McKee Properties is very involved in the efforts of virtually every major civic and charitable organization including the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, The Village Conservancy, the Cashiers Historical Society,  The Cashiers Designer Showhouse, the Highlands Cashiers Land Trust, the North Carolina Climbers Coalition, the Rotary Club, the Cashiers Community Council, the Joy Garden Tour, the Dental Clinic, the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, the Highlands Cashiers Humane Society, the Tour de Cashiers, and many others.

In addition to these, the McKee Family and agents are very supportive of the Panthertown Valley and the alliances that support and protect it.

In 2007, the Jackson-Macon Conservation Alliance formed a partnership with the United States Forest Service called the "Friends of Panthertown" in a collaborative effort to provide for the unmet needs of Panthertown Valley. Due to budget cuts in recent years, the Forest Service doesn't have sufficient funding or personnel to provide more than minimal levels of maintenance; therefore, the Friends of Panthertown are providing funding and volunteers for much needed projects. Our mission is to conserve this outstanding natural resource while providing quality recreational opportunities and backcountry experiences for visitors. The Friends of Panthertown maintain trails, repair bridges and structures, monitor fragile ecosystems, and collaborate with stakeholders to develop solutions to natural resource issues and foster forest stewardship.

The Friends of Panthertown are working on your behalf to protect Panthertown Valley, one of the most spectacular areas in the southeast – yet it is one of the most underfunded and neglected areas in the National Forest.

Your support is needed to sustain our efforts! The Friends of Panthertown rely on membership contributions to raise funds for much needed projects and volunteer efforts to get the on-the-ground work done. Anyone interested in getting involved is encouraged to attend one of our monthly work days (which are posted on our calendar of events). With help from volunteers, the Friends of Panthertown maintain trails, repair bridges and structures, monitor fragile ecosystems, foster forest stewardship, and collaborate with numerous user groups to develop solutions to natural resource issues.The other way you can help is by making a tax-deductible membership contribution which allows us to sustain our efforts and funds much needed projects, such as: constructing a new parking lot at the Salt Rock Gap entrance, installing bulletin boards at trail heads with maps and information, marking trails, and repairing bridges & existing structures.

Become a Friend of Panthertown. Together we can maintain and protect Panthertown Valley. Join us!

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