Land conservancy makes purchase to provide elk habitat

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A North Carolina land conservancy group has made a purchase that will provide a habitat for elk.

The Asheville Citizen-Times reports the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy has purchased 147 acres bordering the Great Smoky Mountains National Park which will serve as a home for elk and other wildlife.

The property, known as Stevens Creek, is in Haywood County. It is a bowl-shaped pocket just outside the Cataloochee Valley area on the park’s eastern edge. Almost 3 miles of streams flow across the property, including headwater tributaries of Stevens Creek, which drains into the Pigeon River and Waterville Lake in Tennessee.

Jeffrey Hunter of the National Parks Conservation Association said to have more meadows in conservation is critical for elk, bears and other animals moving in and out of the park.

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Information from: The Asheville Citizen-Times, http://www.citizen-times.com