Why is Chestnut Mountain so Important to the Region?

Chestnut Mountain lies in a wildlife corridor that provides the only northward path between Mt. Pisgah, through Sandy Mush, to Max Patch, making it essential for wildlife mobility in the region. Wildlands Network developed a wildlife corridor priority map (seen to the left) that shows how wildlife, including black bears, box turtles, timber rattlesnakes, and several other terrestrial mammals and reptiles, move. Chestnut Mountain lands in the middle of the corridor that is under high development pressure from Asheville to the east and Canton to the west.