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North Carolina has finalized a $3.7 million agreement to protect and conserve almosty 1,500 acres in McDowell County. Land which encompasses almost five miles of scenic views along the Blue Ridge Parkway.CSX Corp. owns the land near Little Switzerland and will continue to operate the rail line. A conservation easement the state bought will protect from development and logging. A large aspect of the deal in place is that the nonprofit Conservation Trust for North Carolina, which brokered the deal and announced it Monday, will oversee the easement. The property stretches from mile posts 325 to 329.5 along the parkway and includes a number of its best-known overlooks. This also includes 1.5 miles of the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail, the path used by mountain militiamen during the American Revolution to reach the battle of Kings Mountain in South Carolina. The agreement is expected to create improvements that will make that section of trail publicly accessible. The property has mature forests which connect crucial habitat in Pisgah National Forest to the parkway. The tract includes much of the two state-designated Significant Natural Heritage Areas and seven miles of Catawba River headwaters streams. For locals of the area, the land holds deep family significance. Especially for one native named Terry McKinney, who’s great-great-grandparents settled in the area in the 1700’s. “I want future generations to be able to come and see what I am seeing today.” Contributers of the Conservation Trust provided $1.6 million. The N.C. Natural Heritage Trust Fund donated $1.1 million, the state Clean Water Management Trust Fund $868,000 and the state parks trails program $75,000. The National Park Service, Altapass Orchard Foundation, Overmountain Victory Trail Association and Salisbury's Fred and Alice Stanback and Bill and Nancy Stanback were also contributers.
(Images provided by csx.com/.)
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