The Needmore tract in Swain and Macon counties is in the news again. Crown Communications, the public relations firm for Crescent Resources, recently released information saying Crescent would likely provide a tentative report regarding its plans for the tract in early spring (March or April) 2002.

Attention began to focus on Needmore in December 1999 when Duke Energy acquired Nantahala Power and Light, which owned the tract, and transferred the property to its land management arm, Crescent. Needmore is approximately 4,500 acres of land located along the Little Tennessee River in Macon and Swain counties. Most of the property — 3,400, acres — is in Swain County. NP&L originally purchased the land in the 1930s for hydroelectric production. The river was never dammed and for the last 70 years the tract has been a mosaic of leased pasture, farms and riparian and mountain forests with nearly unlimited public access.

The biological, ecological and environmental integrity of Needmore and the portion of the Little Tennessee that runs through it are nonpareil in Western North Carolina. The Little T is the only major river in the Blue Ridge with its entire original fauna still represented. At least 50 percent of all species of fish found across the region are present in the Little T. The 27 miles of river, 37 miles of tributaries and diverse habitat of Needmore are home to rare and endangered flora and fauna.

The tract is rich in historical and pre-historical resources. Archaeological findings in Needmore date back 15,000 years.

Support to preserve Needmore in its entirety, is strong in the public and private sector. In March 2000, the Macon County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution requesting that Crescent work with local interests “to define a permanent conservation ownership and management solution for these lands.” In March 2001, Swain County commissioners passed a similar resolution. Both local governments have empowered Bill Gibson, director of the Southwestern Commission, to work on their behalf to achieve those ends.

Swain County resident Cheryl Taylor created a grassroots group composed of Needmore stakeholders to work for the protection of the tract. Mountain Neighbors to Preserve Needmore is composed of leaseholders, adjacent property owners and other interested citizens. Area environmental groups like the Western North Carolina Alliance have given their support to preserving Needmore.

Gibson organized a meeting and tour of the property early last June. Members of the North Carolina General Assembly, county officials, and representatives from Duke Energy, The Nature Conservancy, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, North Carolina Clean Water Management Trust Fund, Mountain Neighbors to Preserve Needmore and the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee attended. At that meeting, area legislators expressed support for protecting the tract.

Since that meeting, representatives of NCWRC and NCCWMTF (organizations that worked together to preserve Lake Logan) have announced their willingness to secure funding for the acquisition of the property. The Heritage Trust has also been identified as a potential source of funding.

Unfortunately, the missing stakeholder in these discussions and the wild card in any preservation scenario is Crescent, a wholly owned subsidiary of Duke Energy. Crescent holds all the chips in this game and is playing close to the vest. According to their timetable, they will announce tentative plans in spring of 2002.

The only gauge we have of what Crescent’s plan may be is to look at their track record. Over the years Crescent has developed thousands of acres acquired by public utilities at the minimum of fair market values for the public good and parlayed these developments into millions of dollars of profit for Duke Energy.

The majority of these developments have been along the shorelines of lakes created by hydroelectric projects on the Catawba River. Sam Boykin, writing for Charlotte’s Creative Loafing, points out six of the more contentious, recent Crescent developments:

° South Pointe on Lake James in 1997 was the first significant display of public disapproval. Citizen groups protested to Burke County commissioners but to no avail.

° The Landing on Lake Wylie was protested in 1998. As a result, Lake Wylie Marine Commission negotiated a 50-foot buffer.

° Stone Water Bay on Mountain Island Lake developed in 1999.

° Autumn Cove and Misty Waters on Lake Wylie, where for the first time Crescent’s detractors accused the company of hiding their involvement behind third party developers.

° Eagle Crest on Lake James in 2001 prompted Burke County officials to impose a six-month moratorium on development on the lake but Eagle Crest was grandfathered in.

° The most recent development is Palisades on Lake James. Mecklenburg County commissioners just approved this development plan by an 8-1 vote in December 2001 after what chairman Parks Helms called significant environmental changes.

All of these developments are on property acquired for the public good. Crescent is selling quarter million dollar lots on property acquired in the 1930s for as little as $1 an acre. Is this public good or corporate profit?

Crescent has constantly battled, negotiated and litigated with private and public interests in order to build these developments. Will they listen to the people, the local governments and state representatives of WNC?

We don’t know the answers to these questions, but when we look at the track record it’s pretty frightening. Our only recourse is to make our feelings known. Especially be mindful of your elected state representatives. They rub shoulders regularly with Duke lobbyists in Raleigh. Tell them the next time a Duke lobbyist approaches them with palm outstretched, they should ask, “What have you done lately to assure the preservation of Needmore?”

CONTACT
° North Carolina Wildlife Commission — District 9 Representative
Bobby N. Setzer
PO Box 1257
Cullowhee, NC 28723
ph. 828.293.5986.

° Macon County Commissioners
5 West Main St.
Franklin, NC 28734
ph. County Manager 828.349.2025.

° Swain County Commissioners
101 Mitchell St.
Bryson City, NC 28713
ph. 828.488.9273 ext. 225.

° Bill Gibson
Southwestern Commission
PO Drawer 850
Bryson City, NC 28713
ph. 828.488.9211.
email. bill@regional.org.

° Clean Water Management Trust Fund — Western Field Representative
Tom Massie
PO Box 595
Sylva, NC 28779
ph. 828.586.4133.
email. tom.massie@ncmail.net.

° Rep. Phil Haire
House of Representatives
North Carolina General Assembly
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096
ph. 919.715.3005
email. Philliph@ncleg.net.

° Rep. Marge Carpenter
House of Representatives
North Carolina General Assembly
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096
ph. 919.733.5886.
email. Margec@ncleg.net.

° Roger West
House of Representatives
North Carolina General Assembly
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096
ph. 919.733.5859.
email. Rogerw@ncleg.net

° Sen. Robert Carpenter
Senate
North Carolina General Assembly
Raleigh, NC 27601-2808
ph. 919.733.5875.
email. Robertc@ncleg.net

° Sen. Dan Robinson
Senate
North Carolina General Assembly
Raleigh, NC 27601-2808
ph.919.733.5880.
email. Danr@ncleg.net

° Crescent Resources LLC
400 South Tryon St. Suite 1300
Charlotte, NC 28202
ph. 704.373.8377
or Tonja Jones at Crown Communications
ph.704.376.3434.