Mainspring Conservation Trust’s mission is to preserve and celebrate Macon County’s oldest environmental resources, and they have a few big ideas about how to do that in 2022.
Last summer, Mainspring tore down the old Simpson Oil building on East Main Street adjacent to their headquarters in anticipation of building a new green space. Mainspring has owned that land since 2018 and has been consistently applying for grant funding from the Environmental Protection Agency to clean it up (former oil sites, or “brownfields,” have to follow strict state rules when they’re converted to something else) but they haven’t had any luck yet. Deputy director Ben Laseter said it’s hard to get the money for public recreational space.
“The criteria the EPA uses prioritizes economic development,” Laseter said. “If you’re building a hospital or some kind of busines, they tend to favor that over building a green space.”
According to communications director Molly Phillips, the project doesn’t need to be in a big rush anyway. Mainspring is working closely with the Nikwasi Initiative as they develop a plan for the Nikwasi Mound to evolve as a cultural heritage education destination. Phillips expects that by the time they do secure grant funding, they’ll have a clearer idea on how to maximize the land’s use.
“If you’re impatient, a lot of MCT projects would frustrate you,” Phillips said. “But sometimes a lull is a good thing because it gives an idea time to grow.”
Art project
A shorter-term deliverable is coming to Mainspring’s main site in the form of a new art project. The massive oil tanks left behind by the old Duncan Oil company have been an eyesore for years, but now Mainspring is partnering with artist Scott Allred to adorn the tanks with murals based on the four pillars of Mainspring’s mission statement – waters, forests, farms and heritage. Allred has worked on several high-profile murals in Asheville and, weather permitting, he thinks he can have similar installations up in Franklin by May. Laseter says that transforming the tanks into an asset to the area is a reflection of Mainspring’s purpose that they’ve been brainstorming about for years.
“We kept them around all these years because we always knew we could do something good with them,” Laseter said. “We didn’t know exactly what, but we knew there was something.”
Accessible trails
Another key project is happening at Queen Branch Trail. Construction crews are working on the grade of the trail to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Hiking is a major draw for the Franklin area, so making more trails available to visitors with mobility issues is a natural improvement.
“We realize that when we don’t have those accessibility options, we’re keeping people with disabilities stuck inside and we’re keeping their caretakers stuck inside,” Phillips said.
While it’s hard to put a dollar figure on the impact of natural resource preservation, Phillips says that Mainspring is keeping economic progress in mind. People making a trip to see Franklin are drawn to nature as much as anything else, so keeping Franklin beautiful means making Franklin more marketable.
“People come to Franklin for the green space that we have,” Phillips said. “For Franklin, this is economic development.”
For more information on Mainspring Conservation Trust and their upcoming projects, call them at 828-524-2711 or go online to www.mainspringconserves.org.