Lee Carter and Greg Bradley first bought a home in Blowing Rock 23 years ago on a southeastern ridge of Grandfather Mountain and have promoted and supported the preservation of its natural beauty ever since. Over the years, they have added additional parcels of land to complete their 17 acres tract, and, have recently completed their new dream home there. The property has 90 mile vistas to the south across the Pisgah Forest to Charlotte, to the East overlooking Julian Price and Moses Cone Parks, and to the north overlooking the mountains above Boone.
“Making this our permanent home is a dream come true and we felt the need to preserve the unique, natural characteristics that draw people to this area. By donating to the construction of the Middle Fork Greenway, we thought it would make a significant impact. It is an ambitious project that requires immediate attention. Many people were brought here as children to experience the outdoors and they will do the same with their friends and children. The finished Middle Fork Greenway will benefit our community now and for generations to come,” said Carter.
The Middle Fork of the New River Greenway has completed about a mile of trail on the ground, and when finished will connect the towns of Boone and Blowing Rock with about 7 miles of trails. The path will follow along the Middle Fork of the New River, rising in Blowing Rock and flowing north to Boone, where, joined by the East Fork and Winkler’s Creek, it empties into the South Fork of the New River. The greenway is landscaped with native trees, shrubs, and grasses that absorb rainwater runoff, filter pollution, trap sediment, shade and stabilize streambanks, and ultimately improve water quality.
The Greenway will offer connectivity between existing and new pocket parks with safe biking and walking paths allowing users to enjoy the scenic beauty of our natural resources. These benefits to the environment and the community will lead to a stronger economy by increasing property value, promoting eco-tourism, and expanding opportunities for established and new businesses.
Lee and Greg encourage people to consider these additional benefits of natural resource conservation and hope their significant charitable donation inspires others to support the Middle Fork Greenway.
Blue Ridge Conservancy and the Middle Fork Greenway are grateful to have passionate and dedicated supporters like Lee Carter and Greg Bradley.
About Blue Ridge Conservancy
BRC is a private, non-profit, non-governmental organization incorporated in North Carolina. BRC has protected over 18,500 acres in Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey Counties. In addition to protecting working farmland, BRC’s efforts have resulted in the creation of state natural areas like Beech Creek Bog, Bear Paw State Natural Area and Bullhead Mountain. We continue to help Elk Knob State park expand its borders and established Pond Mountain Game Land in Ashe County. More information about Blue Ridge Conservancy is available at www.blueridgeconservancy.org
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