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Blue Ridge Conservancy Gets the Gift of Land Just in Time for the Holidays

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Blue Ridge Conservancy (BRC) received an early Christmas gift from the Logan family in early December. Jane Logan donated 72 acres along the Blue Ridge Parkway near the Cascades Falls Overlook to BRC. 

Located in Ashe County, this property will contribute to the connectivity of protected lands in the area, benefiting the public by preserving vistas and promoting healthy waterways. Connecting large, undeveloped tracts of land has positive impacts on wildlife habitat and water quality.  

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This property is home to 5 headwater springs of Pine Swamp Creek, a tributary of the South Fork New River, most of which originate on the land and are protected by forested buffers.

This property is home to 5 headwater springs of Pine Swamp Creek, a tributary of the South Fork New River, most of which originate on the land and are protected by forested buffers. Additionally, the property borders the Blue Ridge Parkway for 3,500 feet and is highly visible by visitors travelling in the north and southbound lane.   

According to Phillip Logan’s sister Jane Logan, “Phil Logan was born in the flat lands of Indiana and did not move to the Blue Ridge Mountains until his late twenties. But it was in the mountains here that he found his true home. He made many friends as a pharmacist during the more than forty years he lived in West Jefferson and Boone and felt he had found his place. He especially loved the Blue Ridge Parkway and spent many hours hiking its trails. With his father Howard he bought the acreage on the Parkway and it has remained untouched.”  

With the acquisition of this property, Blue Ridge Conservancy completed its third land protection project bordering the Blue Ridge Parkway in 2016, which coincides with the centennial celebration of the National Park Service.  The three projects total 354 acres of conserved land adjacent to the Parkway.

Thanks to the generosity of Jane Logan and her family, this property will be enjoyed by Parkway visitors for many years to come.   

“Upon Phil’s death in 2014 his sister and nieces felt that donating all the land was the best legacy they could think of to honor him and his love of the land. We feel very happy to know that the land will remain in its natural state for generations to come and we know that his spirit will live on in his beloved mountains” said Jane Logan.

BRC plans to transfer the property’s ownership to the National Park Service in the near future.  Funding for the transaction costs was made possible by a generous donation from Fred and Alice Stanback.

Blue Ridge Conservancy and the Conservation Trust for North Carolina work together to Save the Places You Love along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Both organizations, along with other land conservation partners, recently launched a website highlighting protected properties along the North Carolina section of the Blue Ridge Parkway. The web link is: http://protecttheblueridgeparkway.org/.

The website includes photos and property descriptions, including availability for hiking, an interactive map, landowner stories, and information about each partner land trust and the Blue Ridge Parkway.

About Blue Ridge Conservancy

BRC is a private, non-profit, non-governmental organization incorporated in North Carolina. BRC has protected over 19,450 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 Grandfather Mountain State Park and Elk Knob State Park expand their borders and established Pond Mountain Game Land in Ashe County.  More information about Blue Ridge Conservancy is available at www.blueridgeconservancy.org.