I'm all for it IF he is legit about remaining for conservation. You can't come to this region and just buy it up for nefarious purposes. We don't take kindly to that. I've watched far too much of it happen already, and it has ruined the most beautiful places here that we will never see again. All for big fancy golf courses and big fancy gated communities so those rich ass snobby people can play golf in their back yard. I want my trees, mountains, rivers, creeks, streams, and wildlife back. If I want to see those people I'll go to Florida.
I agree, and pointed this out in the post. The other thing I’d like to see more of is selling back to locals. He seems to have pivoted (somewhat) to this, where he is selling land to local people, or people with local ties to the area to build homes on, long as they don’t redevelop or otherwise disrupt the conservation aspects originally intended for it.
I would defer to local groups to understand more about what is best, but it seems like the local conservation orgs have been very happy with what he’s done so far.
Just returned from a visit to the coastal Redwoods in northern California, large tracts of which were initially bought by wealthy folks to keep/slow down the loggers from decimating them further in the early 20th century, and preserving them for people like me to still be able to marvel at them 100 years later.
If he's legit, this is inspiring news. I also feel the cognitive dissonance of cheering on billionaires, but if they will do something good with all that money they don't need, I say go for it.
The book Billionaire Wilderness by Justin Farrell concerns the conservation movement among billionaires in Teton County, Wyoming and I wonder if this is something similar. If so, potentially a mixed bag…?
On the one hand, a commitment to conservation and protection of wilderness on the part of the ultra-wealthy, but also wanting to preserve views of wilderness from their mansions in Jackson Hole, lots of NIMBY feelings, and obliviousness to the effects on local populations who are so severely priced out they have to live in different counties and commute to work (often as domestic or landscape labor in these massive homes) in the county that was once their home. Also lots of image-control and paranoia among the ultra-wealthy who want to be seen as “regular” folks. A very worthwhile read!
Adding it to my reading list! Sounds worth a read for sure. Definitely a mixed back with respect to that. I’m looking more into Sweeney situation. From what I’ve seen from the local conservation orgs like Southern Appalachian Conservancy, they’ve spoken positively so far. I hope it continues to be the case.
I see EPIC job postings specific to Piedmont and WNC, hybrid if not on-site. As an aside, EPIC in Appalachia gives me Amazon's "The Peripheral", as it was partially filmed in Mitchell Co. In the meantime, we watch them and what they do?
I'm all for it IF he is legit about remaining for conservation. You can't come to this region and just buy it up for nefarious purposes. We don't take kindly to that. I've watched far too much of it happen already, and it has ruined the most beautiful places here that we will never see again. All for big fancy golf courses and big fancy gated communities so those rich ass snobby people can play golf in their back yard. I want my trees, mountains, rivers, creeks, streams, and wildlife back. If I want to see those people I'll go to Florida.
I agree, and pointed this out in the post. The other thing I’d like to see more of is selling back to locals. He seems to have pivoted (somewhat) to this, where he is selling land to local people, or people with local ties to the area to build homes on, long as they don’t redevelop or otherwise disrupt the conservation aspects originally intended for it.
I would defer to local groups to understand more about what is best, but it seems like the local conservation orgs have been very happy with what he’s done so far.
Just returned from a visit to the coastal Redwoods in northern California, large tracts of which were initially bought by wealthy folks to keep/slow down the loggers from decimating them further in the early 20th century, and preserving them for people like me to still be able to marvel at them 100 years later.
If he's legit, this is inspiring news. I also feel the cognitive dissonance of cheering on billionaires, but if they will do something good with all that money they don't need, I say go for it.
The book Billionaire Wilderness by Justin Farrell concerns the conservation movement among billionaires in Teton County, Wyoming and I wonder if this is something similar. If so, potentially a mixed bag…?
Interesting, I’ll have to check it out. What was the broad takeaway?
On the one hand, a commitment to conservation and protection of wilderness on the part of the ultra-wealthy, but also wanting to preserve views of wilderness from their mansions in Jackson Hole, lots of NIMBY feelings, and obliviousness to the effects on local populations who are so severely priced out they have to live in different counties and commute to work (often as domestic or landscape labor in these massive homes) in the county that was once their home. Also lots of image-control and paranoia among the ultra-wealthy who want to be seen as “regular” folks. A very worthwhile read!
Adding it to my reading list! Sounds worth a read for sure. Definitely a mixed back with respect to that. I’m looking more into Sweeney situation. From what I’ve seen from the local conservation orgs like Southern Appalachian Conservancy, they’ve spoken positively so far. I hope it continues to be the case.
Thank you for writing about this! This is fascinating! I hope he really is and/or stays a good egg in this respect.
I see EPIC job postings specific to Piedmont and WNC, hybrid if not on-site. As an aside, EPIC in Appalachia gives me Amazon's "The Peripheral", as it was partially filmed in Mitchell Co. In the meantime, we watch them and what they do?
Wow a rich guy doing some good? Feels so rare nowadays..