Dear Friends,
As the end of the year passes, it's the perfect time to pause and reflect on the many donors and friends who have made such a huge difference for Blue Ridge Conservancy. With your help we continue to successfully fulfill our mission of protecting the agricultural, scenic, cultural, recreational, and ecological resources of northwest North Carolina.
Although 2011was a challenging year for the economy and for land conservation, it was a year of “milestones” for Blue Ridge Conservancy. At the end of 2011, we had added six new properties to BRC’s list of protected lands bringing our total of conserved lands to over 16,400 acres. In 2011 we completed projects that expanded conserved land along the Watauga River in Valle Crucis, helped protect the beautiful rural landscape in the Brushy Mountains of Wilkes County, and expanded an existing conservation easement near Elk Knob State Park. We also purchased the last parcel on Pond Mountain in Ashe County, completing a 1,800 acre acquisition process that began nearly five years ago.
In addition to actively conserving “new” land, BRC is responsible for stewarding 12,500 acres on 156 protected parcels. To fulfill this obligation we must visit each property annually to insure that conservation values are maintained. In many ways, this is like managing a huge park spread over 156 sites in seven counties. It’s a daunting task but crucial to permanently protecting the heritage of our land conservation efforts.
Blue Ridge Conservancy not only has an excellent record in land protection, but also a solid record of protecting land as efficiently as possible. The current economy demands that all non-profits find
innovative ways to do more with less. In 2010 BRC was created from the merger of High Country Conservancy and Blue Ridge Rural Land Trust. The merger resulted in an annual savings of over $100,000. And we didn’t stop there. Over the last year, we have continued to find greater efficiency through voluntary staff restructuring, saving an additional $46,000. All of this represents a 40% reduction over what it would have cost to support two separate organizations. These are savings that can now go directly to land conservation.
Although we promise to continue to protect land as efficiently as possible, our success is directly tied to the support we receive from you. As you consider your end-of-year giving, please remember Blue Ridge Conservancy with a donation that will conserve the beautiful land and water resources in northwest North Carolina. Below is a drop down donation button with our Membership Levels. If you want to consider a gift but wish to do so over time, an annual pledge is also a great way to support BRC.
Thank you and best wishes to you and your family in the new year.
Warmest regards,
Walter Clark
Executive Director
