Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina announces the purchase and permanent protection of a 326-acre parcel of land in Blowing Rock, NC, that contains the headwaters of the Johns River and is part of an iconic view seen from The Blowing Rock attraction, U.S. 321 and other locations within the town limits of Blowing Rock.
The property is positioned on the Blue Ridge escarpment, partially located in both the Blowing Rock and Globe communities of Caldwell County, and is part of the viewshed corridor of the sweeping and magnificent mountainous panorama.
“Immediate scenic vistas from the iconic Blowing Rock natural feature and Highway 321 are now preserved with the completion of this important 326-acre acquisition, benefitting generations of visitors and residents of Blowing Rock, the front door to NC’s High Country.” said Tom Kenney, FCNC’s Land Protection Director. “Equally important are protected habitats adjoining Pisgah National Forest, the large North Carolina natural area, Blowing Rock Cliffs and the numerous springs and seeps that form as the Johns River. Downstream, these tributaries contribute to a large supply of clean drinking water for more than two million people in Valdese, Caldwell County, Hickory, Charlotte and beyond,” Kenney added.
The Johns River, a major tributary of the Catawba River, begins on the property, and the land harbors a number of significant natural communities and threatened plant and animal species documented by the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program.
“Foothills Conservancy of NC is honored that the family who owned and stewarded the land for over a century gave our land trust this opportunity and entrusted us with permanently conserving their family land in Blowing Rock,” said FCNC Executive Director Andrew Kota. “We are also incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support and generosity from Blowing Rock community members who rallied around our land trust to ensure the property was permanently protected for future generations,” Kota said.
Leveraging its experience and national reputation for successfully protecting high-value conservation projects, FCNC received substantial grant funding for this project.
“We offer our sincerest gratitude to the Stanback family, the Wilson family and the Glass Foundation for standing behind our land trust and providing extraordinary funding support for this project, as well as the Duke Energy Foundation, North Carolina Land and Water Fund, Catawba-Wateree Water Management Group and Alice Zawadski Land Conservation Fund, for grants that enabled permanent land conservation through a conservation easement. I also want to express appreciation to three special ladies who put their hearts and souls into this project, and didn’t rest until they assured that the community of Blowing Rock was plugged into the effort – Judy Allison, Dinny Harper Addison and Lee Harper Vason,” said Kota.
Judy Allison, Dinny Harper Addison and Lee Harper Vason were honored with FCNC’s 2023 Ruby Pharr Conservationist of the Year award, the organization’s highest honor for conservation volunteer service. In addition to the Ruby Award recipients, FCNC received an outpouring of support from hundreds of people within the Blowing Rock community.
“As Mayor of Blowing Rock and the proprietor of the Town’s namesake, The Blowing Rock, I was very pleased when I learned the Conservancy was purchasing the area below the Blowing Rock Attraction known as the Johns River Gorge,” said Charlie Sellers, Mayor of Blowing Rock. “In my travels, I have visited many places that were pretty and well kept. Now, returning to those locations, I have seen buildings out of control and very little green space. I am a proponent of conserving land so the next generations have the ability to enjoy nature without the concerns of over building and destroying the environment,” addedSellers.
The success of this project can be attributed to the collaborative approach that FCNC took, which involved community stakeholders and local government. This approach proved to be essential for the long-term health and sustainability of Blowing Rock’s natural environment.
FCNC’s Johns River Headwaters conservation preserve is not accessible to the public, and there are no designated public access points. However, residents and visitors may enjoy views of the property from the Blowing Rock Attraction located off US 321.
Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina is a nationally accredited regional land trust that inspires conservation in Western North Carolina by permanently protecting land and water for the benefit of people and all living things. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Foothills Conservancy has conserved more than 70,000 acres in its eight county service area: Alexander, Burke, Caldwell,
Catawba, Cleveland, Lincoln, McDowell and Rutherford, in three major river basins: the Broad, Catawba and Yadkin. Information about Foothills Conservancy, including ways to support its work, can be found online at www.foothillsconservancy.org or by calling 828-437-9930.
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