From the Appalachian Trail to the Albemarle Pamlico Estuary, North Carolina's rich natural resources beckon wildlife and outdoor enthusiasts alike. Here, the Fund and its partners have worked closely with local communities to integrate conservation, sustainable economic development, and social justice principals to preserve more than 200,000 acres.

Programs

The Fund runs several programs from our office in Chapel Hill. Our Resourceful Communities Program helps North Carolina’s rural communities address persistent poverty by tapping natural resources to create jobs and strengthen economies. Working with a network of over 250 grassroots and community organizations across the state, RCP takes a balanced “triple bottom line” approach that focuses on environmental stewardship, sustainable economic development and social justice. Meet the team that makes up our Resourceful Communities Program or Learn more about the Resourceful Communities Program on their website.

Resourceful Communities is working with partners to establish NC's first community forest on a 532-acre parcel in Hoke County. Read more (at right) or click here to learn more about our efforts in Hoke Community Forest.

Palmetto-Peartree Preserve

The Fund owns and manages Palmetto-Peartree Preserve, a 10,000-acre property in North Carolina established with funding from the North Carolina Department of Transportation. The preserve protects wildlife habitat and serve as a demonstration project for sustainable forestry and working lands preservation. The preserve also serves as an endangered species mitigation bank for the red-cockaded woodpecker (RCW) and provides habitat to a multitude of other wildlife species, including the bald eagle, peregrine flacon, red wolf, black bear, bobcat, and more than 100 migratory bird species. The Fund manages Palmetto-Peartree Preserve as a public park for recreation, environmental education, and economic development.

Recent Projects

Pisgah National Forest

Rushing waterfalls and melodious birdcalls lift the deep quiet of Pisgah National Forest in the Appalachian Mountains. In 2009, we conserved 754 acres within the forest, preserving rare vegetation and expanding hikers’ access to Raquette Creek’s popular trails and waterfalls. Previously, we worked with the USDA Forest Service, the State of North Carolina, the Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina, and the Boy Scouts of America to protect 4,400-acre Lake Logan from further development. Protecting Lake Logan not only added to the national forest and the adjacent Shining Rock Wilderness Area, which was acquired from Champion International and was valued in excess of $10 million, but it safeguards important wildlife habitat and water resources that serve the local communities.

Past Projects

Blue Ridge Parkway

The Conservation Fund joined with North Carolina State Parks to secure a conservation easement over 332 acres along four miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Now part of the state’s Mountain to Sea Trail, the property’s scenic forested ridge tops are protected from development.

Lower Cape Fear

As a conservation gift to the nation, E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company protected more than 1,200 acres along the Lower Cape Fear River through a conservation easement donated to the Fund. A pristine 250-acre island and vital habitat for migratory waterfowl and American alligator are now preserved forever. The North Carolina Coastal Land Trust ultimately will manage the easement.

Read about the following projects in detail: