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For Immediate Release
September 14, 2007


Catawba Lands Conservancy has been awarded $20,000 from the Community Foundation of Gaston County to create the “Northbrook Recreational Area” along the South Fork of the Catawba River for public recreational use.

The “Northbrook Recreational Area” will create public access to the South Fork River via a restored and improved canoe/kayak launch and will initiate a plan of connecting, by river, property permanently protected by Catawba Lands Conservancy with Poston Park and future Gaston County park land located three and a half miles downstream. These conserved lands will provide scenic views along the river for the enjoyment of recreational users.

In partnership with the Community Foundation of Gaston County, Catawba Lands Conservancy will begin renovations at the site located on Stanley Spencer Mountain Road. Historically the Northbrook property, protected by the Conservancy in 2006, has not been managed for public use, but has been used as a riverside picnic area, canoe launch and fishing site. Recently, the site has become compromised by illegal trash dumping, vandalism, plant overgrowth, and inadequate land management. The scope of work includes professional clean-up of the site, restoration of the existing parking area, removal of invasive vegetation, installation of lights and a security camera, placement of an entry gate and fences, signage, and publication of an educational trail guide. During renovations the access site will be closed. The upgraded site will provide Gaston County’s citizens with a tremendous opportunity to enjoy Gaston County’s natural beauty in a safe and pristine environment, and will be the first step to create a series of marked, interconnected water trails within the South Fork River.

“The Conservancy is grateful to the Community Foundation of Gaston County for its generous support of this project, and its continued support of land conservation,” said Catawba Lands Conservancy Executive Director Dave Cable. “This funding allows the Conservancy to provide Gaston County’s residents an additional avenue to connect with nature and take advantage of the area’s quality of life. The revitalization of the Northbrook Recreational Area has considerable potential to become a catalyst for creating a network of marked, interconnected blueways (water trails) along the South Fork River for public enjoyment.”

Catawba Lands Conservancy is a regional land trust that permanently protects land, water and wildlife habitat to enhance your quality of life. The Conservancy protects more than 6,812 acres in Catawba, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg and Union counties and is one of 24 land trusts serving North Carolina. For more information, visit www.catawbalands.org.

Established in 1978, the Community Foundation of Gaston County currently manages more than $113 million in assets and 266 funds. As a primary steward of philanthropic giving in Gaston County, the Foundation focuses on coordinating donors and the needs of our community. For more information about the Community Foundation, please contact the Foundation office at 704-864-0927.