“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.

“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.”

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.