Catawba Lands Conservancy/Carolina Thread Trail Fall-Winter 2021 Newsletter

FALL/WINTER

Mountain Creek Preserve

30 YEARS STRONG Celebrating three decades of conservation and determination

ometimes great endeavors begin with commonsense notions.

Mountain Island resident Mary McDaniel wanted to protect the quality of the drinking water around her community 30 years ago. After all, it was a water source for hundreds of thousands of people, so she did not want its shores becoming overdeveloped. In 1991, she brought together a group of like-minded people around her dining room table to see what could be done. Little did she know that the group would one day become the Catawba Lands Conservancy.

McDaniel and her band of volunteers, which included ecologists and activists according to former Executive Director Tom Okel, began attracting media attention and then the ear of local government officials. She chose the name Save Mountain Island Lake for Everyone (SMILE) for her organization. Her efforts bore fruit rapidly as Mecklenburg County proposed a $5.6 million bond that same year to allow the county to buy the lakefront property McDaniel wanted to safeguard.

The county’s decision infused SMILE with confidence, name recognition and larger dreams. The group realized there was a need for conservation work along the Catawba River Basin and formed an official nonprofit. Ron Altmann served as its leader during its first decade. In 1995, the Conservancy acquired and protected its first property, the Catawba Wildflower Glen just below Mountain Island Lake. Later that year, it completed its first conservation easement along Lake Wylie.

Slowly the Conservancy grew from a grassroots advocacy organization without funding into a respected and nationally

father and uncle purchased about 80 acres of land for roughly $100. Eventually, the two men split up the land, and the siblings kept their father’s share that had not been previously sold off.

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“We didn’t want anybody to build any houses on the property,” Joyce Burt said. “We didn’t want to sell the land; we wanted to keep it as it was, as wild and free as it could be.

Stanley Creek Forest Conservation Area Gaston County, N.C.

It has all kinds of wildflowers and plants, open fields, a forest, a small creek. There are swirling Ladies’ Tresses with small white flowers that go up the stem that are gorgeous.”

Burt and Wallace also spot foxes, raccoons, rabbits, Swallowtail and Common Buckeye Butterflies and hummingbirds roaming and soaring through their natural habitat.

“I’m really glad somebody had the brains to get the Conservancy started, so we can have areas that are appropriate for wildlife to live in instead of just humans,” Burt said. “We are a part of nature, and we have to realize we all need to have a place to live.”

accredited land trust that has conserved more than 240 properties totaling over 17,000 acres across seven counties. Its mission is still to protect local drinking water, but has expanded to also protect wildlife and local farms, as well as provide the public with a direct connection to the Striking the right balance between natural world. conservation and urban development exists as a part of the Conservancy’s DNA in large part thanks to Frank Bragg. He joined the Board Private landowners who share the of Directors in 1996 and served on it for 12 Conservancy’s vision have played an years, two of them as Board Chair. Bragg instrumental role in its success over the years. brought his financial background as a Joyce Burt and Danny Wallace, siblings and Registered Investment Advisor with him to landowners in Mount Holly, decided to enter into his work with the Conservancy, helping a conservation easement with the Conservancy landowners understand the mechanics of in 2000 for their family’s 34 acres. In 1941, their conservation easements from the perspective

Conservation Done Right

Forging Community Ties

CONT. ON PG. 2

Photo by Nancy Pierce

2021 NEWSLETTER

WHAT CAN WE DO? Has it ever occurred to you that, though we are 93 million miles away from the fire that warms us (the sun), we are still close enough that when we don’t cover up, we get burned?

Sometimes the scale of the natural world is so vast that it is difficult to comprehend. And sometimes so vast that we feel as if we cannot have an effect on it.

However, for 30 years, people with aspirations and grit have been working to preserve, maintain and improve our natural surroundings. That’s why Mountain Island Lake, pictured here, has so little development adjacent to it. Thirty years ago, a group of inspired and inspiring individuals started what became Catawba Lands Conservancy with the simple idea that we ought to do all we can to keep our drinking water clean. That led to significant

conservation efforts next to Mountain Island Lake, but it later expanded to encompass seven counties, 17,000 acres and a trail network to connect people to nature.

Today we say that our audacious goal is to protect 85,000 acres of green space (including some state and local parks we had a hand in creating) and to connect that green space and the people who live near it with 1,600 miles of trails.

We may be small and insignificant compared to the scale of the natural world, but we can make a difference in our corner of the world. When we succeed, our legacy to our grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be a region that will be the envy of the country.

That’s what we can do!

Mountain Island Lake

BART LANDESS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

CONT. FROM PG. 1 agency for the 15-county, two-state network of trails, blueways and conservation corridors.

Today, it spans 325 miles on land with an additional 170 miles of blueway that are all open to the public - and is still growing.

Cable points to the adoption of the Carolina Thread Trail Master Plan by 88 municipalities as a huge accomplishment for the organization, which culminated in 2015 under the leadership of Executive Director Tom Okel.

“Municipalities learned about the Thread Trail through presentations and signed on,” Cable said. “We wouldn’t have gotten anywhere without those supporting government relationships.”

In 2007, the Conservancy became one of the first land trusts in the nation to be officially accredited by the Land Trust Alliance. By the end of 2013, it had conserved over 10,000 acres, weathered a global recession and conserved The Fork, which is still its largest protected property at 500 acres.

of tax implications and understanding federal and state requirements.

When he arrived on the Board, Bragg said the focus for land trusts in North Carolina centered on protecting national heritage sites with special flora and fauna that required specific regulations under federal law. Yet throughout his tenure, the Board saw the disappearance of farms and large tracts of fields and forests that were needed for local food and wildlife habitat. In response, the Conservancy began prioritizing farms, forests and open space.

Jean Woods, Chair of the Land Stewardship Committee and Board Member from 2002 to 2008, recalls a study done

by Mecklenburg County during that time showing which properties across the region were still available for purchase. The amount was shrinking due to development and urban sprawl.

“We were keeping an eye on all that and trying to conserve all we could that was still available to buy outright,” she said. “We knew the benefits of natural space and forest – cleaner air, mediating heat, how it was economically beneficial to the community because it created higher quality of life. But we always wrestled with the question: If we owned something or had it under an easement, could the public use it? With an easement, it was almost always no. But the Thread Trail changed that.”

A Deep Respect for Nature

Linking the Landscape Together In 2005, the Foundation For The Carolinas (FFTC) brought together more than 40 regional leaders and organizations to identify the region’s most important environmental needs.

Preserving natural open spaces emerged as the number one priority, and the idea for the Carolina Thread Trail was born.

Dave Cable, Executive Director of the Conservancy between 2004 and 2011, recalls how the Thread Trail became a reality. In 2006 the Conservancy held conversations with Michael Marsicano, the CEO and President of FFTC, along with Ruth Shaw, a member of the FFTC Board, to discuss becoming the lead

Photo by Nancy Pierce Twelve Mile Creek Trail, Waxhaw, N.C.

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The Conservancy has journeyed a long way, but of course there is always more work to be done. Current Executive Director Bart Landess is thrilled that the message of conservation is catching fire throughout the community.

“My impression is that for years we had to convince people that what we were doing is worthwhile,” he said. “Now we’re heavily recognized and it’s apparent that what we do is helpful. Everyone is saying, ‘Hurry up!

Conserve! Preserve!’”

Those who learned about the work of the Conservancy over the decades often fell deeply in love with its aspirations. For example, Bragg’s family donated 400 acres toward the Ramah Creek Conservation Area in Huntersville, N.C. “If there’s one thing I’ve done on this Earth other than love and enjoy my family, it’s land conservation,” Bragg said. “It’s the only thing I have really done in the scheme of things that will outlive me because it’s permanent. It’s your gift to the broader community.”

WHAT IS A CONSERVATION EASEMENT?

hether you have been connected with the Catawba Lands Conservancy for years or are brand new to the organization, you have probably heard the term “conservation easement” used in reference to our work. But have you ever thought about what that term actually means?

A conservation easement is a legally binding agreement in which a property owner agrees to restrict development of the land and grants to another party, such as a land trust, the right to enforce those restrictions. The owner maintains ownership, but agrees the land will only be used for certain purposes, such as protection of water quality or providing habitat for wildlife. Other uses, such as construction of buildings, are restricted by the easement, thus keeping the property relatively undeveloped.

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WELCOME

NEW CLC & CTT STAFF MEMBERS

DANIELLE ANDREWS

Land Conservation Associate

The most important part of a conservation easement agreement is that it is binding forever.

If the property changes ownership, the conservation easement stays in place and the property continues to be protected. Because of this, it is one of the best tools that land trusts like the Conservancy have to save land for future generations.

Have more questions about conservation easements? Thinking of protecting your own property? Email Amanda Byrum, Land Conservation Director, at amanda@catawbalands.org.

RAUL GALVAN

Program Coordinator

EVENTS TRAIL FORUM

Our 14th annual Trail Forum will take place on Thursday, Dec. 2, at the Charles Mack Citizen Center in Mooresville, N.C. This region’s premiere trail conference will bring together professionals from the trail and outdoor industries to learn and collaborate on advancing trails in our region. Learn more and register at carolinathreadtrail.org.

FRAN HENDERSON

Payroll and Accounting Clerk

CASEY KUGLAR

Development Associate

PUBLIC PROGRAMS SATURDAY, NOV. 6: HISTORY HIKE ON MOUNTAIN ISLAND PARK TRAIL

10–11:30 a.m.

Mt. Holly, N.C. 3 miles. Easy hike.

All ages.

SUNDAY, NOV. 14: SUNDAY HISTORY STROLL ON AVON AND CATAWBA CREEK GREENWAY

10–11:30 a.m.

Gastonia, N.C. 3 miles.

Paved greenway.

All ages.

ASHTON LAMB

SUNDAY, DEC. 12: HOLIDAY HIKE IN DOWNTOWN MCADENVILLE

5:30–7 p.m.

McAdenville, N.C. 3 miles.

Paved greenway.

All ages.

CHECK OUT ALL OF OUR UPCOMING PROGRAMS AT CATAWBALANDS.ORG! REGISTRATION REQUIRED FOR ALL PROGRAMS.

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Community Coordinator

JANE LOVE

Community Coordinator

RESTORING NATIVE GRASSLANDS Conservancy focuses on bringing back native habitat uring the last three centuries, 90 percent of the grasslands across the Southeast have been replaced by residential and commercial facilities, highways and development. Since 1991, Catawba Lands Conservancy has protected wildlife habitat, including remnant pockets of grasslands known as Piedmont savannas.

These seemingly benign ecosystems are actually thriving habitats and provide shelter for birds, nectar sources for pollinating insects and food for a variety of wildlife.

Recently, the Conservancy placed a renewed focus on restoring Piedmont grassland habitats by encouraging native plants for pollinators, protecting threatened plant species and conducting more prescribed fire to keep these habitats healthy. As part of the Catawba Grasslands Project, the Conservancy and partners currently manage 160 acres of Piedmont grasslands across nine project locations in Cabarrus, Gaston, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, and Union counties.

“Our first project in this area of land conservation and the protection of flora was the Catawba Wildflower Glen,” GIS Director and Biologist Sean Bloom said. “Without realizing it, we’ve been in the Piedmont prairie realm since the very beginning.”

The Catawba Wildflower Glen was the first property the Conservancy purchased in 1995 to preserve natural areas and open spaces in the Catawba River Basin. Native bloodroot blanket the springtime hills of this mature forest located just below Mountain Island Lake. Meanwhile, the ridgelines play host to many relic Piedmont

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prairie plants including Wild Quinine, Blazing Star and the imperiled Georgia Aster.

In the Piedmont, grasslands refer to prairies, savannas and woodlands. Prairies are open spaces dotted with just a few trees but boasting a diversity of grasses and wildflowers.

Savanna fields are likewise open and contain trees such as oaks and pines alongside myriad shrubs scattered in clusters. Woodlands signify open forests where sufficient sunlight reaches the forest floor to support the growth of grasses and wildflowers. The tree canopy in these places is often spaced far enough apart so branches do not overlap.

to savannas, so we came up with a medicine to fix it. And that medicine was fire. In many historical accounts, the Native Americans used fire very successfully to create and maintain grasslands.”

Supporting grasslands through fire In the past, the region’s native grasslands were maintained by fires started by lightning strikes and grazing wildlife such as bison. Today, the Conservancy and partners use prescribed fire and mowing on five of the nine project locations to mimic natural fires that historically burned across the Piedmont throughout history.

According to Bloom, there is a prescribed burn every two to three years on an individual property as more frequent burning would suppress wildflower growth. When creating a prescribed fire is not possible, the Conservancy mows the savanna to simulate grazing animals.

“A prescribed burn is a fire that is supervised from start to finish,” Trail and Former Stewardship Associate Will Ruark said.

“I like to think of a prescribed burn just like a doctor would prescribe you medicine. We looked at this area and saw conditions were favorable

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Any prescribed fire must take weather into account. The fires require relatively low humidity and a moderate temperature for optimal success. Numerous staff are present during the burns to build and monitor large fire lines.

“Fire is a very natural part of the ecosystem,” Ruark said. “Up until about 100 years ago, we didn’t suppress wildfires. So, areas like the dry ridge Piedmont savanna would probably experience fire every two to three years. Fire removes the leaf litter and different debris that’s on the ground, which allows seeds in the seed bank to take root and grow. It also helps us control woody species that shouldn’t be growing on dry ridge tops like a beech tree.”

Photo by Nancy Pierce

Buffalo Creek Preserve Mt. Pleasant, N.C.

The prescribed burns also send nutrients like carbon and nitrogen from the grass back into the soil. Many wildflowers like Schweinitz’s Sunflower need dense vegetation on the ground to be cleared to receive enough sunlight to grow. Schweinitz’s Sunflower is an endangered species found only in the Carolinas.

It used to thrive in Piedmont prairies, but now is primarily isolated to roadsides.

“Now we have Carolina Trefoil growing at Buffalo Creek Preserve too,” Bloom said. “It’s a Piedmont prairie relic species that was present before the time of Christopher Columbus. It’s listed as a threatened species by the state of N.C. The presence of this plant confirms we’re doing the right activities in the right places.”

Rebuilding prairie landscapes through fire likewise creates habitat for Bobwhite Quail, Grasshopper Sparrows, Monarch Butterflies, dragonflies and moths.

In partnership and with funding from Duke Energy, the Conservancy is also upholding sound land management practices on some electric utility easements to create welcoming environments for grassland plants and pollinators. For example, work begun in 2018 at Pinhook Preserve in Gaston County has resulted in a grassland full of sunflowers, spotted beebalm and prickly pear cactus.

In Mount Holly, the Conservancy staff has transformed 10 acres of utility easements into a thriving roadside habitat of grasses and wildflowers.

“Thanks to a very generous grant from Duke Energy, we are trying to transform this

Sprouting Special Projects Last year, the North Carolina Botanical Garden at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill received Schweinitz’s Sunflower seeds from the Conservancy to head start seedlings in preparation for transplanting to Conservancy preserves. The goal is to plant them at Buffalo Creek Preserve in fall of 2021.

The seeds were collected from a roadside population – where they would likely be sprayed by herbicide or become damaged from the salting of roads in winter weather – two miles away from the preserve. The Conservancy received permits from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as well as the North Carolina Department of Agriculture’s Plant Conservation Program to do the project, which has been nine years in the making.

FIELD NOTES

SCHWEINITZ’S SUNFLOWER SURVEYS

Each fall the Conservancy partners with the N.C. Plant Conservation Program to visit some of our protected properties and survey endangered Schweinitz’s sunflowers. This fall, counts were conducted at Redlair and the Mineral Springs Barrens. Stay tuned for final numbers!

Georgia aster at Catawba Wildflower Glen, Mecklenburg County, N.C.

NEW THREAD TRAIL SEGMENTS OPEN IN GASTON COUNTY Two new segments of Thread Trail are now open in Gaston County! The City of Gastonia opened an extension of the 2.5-mile Avon-Catawba Creek Greenway in September.

The extension connects Lineberger Park to 2nd Avenue and was partially funded by Wells Fargo. In addition, Belmont officially opened the Rocky Branch Trail that is part of the Rocky Branch Mountain Bike Park in August. This trail segment makes an important connection between Belmont and Cramerton and provides a great place for mountain bikers to ride!

The Power of Partnership None of this significant work would be possible without the generous support of the Conservancy’s partners. In 2017, the Gaston Community Foundation funded a project to convert fescue grass to “pocket prairies.” These are smaller pollinator habitats found at Seven Oaks Preserve along the shoreline of Lake Wylie and around the South Fork Trailhead in McAdenville.

Recently, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service pledged funds over the next three years to support prescribed burns at Buffalo Creek Preserve, as well as for the propagation of Schweinitz’s Sunflower seeds to be planted there.

The Duke Energy Foundation provided an additional grant through its Powerful Communities grant program to support the Catawba Grasslands Project. In addition to the activities at Buffalo Creek Preserve, the Conservancy will convert about 30 acres of agriculture fields at Coley Preserve in Lincoln County to Piedmont prairies and plant native wildflowers there for pollinators. At Jackson Blackjack Preserve in Union County where a globally rare Xeric Hardpan Forest exists, prescribed burns on the property have already seen the emergence of wildflowers like Blazing star, Savannah iris and Leopard’s bane.

With the support of these partners, the Conservancy is slowly and steadily bringing the rich natural beauty of Piedmont savannas back to our region.

CAROLINA THREAD TRAIL ONLINE MAP REFRESH Have you seen our online trail map lately?

We were excited to launch a refreshed site design for our online map in October, with increased mobile functionality and a new user-friendly design. Find your next adventure at carolinathreadtrailmap.org!

THE THREAD TRAIL’S ONLINE TRAIL MAP IS

IMPERILED FLOWER FOUND BLOOMING ON CONSERVED PROPERTY Photo by Nancy Pierce

area from generally just a monoculture of very uninteresting plants and grasses to a habitat that really favors native grasses,” Land Stewardship Director Sharon Wilson said.

Our Stewardship team was thrilled to come across a Pink lady slipper in bloom while monitoring one of our properties this year. This unique member of the orchid family requires very specific growing conditions, including the presence of one particular fungus that helps germinate the seed. Some evidence shows it may benefit from prescribed fire, so it is likely that previous burns in the area where it was found are helping the plant to flourish! The Conservancy has also previously identified the related Yellow lady’s slipper on two conserved properties.

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HAPHAZARD HIKERS The Haphazard Hikers are a group of female outdoor enthusiasts who have been hiking together every Thursday for 14 years!

While they travel for some hikes, many of their weekly treks are on the Carolina Thread Trail.

When COVID shut things down, the group didn’t hike together for nine weeks. But they didn’t want to fall out of touch, so they had Zoom calls on Thursday mornings and Monday evening Zoom Happy Hours. When they returned to hiking in May, they made some changes in order to hike safely. They hiked close by on mainly Thread Trail segments, drove separately instead of carpooling and had socially-distanced picnic lunches after the hikes.

Last December, the group held their annual Holiday Potluck outdoors at a picnic shelter at Andrew Jackson State Park in Lancaster, S.C. They decorated the shelter, brought their lunches and then made S’mores around the campfire after a 2-mile hike.

Despite everything that the pandemic has brought, this group has stuck together and found a way to keep on trekking. Here at the Thread Trail and Conservancy, we work hard to keep our trails open and accessible so they remain a place people can connect with each other and nature. We hope to see you out on the trails!

South Fork River

Photo by Nancy Pierce

DESTINATION: RECREATION

Blueways put Gaston County on the map for outdoor enthusiasts ver the last few years, Gaston County has increasingly become a destination for outdoor recreation, with water sports like kayaking and paddle boarding gaining in popularity. In turn, the draw of the rivers is bringing more tourists and their dollars to the area’s towns. Recognizing this, the Gaston County Board of Commissioners officially designated about 13 miles of the South Fork Catawba River and 26 miles of the Catawba River as blueways under the Carolina Thread Trail Master Plan.

In fact, visitors spent more than $291 million in Gaston County in 2019, an increase of 5.6 percent over the previous year, according to a study prepared for Visit North Carolina by the U.S. Travel Association. As COVID-19 created lockdowns around the country in the spring and summer of 2020, many Americans sought places of natural refuge like the Thread Trail where they could exercise and recreate in the fresh air. The pandemic brought about a renewed interest in the great outdoors, which has had a sustained effect on the tourism industry in Gaston County.

According to Carolina Thread Trail Community Coordinator Ashton Lamb, the blueways in Gaston County highlight both the tourism and conservation benefits of rivers.

“Designating a river as a blueway has a huge economic benefit, and it’s recognizing the significance of these rivers to communities and businesses,” Lamb said. “It makes the rivers a larger draw not only inside Gaston County but outside of it as well. When you designate a blueway, from a conservation perspective, it’s putting a natural feature on the map in a different way. It adds an extra form of protection when development is being considered by town and county government councils because they’re also interested in promoting this area for visitor recreation.”

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A Gem for Tourists and Locals Michael Applegate, Executive Director for Gaston County Travel and Tourism, pointed to the opening of a Home2 Suites in Belmont and a Fairfield Inn & Suites in Mount Holly during COVID-19 as a sign that the county’s appeal is only growing.

“The ownership groups were excited about the proximity to the river in both cases,” he said. “They know they’ll have more business travel during the weeks but more outdoor leisure travel on the weekends.”

Gaston County Director of Parks and Recreation Cathy Hart said the county is well aware of the increasing demand for outdoor recreational opportunities.

“We currently have one park – South Fork River Park in Gastonia – where there is access to a blueway, but we are looking forward to adding some additional access points, particularly at George Poston Park, in the next two years. We’re working with other municipalities to get a greenway through there and then we will create blueway access right beside it that’ll be great for hiking and kayaking.”

She added that her department receives Catawba River Blueway Gaston County, N.C.

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many calls each week about how people can best access the river.

“County parks remained open during COVID-19, and people were hungry to get out of their house and step away from Netflix and streaming services and get outside,” Hart said.

Hart said Gaston County is eager to expand its restaurants and amenities. To that end, it is working on a strategic plan to make itself a destination for outdoor activities. But it intends to balance growth with conservation efforts, so the area’s natural beauty remains accessible to future generations.

“Having a change of scenery and taking in fresh air was appreciated by locals. People said it was therapy for them.”

— Cathy Hart, Gaston County Director of Parks and Recreation “It’s all about providing opportunities for physical health and exercise, as well as providing access and connectivity between the water and land and preserving natural resources,” she said.

system and runs along the Catawba River.”

He also noted that as new single-family community and commercial developments express interest in the area, the town is quick to point out how they can make the best use of nearby greenways and blueways to enhance quality of life appeal.

Photo by Nancy Pierce

Serenity on the Water

Planning for the Future Assistant Planning Director for the City of Mount Holly Brian DuPont said his community has been reinvigorated and revitalized by the fact that the greenway and blueway system is expanding now after 20 years of planning.

“On the economic investment side, we’re seeing a lot of businesses wanting to come and locate adjacent to or in close proximity to the greenways and blueways,” he said. “They see what the community is invested in and they want to be part of it. There’s also been an uptick in tourism, groups renting out hotel rooms, more Airbnb rentals and more foot traffic in downtown Mount Holly where people can shop and grab dinner.”

Mount Holly’s three major parks – Tuckaseege, River Street and Mountain Island Lake – all have canoe and kayak access points.

“It’s easy to access downtown from River Street and Tuckaseege Parks because of the Thread Trail’s greenways,” DuPont said. “We also have a Springfest 5K in May each year through the parks which uses the greenway

McAdenville – known nationally by its nickname “Christmas Town USA” because of the elaborate seasonal light displays of its residents each December – is also becoming a hub for visitors in the warmer months. The Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation’s headquarters recently relocated there. It can be found tucked against the South Fork River adjacent to the Thread Trail’s South Fork Trail and Blueway access point. There visitors can embark on a half-day guided tour of the river, first being shuttled up to Spencer Mountain before kayaking southward through some Class 1 rapids.

“It’s largely undeveloped along the banks up there and you feel like you’re much farther away from Charlotte than you really are because it’s peaceful,” McAdenville Town Councilmember Greg Richardson said. “It’s very quiet on the river, just the sound of rushing water and the view of the ruins of a Civil War era bridge.”

This summer the town also opened a public canoe and kayak launch at the trailhead of the McAdenville South Fork River Greenway near the Carstarphen Bridge. It is special because it is the first launch located south of the dam, though there are several access points along the river.

“The new launch has been four years in the making, and there’s a greenway along the river for taking a nice stroll too,” Richardson said. “The Catawba Riverkeeper is operating kayak rentals from that location.”

Just a five-minute walk away from this new launch area is McAdenville’s downtown where people can visit boutiques and restaurants. But, according to Richardson, much more walking is coming. There is a long-term

dream to extend the River Link Greenway, a part of the Thread Trail, so it would run along the river from Spencer Mountain all the way to Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden.

Putting it in Perspective Gaston County is busy preparing for a prosperous future.

“There is a bigger vision of the South Fork River shared by the towns, the Catawba Lands Conservancy and the Riverkeeper of turning this into a destination regionally,” Richardson said.

“We want the river identified as a recreational and historical location with a brown sign on the interstate.”

Nearby communities already have earned a reputation as kayak-friendly destinations among outdoor lovers.

Photo by Nancy Pierce

South Fork River Gaston County, N.C.

“When it comes to Cramerton, you can paddle downtown and walk to Mayworth’s Public House and Doffer’s Canteen or check out Floyd & Blackie’s Coffee and Ice Cream. It’s becoming a point of interest to visit places from the South Fork,” Applegate said.

He credits the early efforts of the Conservancy and Thread Trail for helping create a tourist-friendly atmosphere in Gaston County.

“I was fascinated by all the free access that was available to the people who wanted to get into the water here,” he said. “We want to become the premier outdoor tourist destination in the Piedmont. We couldn’t have started that goal without the Conservancy and Thread Trail being here. They find responsible ways to activate these places for the greater good of all.”

ore than 19 acres of land off of West Sugar Creek Road in Charlotte will be protected from development thanks to a partnership between the Catawba Lands Conservancy and the City of Charlotte’s Tree Canopy Protection Program (TCPP).

The City recently donated a conservation easement on the property to the Conservancy, ensuring that the property will remain undeveloped in perpetuity. This relatively large tract of forestland is located in a part of Charlotte with low tree canopy.

Conserving it will provide environmental benefits, such as carbon sequestration.

Though not open to the public, the property will support air quality, wildlife habitat and water quality in the Mallard Creek watershed and surrounding areas.

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“Increasing our tree canopy in areas that have been historically marginalized and overburdened by pollution is critical to becoming a healthy, resilient and low-carbon city,” says Charlotte’s Chief Sustainability and Resiliency Officer Sarah Hazel.

Charlotte’s tree canopy is nationally recognized but faces challenges due to the rapid pace of growth. The City has stated a goal of becoming a low-carbon city by 2050 through the Strategic Energy Action Plan. The recently adopted comprehensive plan seeks to increase the acreage of protected natural areas within the City. This conservation project is a critical step toward achieving those goals.

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Photo by Sean Bloom

SPEARS CONSERVATION EASEMENT PRESERVES TREE CANOPY

NON-PROFIT U.S. Postage PAID Charlotte, NC Permit No. 1967C Change Service Requested

4530 Park Road, Suite 420 Charlotte, N.C. 28209 704.342.3330 catawbalands.org carolinathreadtrail.org

Catawba Lands Conservancy is part of a network of land trusts that collectively have protected more than 400,000 acres of the places you love in North Carolina.

The goal of Catawba Lands Conservancy and the Carolina Thread Trail is to connect 85,000 acres of parks and conserved land with 1,600 miles of trail in 15 counties.

Photo by Nancy Pierce

Photo by Nancy Pierce

Killian Farm Lincoln County, N.C.

DON’T FORGET TO SUPPORT NATURE AND TRAILS THIS GIVING SEASON! GIVING TUESDAY IS TUESDAY, NOV. 30

Please consider making a gift to Catawba Lands Conservancy and the Carolina Thread Trail.

WWW.CATAWBALANDS.ORG/DONATE • WWW.CAROLINATHREADTRAIL.ORG/DONATE

IMAGES OF THE LAND

We love sharing photos of our properties and trails on social media, like these from the Conservancy’s Instagram. Make sure to follow us at @catawbalands and @threadtrail, and for even more photos from the field, follow our GIS Direct and staff biologist Sean Bloom on Instagram at @clc_biologist!