22,000-acre conservation milestone achieved!
Blue Ridge Conservancy has now conserved over 22,000 acres of land in northwest North Carolina. Two recent projects in Wilkes County enabled us to reach this benchmark in the final days of 2020.
Despite the challenges, restrictions, and unknowns faced this year, land protection success remained steady. This month BRC closed on two projects in Wilkes County, adding land to existing conservation easements and further protecting the scenic beauty, cultural history, and ecological richness of the Brushy Mountains.
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Valle Crucis Park trail extended through Blue Ridge Conservancy farmland
Click here to watch a virtual ribbon cutting of the new grass path at the Valle Crucis Park.
In 2015, Blue Ridge Conservancy (BRC) received a donation of 21.7 acres of farmland located within the Valle Crucis Historic District along NC Scenic Byway 194. Thanks to the generosity of John and Faye Cooper, longtime residents, conservationists and owners of Mast General Store, this scenic property will forever remain as agricultural and recreational land along Dutch Creek and the Watauga River.
Last spring a major stream restoration project improved the integrity Dutch Creek. The property is now more conducive for agriculture and is safer for public access. A new, unpaved trail extends from the Valle Crucis Park loop through the field offering additional opportunities for fishing, exercising, bird watching, and more.
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Watauga River Access Completed on Guy Ford Road
The Lower Gorge River Access site off of Guy Ford Road in Watauga County is open to the public thanks to the collaboration of several organizations and many individual donors interested in ensuring the riverfront property become a community park. The park’s infrastructure including a parking lot, loading ramp, signage and railings were completed in August of 2020.
Watch the virtual ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening of the Lower Gorge Access on the Watauga River.
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Blue Ridge Conservancy receives $1 Million from the North Carolina Land and Water Fund
The North Carolina Land and Water Fund (NCLWF), formerly known as the Clean Water Management Trust Fund, awarded Blue Ridge Conservancy (BRC) $1,064,895 toward the purchase of land on Three Top Mountain in Ashe County.
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