Among the benefits of the 960-acre conservation in McDowell County, North Carolina, are protections of rare species and of headwater streams.
North Carolina lands are to be the site of a future trail through Burke and Caldwell counties.
The Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina has scored another conservation victory with the purchase of 960 acres along the Pinnacle Mountains in McDowell County. The tract includes three large areas designated by the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program as ecologically important. It houses a number of rare species and almost two miles of headwater streams for a public water supply in the Broad Run watershed.
The non-profit conservancy will manage the land for environmental protection and begin planning for a section of the Wilderness Gateway State Trail —projected to meander through Burke and Caldwell counties—in the future. The purchase was made through grants from the North Carolina Land and Water Fund and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and a bargain price from the landowner, Tim Sweeney, who shares the goal of preserving its natural value. foothillsconservancy.org
The story above first appeared in our September / October 2022 issue.
