Naturaland Trust

PERFORMING ACTIVITIES PURSUANT TO THE MAINTENANCE AND PRESERVATION OF NATURAL AREAS FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC.

THE FOLLOWING PARCELS WERE ACQUIRED BY PURCHASE OR RECEIVED AS A DONATION TO FURTHER THE PRESERVATION OF NATURAL AREAS FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC. EXPENSES INCLUDE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SERVICING OF THE ASSETS, BUT NOT THE ASSET COST.THE FOLLOWING PARCELS WERE PURCHASED:1.LITTLE EASTATOEE/WINCHESTER TRACT LITTLE EASTATOEE CREEK ADJOINS NATURALAND TRUSTS NINE TIMES FOREST. THE PROPERTY WILL BE MANAGED SIMILARLY, ALLOWING FOR HUNTING AND FISHING UNDER THE WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREAS (WMA) PROGRAM, AND PASSIVE RECREATION, INCLUDING HIKING, BIRDWATCHING, AND PHOTOGRAPHY. THE WINCHESTER TRACT, WITH OVER 1.6 MILES OF FRONTAGE ON HIGHWAY 11 WILL BUILD ON THIS MULTI-YEAR CONSERVATION EFFORT. IT IS KEYSTONE BECAUSE NOW THAT IT IS PROTECTED IT CONNECTS THE 1,650-ACRE NINE TIMES FOREST, TNCS NINE TIMES PRESERVE, AND OUR MILL SHOALS COMMUNITY FOREST WITH SCDNRS JOCASSEE GORGES. LITTLE EASTATOEE IS A TROUT STREAM THAT FLOWS INTO LAKE KEOWEE AND OUR GOAL IS TO DO RESTORATION WORK TO IMPROVE THE DEGRADED AREA OF THE STREAM.2.RIVER ROAD THE PURCHASE OF THE RIVER ROAD PROPERTY WILL PROTECT NEARLY A MILE OF FRONTAGE ON THE NORTH SALUDA RIVER, AN IMPORTANT FISHING AREA FOR SCDNR AND AND ADJOINS A 5-ACRE PARCEL ALREADY OWNED BY NATURALAND TRUST. THE NORTH SALUDA RIVER COURSES THROUGH FORESTS AND FARMLAND WITH GREENVILLE COUNTY, BETWEEN THE POINSETT RESERVOIR AND SALUDA LAKE. AS IT FLOWS SOUTH, LAND USE AND POOR MANAGEMENT HAVE DEGRADED THE RIVER, CREATING A PROBLEM FOR WATER QUALITY AND THE DRINKING WATER SUPPLY FOR THE COMMUNITY OF EASLEY. OUR GOAL IS TO RESTORE MANY SECTIONS OF THE NORTH SALUDA RIVER TO PROVIDE FISHING ACCESS, IMPROVE WATER QUALITY, AND AUGMENT PROTECTED BLUE-WAY CORRIDORS.3.BEALE AT RIVER FALLS THIS PURCHASE PROTECTS 6 ADDITIONAL ACRES ON RIVER FALLS ROAD AND ADJOINS 150 ACRES PREVIOUSLY PURCHASED ALONG WITH OTHER PROTECTED PROPERTY CONNECT TO JONES GAP SATE PARK. NATURALAND TRUST HAS BEEN STEADFAST OVER THE YEARS TO ADD TO JONES GAP STATE PARK. BY BROADENING THE PARKS BOUNDARIES AND OFFERING DIVERSE WAYS TO ACCESS THE RIDGELINES, WATERFALLS AND RIVER, WE CAN EXPAND PUBLIC ACCESS TO INCLUDE MORE PEOPLE AND SPREAD ACROSS A LARGER AREA.4.GILSTRAP MOUNTAIN GILSTRAP MOUNTAIN LOOMS OVER THE CHEROKEE FOOTHILLS NATIONAL SCENIC BYWAY AND ADJOINS OUR LITTLE EASTATOEE PROPERTY AND 160-ACRE TRACT WE ARE CONTRACTED TO PURCHASE IN JULY 2023 CALLED WHITE BRANCH. THESE PROPERTIES COLLECTIVELY CREATE A PROTECTED CORRIDOR CONNECTING TO THE JOCASSEE GORGES WILDERNESS AREA, A 44,000 -ACRE PRESERVE OWNED BY SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES. GILSTRAP MOUNTAIN IS PART OF A LONG-TERM EFFORT TO STRENGTHEN SUSTAINABILITY GOALS, IMPROVE PUBLIC ACCESS TO WILDERNESS AREAS, AND BUILD UPON CONSERVATION PRIORITIES MUTUALLY HELD BY LOCAL NON-PROFITS, PICKENS COUNTY, THE SOUTH CAROLINA FORESTRY COMMISSION, SCDOT, THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, AND THE US FOREST SERVICE ALONG THIS STRETCH OF HIGHWAY. 5.SHILOH RIDGE PARIS MOUNTAIN THE PURCHASE OF SHILOH RIDGE EXPANDS PARIS MOUNTAIN STATE PARK, AN URBAN PARK IN GREENVILLE COUNTY, SC, BY 146 ACRES ALLOWING SCPRT TO EXPAND THE OUTDOOR EXPERIENCE TO ITS GROWING USERS. BETWEEN 2018 AND 2021, PARIS MOUNTAIN STATE PARK WENT FROM 140,000 TO 520,000 ANNUAL VISITORS, BUT ITS FOOTPRINT DID NOT CHANGE. BY PROTECTED SHILOH RIDGES 146 ACRES, NATURALAND TRUST PREVENTED THE PREVIOUS OWNER FROM DEVELOPING A SUBDIVISION ALONG THE RIDGELINE OF PARIS MOUNTAIN. IT IS A PRIORITY FOR SCPRT TO USE SHILOH RIDGE TO EXPAND THE TRAILS AROUND CAMP BUCKHORN AND BRISSY RIDGE TO ALLOW OVER HALF A MILLION VISITORS A CHANCE TO EXPERIENCE THE BEAUTIFUL WATERFALLS, STREAMS, AND FORESTS.6.DALZELL BAY ALTHOUGH HISTORICALLY OUTSIDE OF NATURALAND TRUSTS GEOGRAPHY, THIS BAY IN SUMTER COUNTY, SC WAS AT RISK FOR HOUSING ENCROACHMENT AND/OR HEAVY AGRICULTURE IF NOT ACQUIRED FOR CONSERVATION. OUR PRESIDENT, FRANK HOLLEMAN, GATHERED A GROUP OOF DEDICATED CONSERVATIONISTS AND BAY SPECIALIST TO SPEARHEAD AN EFFORT TO PROTECT, MANAGE AND RESTORE THE ECOLOGY AND HYDROLOGY OF THE BAYS LEFT IN SOUTH CAROLINA. THIS PROPERTY IS 61 ACRES AND REPRESENTS 40% OF THE BAY TO BE INCLUDED IN THIS PROJECT. WE PLAN TO REPLANT THE UPLANDS IN LONG-LEAF PINE AND ACTIVELY MANAGE A REGIME TO MAINTAIN THE BAYS BOTANICAL AND HYDROLOGICAL INTEGRITY. OVER TIME, WE WILL MAKE GREAT EFFORTS TO PURCHASE ADJOINING LAND TO ADD TO DALZELL BAY.7.WOODCOCK WOODS THIS PROPERTY IS A JOINT PROJECT WITH SCDNR THAT BRINGS TWO PROPERTIES TOGETHER TO PROTECT THE HABITAT FOR THE ENDANGERED BUNCHED ARROWHEAD PLANT WHICH HAS BEEN ONE OF OUR FOCUS AREAS FOR OVER TEN YEARS. THE GOAL IS TO PROTECT ENOUGH OF THESE PLANTS AND THEIR HABITAT, AND PERMANENTLY SECURE THE HYDROLOGICAL FACETS ON WHICH THEY DEPEND TO DELIST THE BUNCHED ARROWHEAD FROM ITS ENDANGERED STATUS.8.CEDAR MOUNTAIN THIS PROPERTY IS A STUNNING BLUE RIDGE GEM WITH AN UNDULATING RIDGE LINE THAT SUMMITS AT 1,765 FEET CALLED CEDAR MOUNTAIN. PART OF THE EXISTING CONSERVATION EFFORTS OF THE NORTH SALUDA RIVER, THIS PROPERTY ADJOINS THE SOON-TO-BE CEDAR MOUNTAIN HERITAGE PRESERVE. THE MAIN INTENT FOR THIS PROPERTY IS TO INCREASE THE SIZE OF THE PRESERVE AND TRANSFER THE PROPERTY TO SCDNR. THE ABUNDANT WILDLIFE, RARE PLANT SPECIES AND OTHER FLORA AND FAUNA, THIS SPECIAL PLACE WILL BE PROTECTED FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.9.GAP CREEK EXTENSION THIS 7-ACRE PROPERTY ADDS ONTO OUR PRIOR 97-ACRE TRACT ALONG GAP CREEK ROAD WHICH WILL BECOME NEW JONES GAP STATE PARK ACCESS.THE FOLLOWING PARCELS WERE TRANSFERRED: 1.PACOLET MILLIKEN THE 850-ACRE PRESERVE ADJOINING TALL PINES WAS SOLD TO SCDNR IN APRIL OF 2022. THE SALE WAS A RESULT OF THEIR SUCCESSFUL APPLICATION TO THE FOREST LEGACY PROGRAM, WHICH ALLOWED NT TO PAY OFF ITS OBLIGATIONS TO AGSOUTH AND REIMBURSE THE SCCB $500,000. 2.FURMAN FACE, GOSPEL FELLOWSHIP (PARIS MOUNTAIN PROPERTIES) THESE PROPERTIES WERE TRANSFERRED TO SCPRT FOR INCLUSION IN PARIS MOUNTAIN STATE PARK. THE STATE SECURED GRANT FUNDING FROM LWCF TO PURCHASE THE PROPERTIES. 3.ALTAMONT RIDGE (PARIS MOUNTAIN) WE TRANSFERRED THESE PARCELS TO SCPRT FOR INCLUSION IN PARIS MOUNTAIN STATE PARK. THEIR PURCHASE HELPED FUND OUR FUNDRAISING DEFICIT. 4.BURRELLS PLACE THIS PROJECT WAS AN IMPORTANT PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN US FOREST SERVICE AND DNR TO RESTORE AN IMPORTANT TRIBUTARY TO PIG PEN CREEK. ONCE WE DEMOLISHED THE BUILDINGS AND REMOVED THE DAM, USFS WAS ABLE TO TAKE OVER OWNERSHIP. THEY PURCHASED THE PROPERTY AND IT IS NOW PART OF SUMTER NATIONAL FOREST. 5.MCGEE TRACT (PARIS MOUNTAIN) ON BRISSY RIDGE AND THE EASTERN PART OF PARIS MOUNTAIN, THIS 33-ACRE PARCEL WAS A NATURAL ADDITION TO PARIS MOUNTAIN STATE PARK. WE TRANSFERRED THE PROPERTY TO HELP EXPAND THE PARK AND INCREASE RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.