Dan Brown
reporter@highlandsnews.com
The Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust Board of Directors held its quarterly meeting on Oct. 12 and approved the conservation of three new properties.
These new properties will buffer other conserved lands in Cashiers and Highlands, help to protect the Town of Highlands drinking water, preserve part of the Appalachian Trail and Bartram Trail viewsheds and protect rare species, according to Gary Wein with the Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust.
“All three properties were privately owned and still in the process of deed transferal,” Wein said while hiking through the woods in the Scaly community. “This third property, which we received the deed on just last Wednesday is a truly fascinating find.”
Located deep within the woods down Highland Gap, Wein gave a private tour of the 6.6-acre parcel of land.
“This natural land bridge is the second longest land bridge east of the Mississippi and is different from other bridges in that it was formed without erosion underneath,” he said.
The bridge spans the side of a mountain – a distance of 147 feet.
“It’s granite and the chunk of rock came away from the mountain and rotated out and landed on another rock,” Wein said. “There is a lot of rock in this formation. Lots of rock all around.
The site, despite its size, breadth and width is very fragile.
“To open this site to the public is to destroy it,” Wein said. “This land is private still, and with that in mind, we’re limiting those who can see it by offering private, guided tours.”
Maybe once or twice a year, he said.