Catawba Lands Conservancy

AS A NATIONALLY ACCREDITED LAND TRUST, WE CONSERVE AND MANAGE LAND FOR PUBLIC BENEFIT IN NORTH CAROLINAS SOUTHERN PIEDMONT. WE HAVE CONSERVED 208 PROPERTIES, TOTALING 16,596 ACRES OF LAND. WE ARE THE LEAD AGENCY FOR THE CAROLINA THREAD TRAIL.

CAROLINA THREAD TRAIL PROGRAM (THREAD TRAIL) IS AN INITIATIVE TO DEVELOP A REGIONAL NETWORK OF GREENWAYS, TRAILS AND BLUEWAYS (PADDLING TRAILS) THAT REACHES 15 COUNTIES IN THE CAROLINAS CENTERED ON THE GREATER CHARLOTTE METROPOLITAN AREA. CAROLINA THREAD TRAIL IS A UNIQUE 15-COUNTY COLLABORATION THAT WILL CONNECT COMMUNITIES AND CONSERVED LAND VIA A NETWORK OF TRAILS DEVELOPED THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF LOCALLY ADOPTED TRAIL MASTER PLANS. CAROLINA THREAD TRAIL IS A SEPARATE CORPORATION THAT IS A SUPPORTING ORGANIZATION OF FOUNDATION FOR THE CAROLINAS. UNDER A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH FOUNDATION FOR THE CAROLINAS, THE CONSERVANCY ACTS AS THE LEAD AGENCY OF THE THREAD TRAIL PROGRAM AND WAS REIMBURSED $828,066 DURING 2021 FOR RELATED SERVICES. THIS LONG TERM PROJECT UNDER THE CONSERVANCY'S LEADERSHIP WILL PERMANENTLY PROTECT THIS REGION'S HISTORY, NATURAL BEAUTY, AND SOCIAL DIVERSITY, WHILE CONSERVING LOCAL LANDS AND FOSTERING FREE AND EQUITABLE ACCESSIBILITY FOR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS. THE THREAD TRAIL WILL LINK MORE THAN TWO MILLION CITIZENS WITH HUNDREDS OF MILES OF GREENWAYS AND TRAILS AS WELL AS ACCESS TO RIVERS FOR PADDLING IN NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA, CONNECTING POINTS OF REGIONAL AND LOCAL SIGNIFICANCE. THERE ARE MULTIPLE PUBLIC BENEFITS INCLUDING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, CONSERVATION OF LAND, ENHANCEMENT OF WATER QUALITY, CLEANER AIR, NON-MOTORIZED TRANSPORTATION, AND HEALTHY RECREATION ACTIVITIES. AT THE END OF 2020, THERE WERE 1,610 PLANNED TRAIL MILES, OF WHICH, APPROXIMATELY 350 TRAIL AND 70 BLUEWAY MILES ARE COMPLETE.

LAND ACQUISITION: CATAWBA LANDS CONSERVANCY (CONSERVANCY) PROTECTED THREE (3) NEW PROPERTIES IN 2021, TOTALING 246 ACRES IN TWO COUNTIES. THE CONSERVANCY WORKS WITH WILLING LANDOWNERS AND COMMUNITIES TO CONSERVE LAND IN PERPETUITY BY PLACING VOLUNTARY CONSERVATION EASEMENTS ON LAND, ACCEPTING DONATIONS OF LAND, AND OCCASIONALLY PURCHASING LAND. CLC SERVES A SEVEN-COUNTY REGION IN NORTH CAROLINA THAT INCLUDES: CATAWBA, GASTON, IREDELL, LINCOLN, MECKLENBURG, UNION, AND PARTS OF CABARRUS COUNTIES. OUR CONSERVATION EFFORTS FOCUS ON FOUR AREAS: LOCAL FARMS, WILDLIFE/PLANT HABITAT, WATER QUALITY AND CONNECTING PEOPLE TO NATURE. ADDITIONALLY, MANY OF OUR PROPERTIES HAVE IMPORTANT SPECIES AND HABITAT THAT THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA DESIGNATED AS NATURAL HERITAGE AREAS. FURTHER, SOME OF THE PROPERTIES PROVIDE CRITICAL HABITAT FOR STATE OR FEDERALLY LISTED THREATENED OR ENDANGERED PLANTS OR ANIMALS.

LAND STEWARDSHIP: THE CONSERVANCY INTENTIONALLY STEWARDS ITS CONSERVATION ASSETS. STAFF MONITORS ACTIVITIES ON FEE OWNED LAND THROUGH SITE VISITS. CURRENT CONDITIONS ARE EVALUATED AGAINST THE REFERENCE CONDITIONS ESTABLISHED BY THE BASELINE DOCUMENTATION REPORT. PHOTOGRAPHS MAY BE TAKEN AND A MONITORING REPORT IS GENERATED AND ARCHIVED OR THE SITE VISIT IS DOCUMENTED ON A SITE VISIT REPORT. AS PART OF PERPETUAL DUE DILIGENCE, THE CONSERVANCY ENSURES THE PLANT, WILDLIFE, AND OTHER CONSERVATION VALUES REMAIN UNDISTURBED AND PROTECTED. WHERE APPROPRIATE ON FEE OWNED PROPERTY, THE CONSERVANCY PROVIDES PUBLIC ACCESS OPPORTUNITIES, INCLUDING BOTH BLUEWAYS AND HIKING TRAILS, INDEPENDENTLY AND THROUGH CAROLINA THREAD TRAIL. FACILITIES FOR PUBLIC ACCESS INCLUDE A CANOE/KAYAK LAUNCH (SPENCER MT. RIVER ACCESS AND PHARR FAMILY PRESERVE ACCESS), THE ADAM SPRINGS PORTAGE TRAIL, AND CANOE/KAYAK TAKE-OUT (R.Y. MCADEN ACCESS); AND NATURAL SURFACE OR PAVED HIKING TRAILS AT THE SOUTH FORK TRAIL, SOUTH FORK RAIL TRAIL, LONG CREEK PRESERVE, SEVEN OAKS PRESERVE, PHARR FAMILY PRESERVE, BUFFALO CREEK PRESERVE, SALLYS Y PRESERVE, CATAWBA SPRINGS PRESERVE, GIRL SCOUTS, AND EASTOVER RIDGE PRESERVE. THE CONSERVANCY ALSO MONITORS CONSERVATION EASEMENTS USING THE SAME PROTOCOLS AS FEE OWNED LAND. ON PRIVATE PROPERTY PROTECTED BY CONSERVATION EASEMENTS, THE CONSERVANCY WORKS WITH WILLING LAND OWNERS TO FURTHER ENHANCE THE CONSERVATION VALUES ALREADY PROTECTED.