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North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Conservancy Gets Busy

This stream is part of the 3,680-acre Pond Mountain Game Land, a North Carolina protected area that recently grew by 217 acres.

The Blue Ridge Conservancy is having a busy season in North Carolina’s Ashe County working toward realizing its mission of land conservation. The group purchased 90 acres on Three Top Mountain, which in combination with another 450 acres it owns will eventually be added to the state’s Three Top Mountain Game Land. The new tract features a mature hemlock forest and headwaters of the New River.

“Forests support biodiversity, help stabilize the climate, and provide recreational opportunities for the community,” says the conservancy’s Eric Hiegl. The group also recently transferred 217 acres to the state to add to the 3,680-acre Pond Mountain Game Land. The tract is the source of Big Laurel Creek, a classified “outstanding” water resource, and is designated for recreation such as horseback riding, hunting, fishing and cross country skiing. Funding for both projects was provided by North Carolina philanthropists and conservationists Fred and Alice Stanback. blueridgeconservancy.org

The story above first appeared in our May / June 2022 issue.

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