Nature Conservancy Announces Campaign to Preserve
Vital Hickory Nut Gorge Property
Clean Water Management Trust Fund Grant Boosts Effort
LAKE LURE – Nature Conservancy officials today said they are embarking on a campaign to raise an additional $3.25 million to purchase one of the most significant undeveloped tracts in Hickory Nut Gorge. Efforts to preserve the property got a significant boost from the N.C. Clean Water Management Trust Fund, which today announced that The Nature Conservancy had been awarded a $3.5 million grant to purchase the tract. The total cost of the 357-acre King tract is slightly less than $7 million.
Protecting the King tract is vital to the protection of a prominent feature in Hickory Nut Gorge, Rumbling Bald Mountain. The King tract, which starts on the slopes of Rumbling Bald and descends 900 feet to the valley below, provides a buffer between Rumbling Bald and property at the southeast end of the mountain. Keeping the King Tract intact and undeveloped will ensure that development doesn’t encroach on Rumbling Bald, which is protected on much of its southwest flank by other Nature Conservancy acquisitions.
“The Clean Water Management Trust Fund Board of Trustees recognized that this is a very special place,” said Fund Executive Director Richard Rogers. “Preserving this tract continues our commitment to protecting the Broad River basin.”
“The Clean Water Management Trust Fund has done its part to preserve an amazing piece of property,” said the Conservancy’s David Ray. “Now, it is time for the people who love the Southern Blue Ridge to step up and help us complete this deal.“
“In addition to protecting Rumbling Bald, the King tract is also a biological treasure in its own right,” said Ray. “Montane oak-hickory forest covers much of the tract, along with acidic cove forest and chestnut-oak forest. Within these natural communities are found a multitude of flora and fauna, including the state rare lampshade spider and two federal species of concern – green salamander and eastern woodrat.”
Rumbling Bald is a long mountain located on the north side of the gorge that extends from about one mile northwest of Lake Lure and links up with Shumont Mountain. Rumbling Bald is distinctive for its series of three mounds and towering rock cliffs. The mountain gradually rises in elevation to about 2,800 feet and is characterized by sheer cliffs and granite domes. Mature chestnut oak forest and oak-hickory forest cover much of the mountain's slopes and crest. Rare plants, including the federally endangered white irisette, grow in these forests. A rocky outcrop on the north side of the mountain's crest supports roundleaf serviceberry, Biltmore sedge, and eastern shooting star.
Rumbling Bald is home to a wealth of unusual animals. Ravens nest in these rocky exposed cliffs. The uncommon Bat Cave form of the Yonahlossee salamander, which was formerly known as the crevice salamander, also inhabits this preserve. Several large fissure caves on the preserve serve as hibernation spots for many bats, including the eastern small-footed myotis.
The acquisition of these tracts is part of a far-reaching conservation strategy for important natural resources in the gorge and for the development of Chimney Rock State Park. The Nature Conservancy and its partners are working to acquire additional property that will also be transferred to the state park system. About 3,500 acres have been set aside for the park; however, the only current public access is at Chimney Rock, the former 1,000-acre tourist destination.
Don Reuter, deputy director of the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation, praised efforts to preserve Hickory Nut Gorge property. “The Clean Water Management Trust Fund, The Nature Conservancy and other conservancies are incredible partners in our efforts to build a world-class state park,” he said. “When it is complete, Chimney Rock State Park will be a crown jewel in our system.”
The Nature Conservancy has worked to protect land in Hickory Nut Gorge for more than two decades, permanently protecting thousands of acres, including places like Bat Cave, World’s Edge and Rumbling Bald. Many of the tracts protected by the Conservancy either have been or will be included as part of Chimney Rock State Park. The Nature Conservancy works closes with community leaders and local organizations, including Friends of Hickory Nut Gorge, recreational interests and land trusts such as the Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy and the Foothills Conservancy.
The Clean Water Management Trust Fund has invested $12.1 million in Hickory Nut Gorge, including $1.5 million for the purchase of Chimney Rock Park. That investment represents the preservation/conservation of 3,303 acres, including 1,090 acres of protective buffers along major tributaries to the Broad River. In all, the fund has invested $27.7 million to protect water quality in the Broad River basin. The Nature Conservancy’s conservation goal is to protect 10 percent of each major habitat on Earth by the year 2015. The Southern Blue Ridge, where Hickory Nut Gorge is located, is a priority forest habitat type for the Conservancy. Many rare plant and animal species, including some that are federally endangered, are found in the gorge.
The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. The Conservancy and its more than 1 million members have protected nearly 120 million acres worldwide. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.
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