Curtis-Harrison Property

In January, Julie and Tom Curtis and Julie’s mother, Jane Harrison, together protected nearly 40 acres adjacent to Morrow Mountain State Park, preserving a scenic viewshed of the park and an important buffer along Mountain Creek and four of its tributaries. This beautiful and now protected land is a pristine natural area, with some huge hardwood trees along the streams. In addition, it is home to two rare plants, thick-pod White Wild Indigo (Baptisia alba) and Ravine sedge (Carex impressinervia). The streams on both properties are also known to house Carolina Creekshell (Villosa vaughaniana), a mussel that is a Federal Species of Concern. Bald Eagle and timber rattlesnake are no stranger to these properties either. And the mature hardwood understory is home to such plants as Atamasco lily and Carolina beauty as well. In addition to sharing a boundary with the park, the easement preserves the viewshed for one of the popular equestrian trails that also follows the stream. Thanks to the Curtis’s and Jane Harrison, this truly special place will be protected in perpetuity. A special thank you also goes to the N.C. Clean Water Management Trust Fund for providing a mini-grant for transactional costs, the Stanly County Friends of the Land who also helped with these costs, and Bank of Stanly and Clegg Mabry, attorney, for their remarkable contributions towards this project’s completion.