INTRODUCTION

The mountains of western North Carolina are a complex and varied environment. Differences in elevation, slope, precipitation, and orientation toward the sun create environmental conditions ranging from desert-like environments on south-facing, dry rock outcrops to temperate rain forests in areas where average annual rainfall exceeds 94 inches.  Extensive hardwood forests at lower elevations give way at elevations above 4,000 feet to spruce-fir forests that remind one of Canada. On a western North Carolina mountain, a thousand feet in elevation is equivalent to a horizontal latitude distance of 200 miles at sea level. By walking to the top of the tallest mountains, a vertical climb of 5,000 feet, you can travel ecologically 1,000 miles — the distance from North Carolina to Montreal, Canada. 

Steep slopes, shallow, rocky soils, and flood plains are a few of the many site limitations on building a house in this region of highly diverse environments. The types of limitations will vary depending on the elevation and specific location of your house or property. Every site will have some limitations. However, with proper planning, design, and construction, the environmental limitations can often be overcome and future problems avoided.

STEWARDSHIP OF THE MOUNTAINS

The natural beauty of our mountains is in large part what attracts so many to the area. The Blue Ridge Mountains support a wide variety of plants and animals, many unique to the Southern Appalachians.  By gaining an understanding of the complexities of your property’s terrain and its natural resources, you can help promote the existing character of this area by preserving the natural character of your own homesite. Prior to any land clearing activities, identify and protect features such as springs, streams, bogs, rock outcrops, as well as existing vegetation, such as large trees. Work with your contractor to develop a site plan that enhances (rather than eliminates) these unique features. 

A well-landscaped homesite will not only be attractive, but will also be protected from soil erosion and will prevent siltation of nearby streams. It is important to establish vegetation on barren land as soon as possible as the NC Sedimentation Pollution Control Act requires vegetative cover on disturbed sites.

You may want to consider evaluating your homesite and determining how to retain the existing mature vegetation.  This will positively impact the value of the property.  Deciduous trees will shade the house in the summer and let the sun in during the winter.  Trees and shrubs can also serve as windbreaks. The local Natural Resource Conservation Service office or North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service office can provide valuable technical assistance concerning plants, fertilizer, lime, mulches, and the best time and techniques for establishing vegetation on your property. 

A large area of cut and fill will require extensive landscaping, some of which will take years to establish. Too often, too little thought is given to preserving the natural vegetation around the house site. Native trees and shrubs possess inherent qualities and adaptive traits that make them aesthetically pleasing, practical, and ecologically valuable.  If you are considering aging in place or retiring in this home, you should also consider the amount of maintenance the site will need in future years.

 

NATIVE PLANT LANDSCAPING

Why not bring the experience of an arboretum into your backyard?  Landscaping your home is a critical element from many perspectives. Utilizing native species will provide a number of benefits in each of these perspectives. 

Financially:  Older and more mature landscaping will give your home more resale value.  Minimal maintenance requirements will be an added bonus for some - especially for those with accessibility issues.  Generally speaking, native vegetation is adapted to this bioregion and will require less maintenance.  Planning your home construction could assist in minimizing the disturbance and allow for mature species (not just trees) to stay intact.

Environmentally:  Bird, butterflies, honey bees, small mammals, etc. benefit from habitat and species that provide food.  If you are landscaping or wanting a more manicured look, there are a number of native species that beautiful and can also be utilized for meals, herbal remedies, and aromatic settings as well as providing habitat for wildlife.  It is advised to not use chemical treatments or fertilizers on plants that you plan to consume.

Ancient Grace Landscaping of Black Mountain, NC is presently developing a new garden for the home of the owners of The Mayberry Group, LLC.  Photos, plant list, and other items will be featured here in mid-September 2008.  This “before and after” will hopefully give you better insight as to the possibilities. 

AIR QUALITY

The US Forest Service and National Park Service monitor a number of variables throughout the southern Appalachian region including western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee.  Air monitors in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park have recorded high levels of ground level ozone, particularly at higher elevations. In the upper atmosphere, ozone protects the Earth from harmful rays and the depletion of this layer of ozone is a part of the discussions surrounding global warming.  But ground-level ozone is a gaseous pollutant formed when emissions from power plants, factories and automobiles react in sunlight. Ground-level ozone is harmful to breathe, particularly for the young, the elderly and people with respiratory problems.  Exposure to ground-level ozone may result in upper-respiratory conditions such as asthma. 

If you are considering building at a high elevation, you should make yourself aware of the implications to outdoor conditions such as poor air quality.  The frequency of poor air quality in our region has resulted in an air quality alert system that is broadcasted by local television news and in regional newspapers.  The NC Division of Air Quality also manages an air quality alert program via email.  Contact DAQ at 828-296-4500 for more information.

WILDLIFE

Many types of wild animals are common in western North Carolina. Viewing wildlife in your own backyard can be an enjoyable and rewarding experience. Wild animals rarely present a danger to residents, but some animals can become a nuisance if homeowners do not take proper precautions.  Black bears are very common in western North Carolina and are sometimes seen in residential areas close to towns and cities. New homeowners should not be surprised to see an occasional bear in their yard. Bears are attracted to houses by the smell of food. They often venture into yards to raid garbage cans, tear down bird feeders, and eat dog food or cat food left outside. Recently used outdoor grills also attract bears, as do compost piles, and anything else that might smell like food. Bear problems around houses can usually be resolved by removing food sources. Homeowners may have to take down bird feeders, feed pets inside, and keep garbage in

a safe place (such as a closed garage).  Bears may remain in the area if suitable habitat is nearby, but they should not pose a problem if food is not available around the house. Natural foods such as apple trees, blackberries, blueberries, and acorns can also attract bears to a yard at certain times of the year. A homeowner who encounters a bear in or near his yard should simply leave it alone. It will leave when the food source is gone. NEVER FEED BEARS! Bears that learn to associate food with humans sometimes lose their fear of people and become more dangerous. 

Other wild animals can also become a nuisance to home-owners. Deer can cause damage by browsing on ornamental plants and garden vegetables. Skunks, opossums, and groundhogs occasionally make their dens in crawl spaces under houses and trailers. Close off all openings and holes to keep them out. Coyotes, foxes, and bobcats are attracted to the edges of residential yards to hunt rabbits and mice and can become a danger to household pets.   Remember that these predators are also keep small mammal populations in check such as rodents.  Gray squirrels,  flying squirrels, and bats sometimes make their homes in attics or eaves and cause problems for homeowners. Homeowners living next to a creek may find beavers chewing on trees in the yard. 

Bats are very beneficial animals because they eat flying insects. They are not dangerous as long as they are outside. Bats can be dangerous to people if they get into houses because of the diseases they may transmit through bites or feces. They are not generally aggressive toward people, but they may bite if they are cornered or trapped. Homeowners can prevent bats and other animals from getting into their attics by making sure that every opening is closed off with wire mesh, metal, or wood. Bats can squeeze through tiny cracks between boards, so every little hole must be covered. If you move into a home that already has bats in the attic, close off every entrance hole except one. Wait until the bats leave at night and then close off the last hole.  There are simple solutions to most nuisance wildlife situations.

New homeowners should be aware that they may have to adapt their lifestyle in order to live with wild animals that reside in nearby habitats.  Living with wildlife, including black bears, is a part of living in western North Carolina. The environment (plants and animals) plays a strong role in providing us, humans, with the essentials for living.

FLOOD PLAINS & STREAMS

Annual precipitation in portions of western North Carolina is the highest in the eastern United States. The steep, mountain slopes permit rapid storm-water runoff. Considering these two facts, it is not surprising that floods are a frequent, natural occurrence in our region.  When people build houses and businesses on land that is periodically flooded, human suffering and economic loss inevitably result. These areas are called flood plains. The best farmland in western North Carolina is generally located in flood plains. 

Building a house on a floodplain not only endangers your life and property, but also removes another piece of land from agricultural production in a region where there is very little land remaining that is suitable for farming.  Small creeks are as susceptible to flooding as large rivers. Before buying or building a house, check to see how close the site is to any creek or river. Ask residents of the area how high flood waters have risen on the property in the past. Communities that belong to the National Flood Insurance Program have maps that show the flood-prone areas within their community. These maps can be found in the county courthouse or city hall.  A large number of building sites have wetlands or streams on the property that need to be considered in any home construction. Any anticipated construction that would affect wetland area or stream (including but not limited to road crossings, stream enclosures, stream bank stabilization or stream maintenance) requires approval from the United States Army Corps of Engineers prior to beginning any construction activity.

Private ownership of land could also include the banks of a river or stream. Removing the trees, shrubs, and other vegetation to plant exotic grasses or place rock (also known as rip-rap) along the bank degrades the stream. Removing vegetation eliminates the habitat for species that trout and other aquatic life use as food.  Trout require high levels of oxygen generated by cool water. Rocks lining a bank absorb the sun’s heat and

warm the water. Trees, shrubs, and other native vegetation cool the water by shading it, thus helping to maintain trout populations. 

Experience has demonstrated that straightening a stream increases the speed of the water flowing through it. Should you straighten your stream, clear the native vegetation, and line the banks with grass or rock, you will lessen, if not eliminate, the chances of wildlife visiting your home. Remember, birds and mammals require many of the things (insects, fish, vegetation, etc.,) that are provided by a natural stream and streambank. 

You should also consult with the Army Corps of Engineers before manipulating a stream. Federal law restricts development of any wetland, and a streambank could be considered a wetland.  Rivers and streams are not supposed to be muddy when it rains. The NC Sedimentation Pollution Control Act, enforced by the NC Division of Land Resources, maintains that when you develop your property, you must keep dirt out of rivers and streams. If you develop more than one acre, you must have a plan of how you will keep the dirt on your property. Check also to see if you have a local ordinance that may be more restrictive than the state law.  You may want to visit the Clear Water Contractor resource page at the following website:  www.themayberrygroup.org

Resources available on this topic:

Haywood Waterways Association - Publications Page

MINERAL & TIMBER RIGHTS

Under North Carolina law, ownership rights to the minerals on or under the ground can be severed from the surface rights to the land and  transferred as a separate estate.  The owner of the mineral rights is legally entitled to use the surface of the property to reach and remove the minerals he or she owns.  Therefore, before you buy property, check the deed closely to determine whether the mineral rights have been severed and belong to someone other than the owner of the surface rights  to the property.

If buying a lot in a subdivision, there are several precautions you should take:

������ Check with the Soil and Water Conservation district office to determine the soil types and their capabilities. 

������ Check access into the development and the lot you intend to buy. Who maintains the road? Is the drain adequate and are stream culverts or bridges large enough? 

������ Check with the County Health Department to determine sewage disposal requirements and underground water availability. 

������ Check on any zoning regulations for the subdivision or surrounding areas. How will the land around the subdivision be used? Is there a local sedimentation control ordinance? 

������ Check the water source. If there is a community well, does your deed refer to your water rights? Have arrangements for maintenance and repair been drawn up?