Trust fund yields more

land for Elk Knob Park
By Scott Nicholson
nicholson@wataugademocrat.com

North Carolina is putting its trust in land, with Watauga County getting a generous portion of recent allocations of the N.C. Natural Heritage Trust Fund.

Elk Knob State Park in Watauga and Ashe counties received funding to expand the property on Meat Camp Road, broaching several ridges.

The fund’s trustees awarded $47 million Monday to help the state preserve more than 11,000 acres of culturally and ecologically significant land.

The N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources received $16.4 million to purchase 2,400 acres above Long Hope Valley and the slopes around Elk Knob, including the ridge of Snake Mountain and Rittle Knob.

Elevations range between 5,520 to 4,860 feet and furthers the goal of state park advocates and environmentalists to create a continuous stretch of conserved ridges in the region bordering Tennessee.

According to DENR’s grant application, “This project would preserve a globally significant natural heritage area and a rare hanging valley ecosystem. As part of the Amphibolite Mountain macrosite, Elk Knob State Park is part of a larger conservation effort that extends from Tater Hill to Mount Jefferson State Natural Area.

“The property in this request supports at least 10 high-quality natural communities, 37 rare plant species, and eight rare animal species. The property includes 23 examples of Southern Appalachian bogs, the highest concentration in any area.”

Once acquired, the property will be joined onto Elk Knob State Park, which is a recreational and educational resource with few amenities. The emphasis of the park is low-impact outdoor recreation and preservation of the unique habitat. The property is owned by an unnamed family trust.

The Snake Mountain purchase of 129 acres will connect land currently held by High Country Conservancy on Tater Hill, with plans for a donation to the state, with Elk Knob. The three combined land tracts support four different natural communities, including grassy balds and norther hardwood forests, and at least eight rare plant species. It will provide a base for a hiking trail along the ridges and protect undeveloped views to the west of Elk Knob.

Elk Knob was first established as a state natural area in 2003, as an 1,800-acre purchase from a private landowner. Since then, more tracts have been accumulated and the park now has 2,600 acres, pending the new additions. Volunteers are building trails at the park, which will eventually have a picnic area and ranger’s station.

Watauga County’s Dutch Creek Cove Conservation Land was also funded at $3.85 million, which DENR will use to purchase 241 acres to help protect a significant natural heritage area and cove forests that contain the headwaters of Dutch Creek, which flows through Valle Crucis to the Watauga River.

Pond Mountain in Ashe County will be funded at $2.5 million, a portion of the total price for 680 acres of grassy habitat. The tract is targeted as a wildlife corridor from national forests in Tennessee and Virginia to Three Top Mountain. The tract houses the headwaters of Big Horse Creek and Big Laurel Creek.

A total of $15.5 million was awarded to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, a portion of which will enable the commission to protect and maintain property in Caldwell County’s Wilson Creek Wild and Scenic River corridor and land made available as part of Alcoa’s Federal Energy Regulatory Commission settlement agreement.

The General Assembly authorized certificates of participation totaling $38.8 million to protect ecologically diverse land and support the conservation priorities established by the One North Carolina Naturally program.

The N.C. Natural Heritage Trust Fund provides supplemental funding to state agencies to acquire and protect important natural areas, preserve the state’s ecological diversity and cultural heritage and inventory the natural heritage resources of the state, often working in conjunction with local land trusts or conservation agencies.

The trust fund is supported by 25 percent of the state’s portion of the tax on real estate deed transfers and a portion of the fees for personalized license plates. It is one of four trust funds the state administers to protect and conserve land.

Another $421,000 was earmarked for taking a statewide inventory of significant aquatic areas and species on the federally endangered list. The inventory will be made over the next three years.