Parkway gets conservation funds

<p>North Carolina's land trusts have again received federal funds to help complete land protection projects that will protect the views from 20 of the state's scenic byways, including the Blue Ridge Parkway and three national byways.</p><p>The Federal Highway Administration's National Scenic Byways Program recently awarded $2.7 million to the Conservation Trust for North Carolina and 10 local land trusts to advance the permanent protection of natural, historic, cultural and visual resources along the designated scenic byways.</p><p>Land trusts will use the funding to build on accomplishments from a 2006 Scenic Byways grant, which helped 10 land trusts prepare conservation plans along 25 scenic byways.</p><p>The 2011 grant will pay to implement elements of those plans, such as outreach to landowners regarding conservation efforts and acquiring property and conservation easements, and will finance new conservation plans along additional byways.</p><p>CTNC will administer the grant and use a share of the grant funds to preserve the Blue Ridge Parkway's scenic and natural corridor at the Heffner Gap Overlook and parking area, as well as provide public access to almost a quarter-mile of the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail. CTNC will acquire property adjacent to the overlook and link 1.5 protected miles of the OVT to the north with 1.7 miles of the OVT immediately to the south.</p><p>Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy will use funds to help with two land acquisition projects along Drovers Road Scenic Byway — a 26-acre trailhead property in Henderson County and 90 additional acres on the summit of scenic Bearwallow Mountain, part of an ongoing effort to protect the entire peak.</p><p>The funds will also pay to create scenic byway corridor plans for six routes in Western North Carolina.</p><p>“This is a great opportunity to continue promoting recreational opportunities and scenic views, which are so important to the economy of our region,” said Kieran Roe, CMLC executive director. “The federal scenic byways grant program is critical support for conservation, which is such an important factor in our area's economy, recreation and environmental health. We are grateful for this continued investment in our region's future.”</p><p>As in the first phase of the project, land trusts will team up with local, state and federal agencies and other nonprofit partners to protect the byway landscapes. The protection projects will not only safeguard scenic farms, other landscapes and critical wildlife habitat along the byways, but will help to strengthen the economies of byways communities and expand recreational opportunities.</p><p>“State figures show that tourists in North Carolina spent a record $17 billion last year, directly supporting 185,500 jobs across the state,” said Margaret Newbold, CTNC acting executive director.</p><p>The 11 land trusts involved in the 2011 phase of the project include: Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina, Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, Blue Ridge Conservancy, Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy and the Conservation Trust for North Carolina.</p>