Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina

Last week, our organization announced the protection of an additional 10-acre property along Thunderhole Creek in Caldwell County. This project advances the efforts of FCNC to permanently protect the headwaters of the Catawba River and the viewshed of forested landscape seen from Blowing Rock and surrounding areas, building on our recent acquisition of a 326-acre tract in Blowing Rock that contains the source of the Johns River! Past conservation projects in the Johns River watershed include FCNC’s acquisition of 118 acres of land surrounded by Pisgah National Forest containing Burntfield Branch and a segment of the Johns River, and assisting the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission with the purchase of the Johns River Game Land, over 4,000 acres of state-owned land administered for public recreation. Read more about our Thunderhole Creek project here --> https://lnkd.in/g4aqqirz

This executive order will establish statewide conservation for forests and wetlands. We're happy that North Carolina shares our commitment to land and water conservation.

We surpassed 70,000 acres of permanent land protection with our most recent conservation acquisition in the South Mountains. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/ebyqq2Bj

We hope that each of you had a great holiday season and are settling into this new year. 2023 was a tremendous year with continued growth for our land trust and we invite you to celebrate these accomplishments with us! As we gear up for a new year, we are excited to share our 2023 Impact Report which highlights lands that we protected last year, our community based projects, and the numerous FCNC supporters who helped us make all of it possible. We are energized by everything we accomplished in 2023 with your support, and inspired to make 2024 the best year yet! View our 2023 Impact Report --> https://lnkd.in/esZ9nJZc

443-acre Prospect Ridge property was added to FCNC's Smith Cliffs Henry Fork River Preserve, connecting six previous FCNC acquisitions and significantly growing this preserve. The addition of this property creates an unbroken conservation corridor in the headwaters of the Henry Fork River and further buffers the highly significant Smith Cliffs Natural Area, which contains many rocky outcrops with rare and unique species documented by the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program. “Prospect Ridge protects several tributaries to the Henry Fork River, as well as the Smith Cliffs Natural Area, which has received an "exceptional" designation from the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program,” says Michael Gaffney, Conservation and GIS Specialist at FCNC. This preserve is also a planned segment of the Wilderness Gateway State Trail, and FCNC will design and construct several miles of public trails through the land in the upcoming years using funding from the State of North Carolina’s Complete the Trails Fund. Foothills Conservancy Preserves are designated conservation areas that are considered special and unique. Some of the preserves are not intended for public access in an effort to protect the biodiversity of the area, preserve the natural lands and conserve important watersheds. FCNC actively stewards some of these properties while others remain relatively untouched. Regardless, the goal is to permanently protect these lands under FCNC long-term ownership. The map below shows the conservation corridor that now exists along the Henry Fork.

The N.C. Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund has recently granted over $15 million to safeguard operational farms and forests, bolster county initiatives for farmland preservation, and advance agricultural ventures. This will ensure 5000 acres of farmland throughout North Carolina will be protected. We believe it is vitally important to preserve our region's farmland for both economic and environmental reasons and are happy to share that we have received two grants totaling $209,649.75 to protect 132 acres of farmland in Cleveland and Rutherford counties! https://lnkd.in/g-jpKqu5

Giving Tuesday is a great day to evaluate what matters most to you and how you want to share your valuable resources: your time & money.  If you’re looking for a nonprofit organization to give your valuable resources to today (or any day for that matter) we hope that you’ll consider sharing them with us.  When you support FCNC, you’re helping us protect and steward our region’s valuable lands, its breathtaking views, and its major rivers.  You’re also supporting the creation of public access to outdoor recreation areas and public trail construction. Donate your dollars here: https://lnkd.in/gwCvtfBq And, you can donate your time by signing up to volunteer at one of our upcoming volunteer event workdays: https://lnkd.in/edYEH7n Thank you!