Friend of the Foothills & FLC Conservation Easement Donor, Sally Chaffin, on the importance of land conservation!

November 27, 2019 Conservation Easements, FLC Supporters


“I’ve lived in East Tennessee all of my life and have seen a lot of changes and that includes watching nearby farms being sold and turned into residential and commercial lots. You cannot take land with you my goal has always been to buy land for the purpose of preserving it. It’s important for me to be a good steward of my farm and its natural features. – Sally Chaffin

Sally with Annie - Nov. 2019

(Above) Sally Chaffin, pictured with her miniature Sicilian donkey, Annie, on her farm in Knox County, TN. (Below) Sally also raises several families of Nubian goats. goats in gif

Back in 2008, Sally Chaffin reached out to the staff at FLC. She had heard about a way for land owners to permanently protect their property from development while continuing to own and farm the land. Her 87 acre property is special to her and to FLC. It has its share of native species like quail, bluebirds, and brown thrashers, as well as migratory wildlife. One area of the property has a steep, wooded bluff with diverse plant species that includes the yellow water buttercup, butternut tree and Appalachian bugbane. And, her land held the one-time state record 100 foot tall sassafras tree. The tree died but the log remains. In addition to raising Nubian goats and chickens, Sally has close to 50 acres from which she harvests hay. In Sally’s words, preserving this special place with a conservation easement was the perfect solution:

“Being able to legally preserve the property in the way I wanted to and still be able to farm, own, and bequest it to family was an ideal solution, and frankly, a huge peace of mind. Organizations, like FLC, are here for the landowner and their tools assist us with retaining farmland, woodlands, scenic views, wildlife and ultimately our region’s character.”

Your ongoing support is more important than ever as Foothills expands our efforts to preserve farmland, woodlands and scenic areas across the Southeast!

Join Sally and other FLC Friends in renewing your pledge to fund our programs.

EVERY GIFT MAKES A DIFFERENCE!

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To print and mail in an FLC donation form, please click here.

Please contact the FLC office at 865-681-8326 if you wish to donate utilizing an IRA Charitable Rollover, donor advised fund, or a gift of appreciated assets, securities or land parcels.