Get Involved

The Land Trust for the Little Tennessee (LTLT) is a community-based nonprofit which, since 1999, has been a key agent for the protection of more than 12,000 acres, including riverfront lands along 35 miles of the free-flowing Little Tennessee River.

Our mission is to conserve the waters, forests, farms and heritage of the upper Little Tennessee and Hiwassee River valleys.

Become involved in our efforts to conserve this magnificent, historic landscape by joining LTLT!

A Campaign to Conserve the Historic Landscape of the  Upper Little Tennessee River Valley!

On the eve of the American Revolution, 250 years ago, the upper Little Tennessee Valley was the heartland of the mountain Cherokee. It was also at the center of historic forces that would shape the birth of our nation, as first British, and then Colonial interests clashed with those of the native people for control of the principal trade route through the southern mountains. The September 1776 colonial military campaign against Cowee was the "Lexington and Concord" of the American Revolution in the South.

With more than 36 miles of river valley conserved since 1999, we still have a chance to keep intact much of this historic landscape.

Individual & Family Membership

Thank you for your interest in joining in LTLT. Click here to access our web-based application.

Membership Form

Gifts of Stock and Securities

When you donate stock or other securities to LTLT, you can take an income tax charitable deduction for the entire current value of the stock on the date it is donated (if you itemize). You can deduct the full current value of the stock that you donate, not the amount you originally paid for it. As an added bonus, when you donate appreciated securities, you will not have to pay any capital gains tax on those assets (if they have been held for more than one year). In effect, you can make a larger gift at a lower cost. For these reasons, a gift of appreciated securities may be one of the best ways for you to support LTLT.

Honor & Memorial Gifts

Memorial Gifts - A memorial gift is a meaningful way to remember someone who has passed on. Memorial gifts may be sent to "Land Trust for the Little Tennessee," P. O. Box 1148, Franklin, NC 28744. Please indicate who is ging remembered, as well as who should be notified of the memorial gift (e.g., a surviving spouse, parent, or child), along with a mailing address for that individual.

Business Membership

Meet our current Business Members >

Our Business Membership Levels:

$250 Business Bronze Member - Listing in our annual report, distributed to 2,000 of our members, donors, and friends, along with a complimentary copy of our annual Little Tennessee River Valley calendar, and your business name listed on our web site.

$500 Business Silver Member - Listing in all our newsletters and annual report, distributed to over 2,000 of our members, donors, and friends, five copies of the annual Little Tennessee River Valley calendar, and a listing on our web site along with a link to your company’s web site.

$1,000 Business Gold Member - Silver member benefits, plus your logo in our annual Little Tennessee River Valley calendar, and your company’s logo added to the web link to your company’s web site.

$2,500 Business Platinum Member - Gold member benefits, plus recognition as a featured sponsor of our annual fall celebration. You will also receive a link to your company’s web site with your logo, plus a 20 word description on our web site.

Additional opportunities to promote our Business Members will be offered as they become available during the year.

All donations are tax deductible.

Creative Ways to Give

Besides direct gifts of cash, there are many ways you can contribute to LTLT . . .

Providing for LTLT in Your Will

A BRIEF GUIDE TO PLANNED GIVING

In all honesty, not many of us like to think ahead about our final days and our final words. In fact, half of us pass on without a written estate plan. Yet we all have an opportunity to leave a lasting legacy that speaks of what we are about and what we hope for those we leave behind.

Planned giving provides the tools for each of us to make a meaningful final statement about what we love and cherish and hold dear. Whether honoring a loved one or a favorite charity, our planned gifts provide support that continues long after the reading of a last will and testament.

Listed below are some of the most common bequest and trust arrangements. This information is general in nature; we strongly recommend that you consult your attorney and your tax or financial advisors to draw up an estate plan that is specific to your interests and needs.

Volunteering

Your time is just as valuable as any monetary contribution. LTLT needs your help with land stewardship to keep up the good work that has been started on the land we own and manage on invasive exotic plant (IEP) species control, general trash clean up, and restoration planting. We also use volunteers on specific projects in the office such as mailings and record keeping, and during our larger events we need volunteers to help with parking, item sales, and general organization. For more information, contact Kate Parkerson.