Kathy Newman and Bob Durham’s initial interest in conserving their property goes back almost to the start of Foothills Land Conservancy itself.

In the mid-1970’s, Kathy was an instructor at the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont (which most people just call “Tremont”) within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Bob was a special education and math teacher in Sevierville and came to Tremont on a group trip. Their relationship began in the park, and it became the site of most of their courtship as they hiked, explored, and shared their love of conservation with young people and other groups. Ultimately, Bob was instrumental in developing the environmental education program for the entire Sevier County school system.

Kathy says, “There might be more spectacular places to see on earth, but to me, there’s nowhere more beautiful than the Smoky Mountains. It brings us so much joy to play a part in preserving this land.” Their acreage reminds visitors of a smaller version of Cades Cove, but no less beautiful and breathtaking. The stars are fully visible at night, and the noticeable sense of peace and calm is truly special.

90% of the property is woodlands and the other 10% is open fields, with two blueline trout streams. The property’s forests, pastures, and the edges where different cover types meet provide ample and diverse habitat for wildlife. Wild turkey, eastern gray squirrels, and white-tailed deer can be seen and heard, plus at least 13 identified species of birds – one that’s a Neotropical migrant. These are birds that breed in Canada or the U.S., but winter in Mexico, Central America or South America. Because the property is part of a much larger contiguous forest, several other Neotropical migrants are likely to be in this preferred breeding habitat. Sometimes, the occasional bear passes through…sometimes, with cubs.

Bob and Kathy have lived on this land since 1981. In 1985, Kathy saw a newspaper article about FLC and reached out to the organization about possible conservation options. It took over 30 years and working with two Executive Directors for them to get comfortable with the idea of a conservation easement, but it finally “sank in” that utilizing a legal document to preserve their land didn’t mean that they’d lose control or give up any rights to it. Throughout the process, they never felt pressure to decide or do anything until they were absolutely ready.

Sometimes land preservation and conservation is a long game.

Protecting that land in perpetuity is an even longer one that FLC is uniquely suited for, and one that brings Kathy and Bob true peace of mind.