Example of conservation projects in Avery County funded with state trust fund money: Grandfather Mountain Grandfather Mountain, named “Tanawha” which means “fabulous hawk or eagle” by the Cherokee, and later renamed “Grandfather” by European settlers who recognized the face of an old man in the cliffs, is recognized as an International Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. It is also the 20th most visited tourism spot in North Carolina. The Clean Water Management Trust Fund awarded $712,000, matched with a 50% donation from the owner, to The Nature Conservancy to protect forever the land along the popular profile trail up the mountain.
