“Payne Branch Park has been a public access picnic and fishing area for about 15 years and now that the dam is gone, it is a safer and more accessible area,” said Blue Ridge Conservancy’s Wendy Patoprsty.
When complete, Payne Branch Park will become a spur trail for the Middle Fork Greenway.
Read More“So much of conservation work is about building lasting and trusting relationships within the community,” said Blue Ridge Conservancy Executive Director, Charlie Brady. “The landowner initially reached out to Blue Ridge Conservancy through a board trustee to discuss protecting this unique tract in the Linville Gorge. We’re thrilled to be a partner in this project to add the land to Pisgah National Forest.”
Read MoreBlue 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.
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.
