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Dupont State Forest: Making a Hidden Treasure a Public Resource

Once a private, hidden treasure, DuPont State Recreational Forest is now beloved by millions thanks to MountainTrue and a broad coalition

By Jeff Jennings, MountainTrue member and former director of Friends of DuPont Forest

When I first moved to Western North Carolina more than 30 years ago, a colleague took me on a memorable drive through the deeply forested acres surrounding the DuPont company’s Brevard film plant. It was not a small patch of woods — the company owned 11,000 acres and used it to ensure water supply, entertain customers and offer employees amazing outdoor opportunities. I remember when we stopped to look at Triple Falls, it seemed unbelievable that such a jewel was basically our very own to enjoy.

Today, with visitation surging to about 1.3 million last year, DuPont State Recreational Forest has established itself as one of Western North Carolina’s top draws for both tourism and local outdoor recreation. With approximately ⅓ of its 12,000 acres dedicated as NC Nature Preserve, the property protects numerous endangered plants and animals while contributing to clean water, public health, and the local tax base.

An extremely broad-based coalition of individuals and groups is to thank for saving this significant land from becoming yet another private golf course after the DuPont company left the area. While some groups in the coalition are well known, many people may be unaware of MountainTrue’s role in establishing the public forest, which lies in both Transylvania and Henderson Counties.

In 1995, I was working as an engineer in the DuPont’s Research and Development group when DuPont announced that it was selling the X-ray film plant to a private equity company while putting 7600 acres of its more remote forest on the market. Most people assumed that this land would turn into housing developments sprawling along the roadways. Hooker Falls was part of this tract, but the iconic High Falls, Triple Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls remained with the X-ray film plant as a private “donut hole”.

I was also President of the Environmental and Conservation Organization (ECO) at that time. Established in the late 1980s, ECO served as the leading local conservation advocacy group in and around Henderson County. Founded by Mary Jo Padgett, the organization was a forerunner and founding partner of MountainTrue, which was formed in 2015 when several regional groups consolidated.

When I heard the news about the film plant’s sale, I was in a perfect position to see if there was a way to conserve the property and open it to all. I made calls to corporate headquarters and learned that DuPont had a Land Legacy program that could facilitate this. I contacted Chuck McGrady, former executive director of ECO and then president of what is now Conserving Carolina, who brought in contacts at the national Conservation Fund, which facilitated the sale of this original tract to NC for less than $300/acre in 1996.

At that time, most local people had heard of the private forest around DuPont but only insiders were familiar with what a spectacular resource it was. The public learned about DuPont State Forest primarily through the ECO website, which hosted virtually the only source of information about the forest for the first eight years. Maps, photos, and trail guides were available online. Hand-drawn trail maps were color copied and sold at the local Visitor’s Centers to raise funds for ECO. The trails were wildly popular with adventuresome backcountry hikers and equestrians and (eventually) mountain bikers. But the parking and accommodations were extremely limited, and the crowds were only a tiny fraction of what we have today.

In the year 1999, the new owner of the X-ray film plant decided to sell to yet another company, but this time the spectacular waterfalls were being sold to the highest bidder in a private sale. A major Asheville golf course developer appeared to have the inside track during private negotiations and was able to outbid the State of North Carolina. No final bid was offered to the State, even though it owned the surrounding forest and had funds to match the bid.

In 2000, a band of conservationists, hikers, mountain bikers, equestrians, and outdoorsmen formed Friends of the Falls to advocate for the legal condemnation of the property in the public interest. The group, which included several ECO leaders, utilized ECO as the fiscal agent to receive contributions. The effort to save the waterfalls from private golf course development was highly controversial, and it was by no means clear that we would be successful. We fought this battle primarily through the internet, with the informal DuPont State Forest Home Page being hosted on ECO’s website. The website funneled email, faxes, and phone calls to the Governor, generating the largest number of communications to the Executive Branch in NC history.

The campaign culminated on October 23, 2000 when Governor Hunt and the Council of State voted to condemn the 2700-acre donut hole, forcing a sale to the State. This added the majestic three waterfalls to the Forest, while dramatically upgrading trail connectivity and increasing acreage. The forest opened to the public two months later in December.

In April, 2001, Friends of the Falls evolved into the 501(c)3 Friends of DuPont Forest (FODF). I served as the founding president, along with several ECO and Conserving Carolina leaders. FODF volunteers served significant roles in the early years of the Forest. 21 years later, FODF has grown to 800 members with the mission of maintaining trails, protecting delicate habitat and biodiversity and encouraging sustainable public enjoyment of the forest. MountainTrue cooperates with FODF in projects such as invasive plant removal and water quality monitoring, and advocates in the General Assembly for funding for the Forest.

While names have changed, MountainTrue members should reflect on the contributions that their organization has made for DuPont and other projects throughout the region. Today, it is difficult to imagine Hendersonville or Brevard without access to High Falls, Triple Falls, Cedar Rock or Fawn Lake. For me, working with others to protect these gems for the future and share them with all people has been one of the most significant honors of my life.