Facilitating the permanent protection of land in Western North Carolina for future generations is the purpose of CTNC’s Mountain Revolving Loan Fund (MRLF). This fund often allows land trusts to get a project over the finish line.
The CTNC Mountain Revolving Loan Fund provides two benefits for land conservation:
- It provides bridge financing with minimal interest to land trusts in Western North Carolina for the purchase of conservation land and easements. As loans are repaid, the money becomes available to re-lend
- A percentage of the balance of the loan fund is given out each year in grant awards. Grants of up to $25,000 are not required to be paid back.
This year, CTNC is pleased to fund six different land acquisition projects to five land trusts totaling over $111,000. Congratulations to Blue Ridge Conservancy, Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina, Conserving Carolina, Piedmont Land Conservancy, and Mainspring Conservation Trust for receiving awards during this grant cycle.
This investment will help permanently protect and manage 612 acres of land in Western North Carolina. We’re proud to support the work of our partner land trusts in this way.
These grants are made possible by the support of generous CTNC donors. These investments make a lasting impact on their communities and permanently protect critical conservation land in Western North Carolina that might otherwise be developed. By working in collaboration with the greater land trust community, CTNC is able to help our partners protect additional land beyond our own focus area along the Blue Ridge Parkway.