MAY 13, 2010 ISSUE
A Bold New Chapter for Land Conservation in Western North Carolina
High Country Conservancy and Blue Ridge Rural Land Trust Announce Merger, Become Blue Ridge Conservancy
This week, Blue Ridge Rural Land Trust based in West Jefferson and High Country Conservancy based in Boone announced that they are joining forces to create a new organization called Blue Ridge Conservancy. Turn to page 10-A to read how the merger of these two highly respected groups has created an enhanced organization with the capacity to advance land preservation in the northwestern mountains to an unprecedented level.
A BRC-led project creating the new N.C. State Natural Area Bear Paw protects nationally significant plant communities, Hanging Rock Ridge and the headwaters of Dutch Creek, which flows through Valle Crucis on its way to the Watauga River. Photo by Lynn Willis
BRC has contributed significantly to the expansion of Elk Knob State Park, protecting land on Snake Mountain (pictured here) and other adjacent areas of the park.
At more than 5,000 feet in elevation, Pond Mountain is one of Northwestern North Carolina’s prominent mountain peaks. Decades of Christmas tree farming on Pond Mountain have contributed millions of dollars to the economic base of Ashe County and North Carolina. With the protection of Pond Mountain, dollars will continue to support the economy through hunting, horseback riding, bird watching, fishing and cycling.
BRC’s Mission Ridge project protected critical viewsheds in Valle Crucis and from Highway 194. BRC continues to work Valle Crucis to protect the area’s natural, rural character.
This week, Blue Ridge Rural Land Trust (BRRLT) based in West Jefferson and High Country Conservancy (HCC) based in Boone, announced that they are joining forces to create a new organization called Blue Ridge Conservancy.
According to John Turner, president of the newly combined organization, “The merger of these two highly respected groups has created an enhanced organization with the capacity to advance land preservation in our northwestern mountains to an unprecedented level. By joining forces, we have both strengthened our staff and board and also maximized our efficiency by eliminating previously duplicated administrative costs, conservancy functions and overlapping service areas.”
Walter Clark, Blue Ridge Conservancy’s executive director, said, “Today’s challenging economic times demand that conservation organizations carefully plan how to best utilize public and private dollars to fulfill their missions. The board and staff of Blue Ridge Conservancy feel that we have taken a huge positive step forward in fulfilling our stewardship responsibilities to the lands we serve and the donors who make our work possible.”
Blue Ridge Rural Land Trust was formed in 1997 out of a recognized need to protect the rapidly vanishing rural landscape and farmland in North Carolina’s seven northwestern counties—Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey. During its 14 years, the organization operated under the guiding principle that the “land is the stage on which we build our lives, where children form an identity as they grow up and a large part of what we call home. The landscape is a constant reminder of personal and community occurrences. When the land is developed beyond recognition, we lose much more than a visual amenity; we lose part of our community and ourselves.”
High Country Conservancy began in 1995 with the formation of the Watauga Land Trust. The group was formed by a group of ASU students concerned with protecting Howard’s Knob from encroaching development. This effort raised local awareness about the unprecedented pace of development not just around Boone, but also across North Carolina’s northwestern mountains. These concerns galvanized the local community and in 1997 the Watauga Land Trust changed its name to High Country Conservancy and expanded its jurisdiction to include Ashe, Avery and Watauga counties. The organization’s mission was “to protect the natural resources of Appalachia by conserving land with significant ecological, cultural, recreational or scenic value in the North Carolina High Country.”
The merger of High Country Conservancy and Blue Ridge Rural Land Trust creates a strong organization with the collective history of protecting more than 15,000 acres in Northwestern North Carolina. The new Blue Ridge Conservancy (BRC) will partner with private landowners to voluntarily protect farmland and lands with scenic and ecological value using conservation easements. Lands protected by conservation easement remain in private ownership, can be sold, passed to heirs and remain on county tax rolls.
BRC will also continue to work closely with state, federal and private partners to expand the public’s access to land with significant recreational, cultural and ecological value. Through these partnerships, BRC has helped protect critically important area including:
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Bear Paw State Natural Area
- Beech Creek Bog State Natural Area
- Bullhead Mountain State Natural Area
- Pond Mountain Game Lands
- Elk Knob State Park
- Three Top Mountain Game Lands
- Tater Hill Bog Preserve
- Blue Ridge Parkway lands
Walter Clark added, “The new board and staff are proud of our past accomplishments and look forward to continuing the great work started over 14 years ago by HCC and BRRLT.”
Blue Ridge Conservancy will serve Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey counties and can be contacted at P.O. Box 568, Boone, NC 28607; by calling 828-264-2511 in Boone or 336-846-2758 in West Jefferson; by emailing info@blueridgeconservancy.org; or by clicking to www.blueridgeconservancy.org.
Blue Ridge Conservancy Overview
Blue Ridge Conservancy is a local, nonprofit land trust with offices in Boone and West Jefferson. The mission of Blue Ridge Conservancy (BRC) is to protect the natural resources of Appalachia by conserving land with significant agricultural, ecological, cultural, recreational or scenic value in the North Carolina High Country.
BRC serves landowners in seven counties in Northwest North Carolina: Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, Watauga, Wilkes, and Yancey counties. To date, BRC has protected more than 15,000 acres of land. The amount of acres protected in each county is:
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Alleghany County (3,502 Acres)
- Ashe County (3,790 Acres)
- Avery County (531 Acres)
- Mitchell County (65 Acres)
- Watauga County (2,862 Acres)
- Wilkes County (4,015 Acres)
- Yancey County (484 Acres)
Utilizing a legal agreement called a conservation easement, BRC partners with a variety of private landowners who wish to voluntarily protect their land, forever. For example, BRC has worked extensively with farmland owners to voluntarily protect working and productive farms. Conservation easements allow farmers to continue working their land while ensuring it remains farmland. These farms remain in private ownership, can be sold, passed to heirs and remain on county tax rolls.
Blue Ridge Conservancy also partners with state and federal agencies to expand the public’s access to land with significant recreational, cultural and ecological value. Public partners include State Parks, Wildlife Resources Commission, Plant Conservation Program, Cultural Resources, National Park Service, Agricultural Development & Farmland Preservation Trust Fund and Clean Water Management Trust Fund. Through these partnerships Blue Ridge Conservancy has accomplished the following:
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Created Bear Paw State Natural Area
- Created Beech Creek Bog State Natural Area
- Created Bullhead Mountain State Natural Area
- Created Pond Mountain Game Lands
- Expanded Blue Ridge Parkway lands
- Expanded Elk Knob State Park
- Expanded Tater Hill Bog Preserve
- Expanded Three Top Mountain Game Lands
If you would like more information about specific BRC conservation projects completed in your county or area, contact Eric Hiegl at 828-264-2511 or Walter Clark at 336-846-2758.
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