbs from Inman, South Carolina to Saluda, North Carolina, traversing some of the most biodiverse forests of the entire Southeast.
What natural elements can be protected by a conservancy owning a railroad are what interests me most- the social and overall human wellness benefits from regional trails are great, outstanding even. But I wish to remember here though, that there are benefits to the Natural world too. Though the rail corridor is only so wide, over its 13-mile length, the number of acres protected really add up. Every stream crossing or rock face that the rail crosses has potential to hold rare plants and animals.
There is an interesting irony that comes from the conversion of something inherently damaging to land into something that can help land. When the railroads initially came to the mountains, it was for extraction of any and all monetized natural commodities, timber being the starter. The grading and blasting required then has made its near-irreparable mark on the landscape. The management that sustains the openness of the line meant imported chemicals and non-native invasive plant seeds. Now that the wanton drum-spraying of herbicides has ceased, Tree of Heaven and Princess Tree are free to assume dominance. In fact, the natural elements may be very hard to discern from the epicenter of a Kudzu patch. It’s there, trust me- we’ve seen native plants grow back where Kudzu has once covered. The seed banks are usually intact, and some plants even live on underneath the vine, waiting for its chance to return to its green glory. Animals begin to frequent areas again once reclaimed from the monoculture of Kudzu, and the attraction of Life to Life and begin again.
So, what I do see is the potential. The proper stewardship of land can be facilitated by its access- read: if we can’t get to it, we can’t manage it. And the easier it is to reach, the more commitment can be made to direct management, the more time can be spent on getting results and less on just getting there. So with this line passing by many protected areas, I can envision a cadre of volunteers wheeling in tools, hiking onto the slopes around the Melrose township area, and being able to punch their card for Nature yet still be home in time for supper.
So if the path must be made into the wilderness, let us use that path for restoring what we can to the land. Once a vector for every ailment that can plague a natural area, we can transform this rail line into something positive and life-affirming. With that intention, we chug on, join us in climbing the Grade- www.conservingcarolina.org and www.saludagradetrail.org.
