SPRUCE PINE, N.C. (AUGUST 12, 2026)—A free, one-day workshop to help North Carolina farmers and forest owners better manage their lands and execute succession planning will be held August 26 at Mayland Community College in Spruce Pine. The workshop will feature presentations from several nonprofit forestry- and conservation-focused organizations, including the Sustainable Forestry and Land Retention Project, the Black Family Land Trust, the Land Loss Prevention Project and the NC Agricultural Mediation Program (NCAMP).
The “Preserve, Plan, Prosper” workshop is designed to help farmers and forest owners improve the health and productivity of their land. Presenters will identify technical and financial resources available to landowners. The event also gives attendees the chance to interact with attorneys versed in estate planning and heirs’ property issues.
The workshop will take place from 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. in the community college’s Sam Center Auditorium. Lunch is provided, and registration is required. To register, go to: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/gvegyur
“The North Carolina Agricultural Mediation Program is proud to participate in this workshop,” said Bob Holbert, mediation director of NCAMP and FARMVA. “Farm succession planning is an important goal of our organization, and we feel the landowners in this area – the High Country of North Carolina – would greatly benefit from attending.”
The Sustainable Forestry and Land Retention Project helps forest owners in 16 counties in eastern North Carolina increase the income and asset value of family-owned forestland. It also encourages forest health, land retention and the opportunity to create intergenerational wealth. The Black Family Land Trust, also based in North Carolina, is one of the nation’s only conservation land trusts dedicated to the preservation and protection of African-American and other historically underserved landowners’ assets. The Land Loss Prevention Project provides legal support and assistance to financially distressed and limited resource farmers and landowners in North Carolina. The NC Agricultural Mediation Program provides mediation for disputes involving agricultural producers directly affected by U.S. Department of Agriculture actions and other covered disputes.
The workshop is among many activities taking place under the auspices of the Atlantic Conservation Coalition, a partnership of state agencies and nonprofit organizations working together to protect and restore vital coastal habitats, peatlands, and forests across the eastern United States.
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This project has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under assistance agreement 3D25824 to the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency, nor does the Environmental Protection Agency endorse trade names or recommend the use of commercial products mentioned in this document, as well as any images, video, text, or other content created by generative artificial intelligence tools, nor does any such content necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency EPA.