FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Cheryl Fowler
Membership Director, Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy
828-253-0095 | cheryl@appalachian.org
ASHEVILLE, NC -- Just a few years ago, much of Little Yellow Mountain in Mitchell and Avery counties was slated for development. Today the summit of that 5,504-foot peak is totally protected thanks to the efforts of The Nature Conservancy and the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC). The two organizations recently closed on a 207-acre tract rising to the summit from the west side of the mountain, ensuring that the entire mountain top will remain free of development. Eventually, all of the property will become part of Yellow Mountain State Natural Area allowing future generations to enjoy this amazing place.
Little Yellow Mountain is an important piece of the nationally significant Roan Mountain Massif natural heritage area, one of the most biologically diverse areas in the Southern Appalachians. Seventy-six rare species of plants and animals are found there. The Roan contains an incredible mix of habitats – spruce-fir forest, grassy balds, high elevation rocky summits, and rich coves.
The Little Yellow Mountain summit conservation began in 2007 when SAHC purchased 430 acres. Since then both conservancies have bought tracts on the mountain top.
“We went from zero to more than 1,300 acres of protected land in just four years," says TNC Mountains Program Director David Ray.
“This just shows what you can accomplish when you work together," says SAHC Board member Jay Leutze, who helped negotiate the deal. “In tough economic times, we have to marshal our forces to make conservation happen.”
The land purchase required private fundraising, internal loans and a loan from The Conservation Fund. "No project is truly complete until the loans are paid off," adds Carl Silverstein, SAHC Executive Director, "but getting the top of the mountain secured for protection is worthy of a big celebration."
The mission of the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (a land trust) is to conserve the unique plant and animal habitat, clean water, local farmland and scenic beauty of the mountains of North Carolina and east Tennessee for the benefit of present and future generations.
We achieve this by forging and maintaining conservation relationships with landowners and public agencies, owning and managing land, and working with communities to accomplish their conservation objectives.
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Contact: Walter Clark
Executive Director
(828) 264-2511 | walter@blueridgeconservancy.org
BOONE, NC -- In late December, a four-year long effort to protect Pond Mountain in the northwestern corner of North Carolina was completed. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of Blue Ridge Conservancy, a private, non-profit land trust based in Boone, nearly 1,800 acres on this beautiful Ashe County mountain have been purchased and transferred to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC). The project permanently protects significant views, open space, water resources and wildlife while creating recreational and economic opportunities.
At 5,000 feet elevation, Pond Mountain overlooks the mountains of Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina. Immediately to the north are the peaks of Virginia’s Grayson Highlands State Park and Jefferson National Forest, Mount Rogers and White Top Mountain. To the west lies Tennessee’s expansive Cherokee National Forest. Visible to the east and south are the high peaks of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge. Pond Mountain is about a 30 minute drive from the mountain community of West Jefferson.
According to Walter Clark, Executive Director of Blue Ridge Conservancy, “protecting Pond Mountain involved multiple private and public partners”. “In these days of tight economic resources conserving land is challenging – it takes time, creativity and the melding together of a variety of funding resources”. The protection of Pond Mountain began with a major gift from a private donor through the Foundation for the Carolinas and was completed with substantial assistance from the North Carolina’s Natural Heritage and Clean Water Management Trust Funds.
Pond Mountain was given its name in the 1700s by Thomas Jefferson’s father, Peter Jefferson, as he was surveying the line that would become the border of North Carolina and Virginia. Jefferson chose the name because of the many natural ponds that dotted the mountain’s high ridgeline. The historic ponds point to the mountain’s special significance as an important water resource. Several important streams and creeks originate on Pond Mountain, including Big Laurel, Ripshin and Big Horse Creeks – all of which flow into the New River, a National Heritage River and one of the oldest rivers in the world. “Land conservation and water quality protection go hand in hand,” said Richard Rogers, executive director of the North Carolina Clean Water Management Trust Fund. “Both are essential to the sustainability of our natural resources and heritage and to our economy as well.”
In addition to preserving the region’s natural beauty and vital water resources, the protection of Pond Mountain is important for wildlife. Because of the mountain’s close proximity to Cherokee National Forest to the west and Jefferson National Forest to the north, protecting the area greatly expands wildlife habitat, including habitats highlighted in North Carolina’s State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP). Pond Mountain will be held by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and will eventually be open to the public for hunting and other recreational activities such as hiking and horseback riding.
“Conservation of the Pond Mountain tract will protect priority aquatic and terrestrial habitats while providing wide-ranging public recreational opportunities,” said NCWRC Director Gordon Myers. “We are thrilled to be part of this project that will protect wildlife, recreational and economic resources for North Carolina.”
Despite the economic downturn, Blue Ridge Conservancy’s success on Pond Mountain leaves the organization optimistic about future of land conservation in North Carolina. According to Clark, “protecting Pond Mountain was a major goal for our organization”. “We hope it is a first step in protecting surrounding properties, ultimately preserving thousands of acres in the northwestern corner of North Carolina.”
The mission of Blue Ridge Conservancy is to protect the natural resources of northwestern North Carolina by conserving land with significant agricultural, ecological, cultural, recreational or scenic value. Serving landowners in Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, Watauga, Wilkes, and Yancey counties, Blue Ridge Conservancy has protected a total of 16,109 acres.
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]]>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ann Barrett
The Conservation Fund
(703) 908-5809 | abarrett@conservationfund.org
TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY, NC -- The Conservation Fund today announced the $5.5 million purchase of a privately-owned 786-acre tract that represents the last, unprotected section of the storied Foothills Trail, which winds along the border between North and South Carolina. The support of Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy, a generous donation from Fred and Alice Stanback of Salisbury and a $1 million grant from the Carolina Water Management Trust Fund helped make this project possible.
By protecting this land for the State of North Carolina to ultimately purchase and manage, a corridor of conserved land will be established stretching more than nine miles along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains, including key headwaters of the French Broad River. The property sits adjacent to the 43,000-acre Jocassee Gorges, acquired in 1999, through the Fund, by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.
Preserving this property is the first phase of a potential multi-year, multi-phase effort that is contingent upon support from state and federal conservation funding programs to protect
a magnificent 8,000-acre property known as the East Fork Headwaters Tract. The tract features pristine forests, waterfalls and bogs long prized by conservationists and currently owned by former Congressman Charles Taylor and his family. Protecting this entire expanse would ensure the land is publicly available for hunting, hiking and other outdoor pursuits accessible through the property’s 100 miles of trails. The Headwaters Hunting and Fishing Club currently leases the property and manages it for hunting.
“By protecting a key nine-mile stretch of Blue Ridge crest followed by the longest yet to be protected stretch of the 70-mile Foothills Trail, The Conservation Fund has focused this first phase where the general public will get the most immediate use and good,” said R. Michael Leonard, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors for The Conservation Fund. “Hikers will be out there enjoying the magnificent views along this ridge crest between now and the New Year, and I wish that I could join them. We will also be protecting pristine headwaters and rare plants and animals, but I am glad that this first step will provide immediate enjoyment to the people of North Carolina.”
“The completion of this initial Headwater acquisition is an exciting first step that conserves some of the most significant features of the larger tract,” said Kieran Roe, Executive Director of the Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy. “Due to the cooperation of the Taylor family and the generosity of public and private funders, a key link in the corridor of conservation along the Blue Ridge Escarpment is now permanently protected for the benefit of North and South Carolina.”
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The Conservation Fund is dedicated to advancing America's land and water legacy. With our partners, we conserve land, train leaders and invest in conservation at home. Since 1985, we have helped protect nearly 7 million acres, sustaining wild havens, working lands and vibrant communities. We're a top-ranked conservation organization, effective and efficient.
Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy (CMLC), based in Hendersonville, N.C., helps landowners protect local land and water resources vital to western North Carolina’s natural heritage and quality of life. As a local nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving the region’s natural beauty, water quality, wildlife habitat, and working landscapes, CMLC has helped to create a regional network of more than 21,000 acres of protected farm, forest, park, and natural lands since 1994. CMLC offers monthly hikes and a variety of volunteer opportunities for members and the public. More information is available by calling (828) 697-5777 or on the web at www.carolinamountain.org.
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RALEIGH, NC-- The Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund recently awarded more
than $2.3 million to help communities across the state protect farmland and promote agricultural enterprises,
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler announced today.
“Momentum for protecting working farms continues to build across North Carolina, and we are glad that we
can help support 21 conservation and enterprise projects around the state,” Troxler said. “We received 45
applications requesting more than $7 million in funding. Clearly, interest in farmland protection.
Foothills Conservancy received $170,000 towards the purchase of a conservation easement on 135 acres of the Jones Farm in the Happy Valley section of Caldwell County. The farm produces cattle, corn, hay and barley.
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