• College Farm, Garden, Landscape and Forest management shall serve as a demonstration of sustainable practices for the region.
• Visitors shall be informed of the principles the College uses to manage its lands and instructed on their responsibility as guests.
C.
The aesthetic environment of the community shall be maintained including recreational areas.
• The mountain and rural setting in which the College exists also appeals to those who seek to gain personal nourishment from the land. This aspect of its function shall be preserved.
D.
The products of the land shall optimize resource yield and prioritize local use.
• Products of the land shall be prioritized first for the Warren Wilson community, then for local and regional communities. If appropriate, national markets may be sought.
• The practice of internal trading should continue to be accommodated, but it must be recognized that basing trades on fair market value may not uniformly serve the educational interests of the College.
5
Enhancement: The College shall enhance the value of its land through these principles and foster its land ethos with its neighbors in the Valley and the world.
•
Land use practices shall enhance the value of the College land and foster a similar land ethos in the surrounding communities.
•
The College shall serve as a good neighbor to surrounding landowners, cultivating relationships that build commitment to the preservation of the character and traditional functional uses of the Swannanoa Valley.
•
Conservation: The College shall survey its land holdings with the intention of recommending areas for conservation easements. As a first priority, any financial gain from the sale of conservation easements should under normal circumstances be committed to obtaining land resources that protect and enhance the current land holdings.
10