Nine awards honor local leaders, businesses during 72nd Annual Membership Meeting for Boone Chamber

The Boone Area Chamber of Commerce held its 72nd Annual Membership Meeting Tuesday Night at Valle Crucis Community Park. Blue Ridge Conservancy was honored with the everGREEN Award for Sustainability, which is presented to a business, organization, project, or person who has furthered the inclusion and integration of sustainable development principles. The award is sponsored by Mast General Store.

From the chamber’s press release: “Blue Ridge Conservancy (BRC) partners with landowners and local communities in northwest North Carolina to permanently protect natural resources that have agricultural, cultural, recreational, ecological, and scenic value. BRC’s land conservation projects protect the region’s vital and vulnerable natural resources.

Over the past year, BRC continued to work with Grandfather Mountain State Park to offer expanded opportunities for public access and recreation in this popular area. This work coincides with similar efforts around Elk Knob State Park and Three Top Mountain Game Land in Ashe County, where BRC completed a series of projects resulting in the conservation of over 1,000 contiguous acres on Three Top Mountain.

BRC has advanced opportunities for outdoor recreation and environmental education. The Conservancy plays a pivotal role in expanding public access to land for hiking, biking, water paddling, hunting, and fishing. The Conservancy’s premier recreation project, the Middle Fork Greenway, will connect Blowing Rock to Boone, providing safe and healthy access to nature for residents and visitors while protecting the environment and strengthening the local economy. The organization recently moved into his new headquarters on a conservation campus off Aho Road, which will become a centerpiece for community outreach and education moving forward.