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Janirve Foundation boosts land conservation in southern Blue Ridge mountains

Release Date: March 14, 2007
Contact: Megan Riley, Partnership Coordinator

The Janirve Foundation recently awarded Blue Ridge Forever a $300,000 grant over two years to protect more clean drinking water, wildlife habitat, farms and scenic landscapes in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains. Blue Ridge Forever is a land protection campaign spearheaded by 13 area land conservation organizations.

“Janirve Foundation felt that the goal of the Blue Ridge Forever land campaign to protect 50,000 acres by 2010 within the 25-county western North Carolina region is a worthy goal to be supported,” said E. Charles Dyson, Janirve Foundation Chairman. “We are pleased to be participating, and we hope for success in the efforts.”

Developed land has increased 77 percent in Western North Carolina in the last two decades. Without coordinated efforts in conservation, the mountains will lose a predicted 500,000 acres of forests, farms, stream banks and wildlife habitats by 2022 — a size almost as large as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

“The Janirve Foundation is helping mountain land trusts make great strides in land conservation at this critical time of growth,” said Carl Silverstein, Executive Director of Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy. “The special places we protect – or lose – this decade will determine the character of our landscape forever.”

Blue Ridge Forever has received grants from Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, Merck Family Fund, Lyndhurst Foundation, Community Foundation of Western North Carolina and Land Trust Alliance. These funds help protect valuable places such as Hickory Nut Gorge State Park, one of the most significant centers of biodiversity in the state. Blue Ridge Forever partners have protected more than half of the new Hickory Nut Gorge State Park, anticipated to be approximately 6,000 acres.

At the center of this park is Chimney Rock Park, which the State of North Carolina acquired earlier this month. This formerly privately owned park draws 250,000 visitors annually to its 315-foot-tall centerpiece rock, offering panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. Four of the Blue Ridge Forever partners — The Nature Conservancy, Foothills Conservancy, The Conservation Fund and Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy — helped facilitate this historic protection project by playing various roles, including negotiating the purchase, advising the State, and garnering political and community support.

Blue Ridge Forever partners have worked in partnership with voluntary private landowners and public agencies to protect more than 150,000 acres of farms, pristine streams, sensitive ecosystems and scenic landscapes in western North Carolina. They are pooling more than 30 years of experience, over 50 full-time staff, and 7,000-plus members to raise awareness and financial support to protect the region's most special places before it is too late.

The partners are developing a landscape-scale conservation vision for the region to guide their protection work in places ranging from the Sandymush farming community, to areas adjacent to the Appalachian Trail and Blue Ridge Parkway, to the Little Tennessee River basin and the headwaters of the New River, to the ecologically rich Highlands of Roan, Black Mountains, and Snake Mountain.

“As we watch the rise of mountain land values — to $46,400 an acre in the example of one recently purchased Fairview ridgeline property — the need for additional resources for land conservation becomes vastly apparent,” said Phyllis Stiles, Campaign Director of Blue Ridge Forever. “Increased support in land conservation is critical to protecting the qualities that draw so many to this region.”

Blue Ridge Forever is a campaign to raise public awareness and financial resources to safeguard land and water in the Southern Blue Ridge for present and future generations. We work in local communities to ensure that critical lands are protected for clean drinking water, recreation, tourism and working farms. In all, the local land trusts of Blue Ridge Forever have conserved more than 150,000 acres in western North Carolina.

Partners of Blue Ridge Forever

Local land trusts: Blue Ridge Rural Land Trust,Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy, Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina, High Country Conservancy, Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust, Land Trust for the Little Tennessee,National Committee for the New River, Pacolet Area Conservancy, Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy

Statewide service provider: Conservation Trust for North Carolina

National conservation organizations: The Trust for Public Land, The Conservation Fund*, The Nature Conservancy, The North Carolina Chapter*, *Advisory members







	Janirve Foundation boosts land conservation in southern Blue Ridge mountains Release Date: March 14, 2007 Contact: Megan Riley, Partnership Coordinator The Janirve Foundation recently awarded Blue Ridge Forever a $300,000 grant over two years to protect more clean drinking water, wildlife habitat, farms and scenic landscapes in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains. Blue Ridge Forever is a land protection campaign spearheaded by 13 area land conservation organizations. “Janirve Foundation felt that the goal of the Blue Ridge Forever land campaign to protect 50,000 acres by 2010 within the 25-county western North Carolina region is a worthy goal to be supported,” said E. Charles Dyson, Janirve Foundation Chairman. “We are pleased to be participating, and we hope for success in the efforts.” Developed land has increased 77 percent in Western North Carolina in the last two decades. Without coordinated efforts in conservation, the mountains will lose a predicted 500,000 acres of forests, farms, stream banks and wildlife habitats by 2022 — a size almost as large as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. “The Janirve Foundation is helping mountain land trusts make great strides in land conservation at this critical time of growth,” said Carl Silverstein, Executive Director of Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy. “The special places we protect – or lose – this decade will determine the character of our landscape forever.” Blue Ridge Forever has received grants from Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, Merck Family Fund, Lyndhurst Foundation, Community Foundation of Western North Carolina and Land Trust Alliance. These funds help protect valuable places such as Hickory Nut Gorge State Park, one of the most significant centers of biodiversity in the state. Blue Ridge Forever partners have protected more than half of the new Hickory Nut Gorge State Park, anticipated to be approximately 6,000 acres. At the center of this park is Chimney Rock Park, which the State of North Carolina acquired earlier this month. This formerly privately owned park draws 250,000 visitors annually to its 315-foot-tall centerpiece rock, offering panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. Four of the Blue Ridge Forever partners — The Nature Conservancy, Foothills Conservancy, The Conservation Fund and Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy — helped facilitate this historic protection project by playing various roles, including negotiating the purchase, advising the State, and garnering political and community support. Blue Ridge Forever partners have worked in partnership with voluntary private landowners and public agencies to protect more than 150,000 acres of farms, pristine streams, sensitive ecosystems and scenic landscapes in western North Carolina. They are pooling more than 30 years of experience, over 50 full-time staff, and 7,000-plus members to raise awareness and financial support to protect the region's most special places before it is too late. The partners are developing a landscape-scale conservation vision for the region to guide their protection work in places ranging from the Sandymush farming community, to areas adjacent to the Appalachian Trail and Blue Ridge Parkway, to the Little Tennessee River basin and the headwaters of the New River, to the ecologically rich Highlands of Roan, Black Mountains, and Snake Mountain. “As we watch the rise of mountain land values — to $46,400 an acre in the example of one recently purchased Fairview ridgeline property — the need for additional resources for land conservation becomes vastly apparent,” said Phyllis Stiles, Campaign Director of Blue Ridge Forever. “Increased support in land conservation is critical to protecting the qualities that draw so many to this region.” Blue Ridge Forever is a campaign to raise public awareness and financial resources to safeguard land and water in the Southern Blue Ridge for present and future generations. We work in local communities to ensure that critical lands are protected for clean drinking water, recreation, tourism and working farms. In all, the local land trusts of Blue Ridge Forever have conserved more than 150,000 acres in western North Carolina. *Partners of Blue Ridge Forever* Local land trusts: Blue Ridge Rural Land Trust,Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy, Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina, High Country Conservancy, Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust, Land Trust for the Little Tennessee,National Committee for the New River, Pacolet Area Conservancy, Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy Statewide service provider: Conservation Trust for North Carolina National conservation organizations: The Trust for Public Land, The Conservation Fund, The Nature Conservancy, The North Carolina Chapter, Advisory members*