Conservation Trust for North Carolina (CTNC) purchased a spectacular 523-acre property on Humpback Mountain in Avery and McDowell counties. The tract borders the Blue Ridge Parkway for nearly 3.5 miles between mileposts 319 and 323.

The Humpback Mountain property contains over three miles of clear-running streams. These tributaries of both the North Toe River and the North Fork Catawba River will remain pristine for wild trout populations and for drinking water supplies for downstream communities. Preservation of the property will also maintain healthy forests and wildlife habitat and will prevent any changes to a potentially developable ridge top bordering the Parkway.

The Conservation Trust purchased the tract with generous funding from Fred and Alice Stanback of Salisbury, the NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Acres for America Program.

“Conserving the Humpback Mountain tract is essential to preserving scenic views that draw millions of people to the Blue Ridge Parkway each year,” said Mark Woods, Blue Ridge Parkway Superintendent.  “We congratulate the Conservation Trust for North Carolina for protecting its fiftieth property along the Parkway.”

“Permanent protection of the Humpback Mountain property will ensure clean water downstream, contribute to a growing conserved area for habitat, and increase recreational opportunities for North Carolina families,” said Margaret Newbold, CTNC Associate Director.

Preservation of this property expands the existing wildlife corridor linking neighboring state and federally owned properties, increasing the capacity to support healthy animal populations. The tract is adjacent to CTNC’s Little Tablerock Mountain project, which CTNC protected in 2004 and subsequently conveyed to the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (WRC) for inclusion in its Game Lands program. The Conservation Trust will convey the Humpback Mountain property to WRC as well, expanding public access to conserved lands.

Protection of Humpback Mountain continues CTNC’s broader efforts, in close cooperation with local land trusts and government agencies, to protect the highest priority scenic views, streams, and forests along the Parkway. CTNC’s efforts are guided by a sophisticated GIS-based conservation plan and mapping tool to ensure that limited resources are focused on the most critical lands to conserve.

Highlights among CTNC’s 50 Parkway projects include Asheville’s 17,000-acre drinking water supply watershed, Waynesville’s 8,000-acre watershed, and a 1,500-acre property bordering the Orchard at Altapass near Spruce Pine.

CTNC and the Asheville City Council have come to a final agreement on a new conservation easement that strengthens protections for the city’s drinking water supply watershed. Recorded on January 28, the “new and improved” easement replaces one that had been in effect since 1996. (The easement is a permanent legal agreement that restricts activities on the property that could degrade water quality, forest health, wildlife habitat, or scenic views from the Blue Ridge Parkway).

Asheville’s North Fork Reservoir and Bee Tree Reservoir are fed by creeks and streams trickling down more than 17,000 forested acres in the Black Mountains.

The Asheville City Council had unanimously approved a new draft easement on December 11, 2012, and the parties worked diligently since then to complete a final document. CTNC will hold the easement, and the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC), the local land trust based in Asheville, will serve as the “backup holder” should that become necessary.

The easement’s top priority is to care for the land to ensure high water quality in the streams and reservoirs.  A key new provision is that commercial logging is prohibited on the property.  The agreement calls for a forest stewardship plan to guide activities that will maintain forest health and wildlife habitat.  And, the easement ensures that spectacular views of the watershed along fifteen miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway will remain unspoiled. 

The agreement was reached amid the backdrop of great controversy and uncertainty regarding future ownership and management of Asheville’s water system.  Members of the General Assembly are writing a bill that would transfer authority from the city to the Metropolitan Sewerage District.  The fate of that legislation remains to be determined.

“The new agreement guarantees that no matter who is in charge of Asheville’s water supply in the future, stronger protections for water quality, forest health, wildlife habitat, and scenic views will be locked into place forever,” said Reid Wilson, CTNC executive director.

The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy was a crucial partner throughout the redrafting of the agreement. “When the original easement was put into place in 1996, it was state-of-the-art. However, in the years since then, we’ve learned a great deal about how to strengthen such agreements so that they withstand the test of time. It was wise for the parties to take action to strengthen the protections for the watershed,” said Carl Silverstein, SAHC executive director.

“It was nearly 100 years ago that Asheville’s leaders began acquiring lands in the watershed,” said Marc Hunt, a member of the Asheville City Council. “They knew that protecting the land that feeds the water supply was critical to public health and economic growth.  Approval of stronger permanent protections will build on that legacy and will ensure safe and plentiful drinking water for generations to come.”

CTNC recently purchased a property that contains an important portion of the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail (OVT) near Spruce Pine and the Orchard at Altapass, and which is highly visible from the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The 128-acre property in McDowell County is located at the Heffner Gap Overlook (Parkway milepost 326) and is visible from both the Heffner Gap and Bear Den overlooks. The tract lies between two other properties that CTNC previously protected: the 1,488-acre CSX conservation easement and the 534-acre Rose Creek/OVT Natural Area, which is now managed by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission as a state game land.

The tract contains a short but critical section of the OVT that links nearly 1.6 miles of the Trail on the CSX easement with a 1.3-mile section on the Rose Creek property. The OVT traces the route taken by colonial militia to the pivotal battle of Kings Mountain during the American Revolution.

National Park Service (NPS) Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail Superintendent Paul Carson said, “CTNC’s protection of this property will open up a new section of the trail for public use and we look forward to working with CTNC and the Blue Ridge Parkway to extend the trail for public enjoyment. It is especially exciting because so much of the surrounding landscape and views from the trail will remain as they were at the time the patriots traveled this route.”

Blue Ridge Parkway Superintendent Phil Francis added, “Stunning views from the Heffner Gap and Bear Den Overlooks will remain unspoiled because this property was conserved. It’s especially important since the tract is so close to the Parkway boundary.”

“Protecting this property will provide multiple benefits for generations to come,” said Reid Wilson, CTNC executive director. “Beautiful views from two Parkway overlooks are preserved, a portion of the Overmountain Victory Trail will connect two longer sections on either side for hikers, and the forest and wildlife habitat will remain healthy.”

CTNC purchased the property on December 21, 2012, for $700,000 from John & Anna Watson of Atlanta, GA with a $544,000 grant from the NC Department of Transportation’s Scenic Byways Program as well as funds from the NC Environmental Enhancement Grants Program and Fred & Alice Stanback of Salisbury.

CTNC anticipates transferring the property to the National Park Service to be incorporated within the official boundaries of the Blue Ridge Parkway unit and dedicated as an official section of the NPS Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail. The OVT will soon be open on the Heffner Gap tract.

After 11 years, the National Park Service (NPS) and the Town of Blowing Rock have completed an important land exchange that adds 192 pristine forested acres to the Parkway’s official boundary. In return, Blowing Rock received from NPS a 20-acre property that contains the town’s drinking water reservoir.

In 2001, CTNC kicked off the process by purchasing the 192-acre Johns River Gorge property before a developer could implement plans to build homes there. The tract, adjacent to Moses Cone Park and US Forest Service lands, contains healthy forests and wildlife habitat, and a beautiful hiking trail along the pristine waters of China Creek. (The trail will be available for public use).

The town of Blowing Rock and CTNC worked together to secure a grant from the NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund so that the town could purchase the property from CTNC in 2003. Since then, NPS and Blowing Rock have been working together to trade the properties. Federal land exchanges require congressional approval, and in 2010 President Obama signed into law the bill that both houses passed.

This is a huge win for the forest, creek, and trails. Thank you to all of you who communicated with your congressional offices and/or submitted supportive comments to the National Park Service.