Three Rivers Land Trust permanently conserves 266 additional acres on Poison Fork Creek

Three Rivers Land Trust (TRLT) is excited to announce the recent conservation of 266 acres in Randolph County, North Carolina. This new conservation property builds off an additional 255 acres that was also protected by the TRLT in 2019, to bring the total acres conserved to 521. This new conservation land adjoins the Uwharrie National Forest and North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Game Lands.

The North Carolina Land and Water Fund (previously known as the Clean Water Management Trust Fund) and the Enviva Forest Conservation Fund, as well as Three Rivers Land Trust members provided funding for this latest land conservation project along Poison Fork Creek.

The Enviva Forest Conservation Fund is a $5 million, 10-year program established by Enviva Holdings, LP in December 2015 to protect environmentally sensitive bottomland and wetland forests. Administered by the US Endowment for Forestry and Communities, the Fund awards grants annually to nonprofit organizations and government agencies for conservation projects in North Carolina and Virginia.

“This property not only protects significant frontage along Poison Fork Creek, which is an outstanding resource water, but also protects the federally listed endangered Schweinitz’s sunflower and the state’s rare Georgia aster,” states Crystal Cockman, Director of Conservation. Outstanding resource waters are of the highest quality found in the state, and several species of rare mussel are known to occur within this stretch of the stream.

“This is an incredible opportunity for the TRLT to work with a conservation-minded landowner to protect over 500 acres of land in the heart of the Uwharrie National Forest boundary,” states Executive Director Travis Morehead. “We are committed to protecting lands such as this one across our 15-county region.”

A special thank you to the conservation-minded landowner of this tract, who wishes to remain anonymous.

To learn more about how you can conserve property in our region, contact Crystal Cockman at 704-647-0302 or crystal@threeriverslandtrust.org.  To become a Three Rivers member or to learn more about their conservation mission, contact Michael Fulk, Associate Director, 704-647-0302 or michael@threeriverslandtrust.org or visit their website at www.threeriverslandtrust.org