Mountain Valleys to explore project aimed at beautifying Blannahassett Island in Marshall
MARSHALL - Blannahasett Island is a historically significant asset to both Marshall and Madison County, as the piece of land was part of the first 50-acre piece of land parceled from Buncombe to Madison, creating a seat for the new county in 1853.
As such, a number of residents and Marshall town government officials have made it a priority to clean up the island. In the Marshall Town Board of Aldermen's Oct. 17 meeting, board members agreed to issue a notice to residents reminding them to pick up after their pets, citing an increase in animal waste in the downtown area.
In the board's Dec. 19 meeting, a local nonprofit organization executive director spoke with the board about preliminary plans to clean up the island, including uprooting invasive species and establishing native plants.
Jess Hocz is executive director at Mountain Valleys Resource Conservation & Development, a nonprofit organization established in 1974 to develop, improve and conserve natural resources and to provide employment and other economic opportunities to the people of an eight-county area of Western North Carolina, according to its website.
Hocz, a Marshall resident, said she approached the town after she noticed significant erosion near the playground on Blannahassett Island stemming from April 2019 flooding.
"We have done several streambank stabilization projects and have a 'Shade Your Stream' program that funds riparian buffer planting," Hocz said.
Hocz appeared before the board to discuss the project Dec. 19, including the possibility of erecting kiosks that give information about protecting the French Broad River's water quality.
Hocz said Mountain Valleys would fund the project. She said the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation will fund the first $5,000, which will need to be spent by June 2023. North Carolina Land and Water Fund would cover the remainder of costs, according to Hocz.
"We could still have stuff about keeping your dog on a leash, and to clean up after it," Hocz said. "We're kind of open to everything, in terms of invasives. We even mentioned maybe looking at the kudzu on Skyway Drive. We have money for that, as well. But the main thing right now would be getting a root mass along the edge where the bank is kind of sloughing off there, and doing some light staking and some invasive removal."
According to Hocz, the Mountain Valleys team will appear before the board in its January meeting with an updated list of potential plant options.
"We could go ahead and put the plant list together with the prices. I'm thinking for the shrubs we'd probably go with Carolina Natives in Burnsville, and for the trees to (Weaverville's) Reems Creek (Nursery). We've got local contractors, get bids from them, and just start putting the numbers together. We just didn't want to go forward with that until we knew that you were on the board with doing this."
Hocz said the best time to plant would be March, and Mountain Valleys hopes to set up workshops with Madison County Schools students.
"We're going to try to engage students, and try to engage the community, and have some food at the pavilion," Hocz said. "Then, if we get a good turnout and we get as much done as we can, then whatever we can't get done ... it might be the same contractor that is doing the invasive removal that could plant the big trees where you need a piece of equipment to dig those big holes."
The board expressed excitement about involving local students in the project.
"I think engaging the high school students and getting them involved (is a great idea)," board member Christiaan Ramsey said.
"Anything to do with our vocational departments, horticultural - anything," board member Aileen Payne said.
Hocz said she planned to reach out to Chad Ayers, an agricultural teacher at Madison High, as well as Brad Franklin, a Madison High CTE teacher, about setting up partnerships with the school system for the project.
"Even the invasives are an educational opportunity - walking around, doing the identification and learning about the herbicides," Hocz said. "So I will reach out to them as soon as possible."
The Marshall Town Board voted to change its January meeting date from Jan. 16, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, to Jan. 23. The board will meet at 6 p.m. at Town Hall.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Mountain Valleys to explore planting trees on Blannahassett Island
