Land Protection Intro

Named for its trio of prominent rock outcroppings, Three Top Mountain supports a variety of recreational opportunities, as well as rich ecology and abundant wildlife.

Three Top Mountain, Ashe Co, 615 acres & 90 acres

In recent years, BRC has worked to purchase land on the eastern end of Three Top Mountain. NC Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) currently manages the Three Top Mountain Game Land on the western two thirds of the mountain. Until 2018 the entire eastern end of the mountain was privately owned. Since that time BRC has acquired nine tracts of land totaling 1,150 acres.

In early 2021, BRC transferred 615 acres of land to the NCWRC to become part of Three Top Mountain Game Land. With this transfer, BRC has conserved 1,150 acres at Three Top, bringing the total area to over 3,100 acres of protected land.

Important for conservation due to its biodiversity, and designated as “exceptional” by the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program, the Three Top Mountain Game Land addition includes over three miles of headwater streams of the North Fork New River and expands the protected range for wildlife habitat and migration corridors. The additional acreage also includes a new public access for recreational opportunities such as hunting, hiking, and birding.

Then in December of 2021, BRC purchased an additional 90 acres that will eventually be added to the Game Land. The remote property is entirely forested, with elevation ranging from 3,320 feet to 4,280 feet. A mature Carolina hemlock forest is located on the eastern ridge of the property and a headwater stream originates on the property, which flows into the North Fork New River.

Three Top is part of the Amphibolite mountain group, a mountain chain containing a calcium-rich rock rare in the southern Blue Ridge. Located in Ashe and Watauga counties, the Amphibolites also include Howard Knob, Elk Knob, Snake Mountain, Phoenix Mountain, Paddy Mountain, and Mount Jefferson. “Acquiring land for public access and ecological protection has always been a priority for Blue Ridge Conservancy. The significant expansion of Three Top Mountain Game Land provides permanent protection of large forested tracts which are important in providing climate resiliency for many species.”

Beale Family Property, Wilkes Co, 93 acres & 300 acres

Blue Ridge Conservancy is now the owner of 393 acres of farmland and river frontage in Wilkes County thanks to a generous gift from the estate of Dr. Judith Beale. Dr. Beale’s love for the outdoors was well-known, and her donation to BRC encompasses two large tracts of undeveloped land: 93 acres outside Elkin and 300 acres on the Yadkin River, including ½ mile of river frontage.

As part of its mission to permanently protect natural resources with agricultural value in northwest North Carolina, BRC will place both properties under conservation easements, which are legal agreements that will permanently keep the property in agricultural use. 213 acres of the Beale properties are noted as “prime farmland,” a designation assigned by the US Department of Agriculture for land that has the best combination of characteristics for producing crops.

“Blue Ridge Conservancy is humbled by Dr. Beale’s generosity,” says BRC Executive Director Charlie Brady. “The Beale farm provides an important opportunity to permanently protect farmland along the Yadkin River in a historic section of Wilkes County. Equally exciting is protecting the corridor for the Overmountain Victory State Trail (OVST) and National Historic Trail. A trail easement across the Beale farm could become the keystone for the OVST to connect the towns of Wilkesboro, North Wilkesboro, and Elkin.”

Estate gifts like Dr. Beale’s protect undeveloped land in perpetuity and demonstrate a deep-rooted commitment to conservation. This means that our children, our grandchildren, and all future generations will be blessed with the same clean mountain air, fresh drinking water, and healthy local foods that we enjoy today. It means they will have even greater opportunities to explore the natural world. And it means the inherent spirit of this region, the natural and cultural heritage that makes our mountains such a special place to call home, will endure. What better way to make your own contribution to this legacy than to include a gift to BRC in your will?

If you have included BRC in your estate plan, we would appreciate the opportunity to thank you for your support. To notify us of a planned estate gift or to learn more about BRC’s planned giving opportunities contact Caroline Poteat at 828264-2511 or caroline@blueridgeconservancy.org .

“Growing up, Judith Beale spent many hours walking around her family farms. As an avid walker throughout her life, Judy would have enjoyed the future trails that would connect two of her many loves, the family farm, and the town of Elkin.

Her father, Dr. Seth M. Beale, who was loved throughout Elkin and Wilkes County, loved farming and he would be ecstatic to know that the farmland will be kept in agricultural use.”

- Seth Beale,

Judith Beale’s nephew

Leave Your Legacy on the Land - Planned Giving

There are many ways to make an estate gift to BRC:

Bequests: A bequest is one of the easiest and most flexible ways to leave a gift to BRC through your estate. Gifts of cash, securities, or other property can be included in your will or living trust.

Retirement Accounts: You may designate BRC as a beneficiary of your IRA, 401k, or other retirement savings plan.

Life Insurance. You may name BRC as a beneficiary of your life insurance policy.

Real Property: BRC can accept gifts of real estate, with or without high conservation value. Properties with high conservation value will be preserved. Properties without high conservation value will be sold, and the income used to support BRC’s mission.

Life Income Gifts: Life income gifts allow you to make a gift to BRC while guaranteeing income for yourself or your family in the future. Gift options include Charitable Gift Annuities, Charitable Remainder Unitrusts, and Charitable Remainder Annuity Trusts.