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For Immediate Release
September 08, 2009


Catawba Lands Conservancy announces the permanent conservation of land that is steeped in history in northern Mecklenburg County. The 35-acre parcel, previously designated as a North Carolina Century Farm, is home to a cemetery containing the graves of individuals dating to the early 18th century. Featuring an abundance of hardwood and pine forests, the property provides a protective buffer for adjacent wetlands including the West Branch Nature Preserve. The development rights were generously given to the Conservancy through the donation of a conservation easement by Allan and Joyce White and Laura Anne (White) and Land Hite. This easement assures the family that their land will be protected in perpetuity and continue to provide essential protection of the area’s wildlife habitat and open space.

“We are deeply grateful to the White family for their generous donation,” said Dave Cable, Executive Director of Catawba Lands Conservancy. “The historical significance of the land as well as the physical location of the property make it an incredibly special and vital natural resource and one that will now be protected forever.”

The history of the land
The “White Property” has been passed down through multiple generations dating back to the early 1800’s. William Alexander White, grandfather of Allan and Laura Anne, was the son of Thomas Baxter and Sarah Cashion White and it was through the Cashion branch of the family tree that the property came into its most recent ownership. Sarah was a descendant of Thomas Cashion who purchased part of the land from George Wright of Spartanburg, South Carolina in the early 1800’s. Conjecture is that George Wright and Thomas Cashion became acquainted during the American Revolution where Cashion, a Private in the Virginia Militia, marched to and fought in the Battle of Camden. Thomas Cashion is buried in the Cashion-Moore Cemetery (a Mecklenburg County Historic Site) on adjacent property.

A prime location for preservation
The Highway 73 area in northern Mecklenburg County is a key transportation corridor that has experienced rapid development over recent decades. Efforts to provide balance to that development are paying off through the preservation of natural spaces. The newly-conserved “White Property” is located in close proximity to other key properties that have been conserved or are being managed as open spaces including:

• The 600-acre Ramah Creek Conservation Area permanently protected by the Catawba Lands Conservancy (south of NC Highway 73).

• The 90-acre, County-owned West Branch Nature Preserve noted by Davidson College biologists as containing the County’s most biologically diverse wetlands (borders the newly-conserved property to the northeast).

• A 27-acre, County-owned property being managed as open space through a joint effort of Mecklenburg County and the Town of Davidson (borders the newly-conserved property to the south).

In totality, this section of northern Mecklenburg now features over 700-acres of natural open space. Landscape-scale conservation such as this provides meaningful protection of the region’s natural resources and is the result of successful collaboration among land owners, Mecklenburg County, the Town of Davidson and Catawba Lands Conservancy.

About Catawba Lands Conservancy

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 7,500 acres in Catawba, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg and Union counties and is one of 24 land trusts serving North Carolina. Catawba Lands Conservancy is the lead agency for the Carolina Thread Trail, an initiative that will link more than two million citizens with hundreds of miles of trails that wind through fifteen counties in North and South Carolina.

About The Carolina Thread Trail

The Carolina Thread Trail (The Thread) is a 15-county, two state initiative designed to inspire and facilitate the creation of a regional network of trails, blueways, and conservation corridors that will grow together over time linking more than 2.3 million citizens. With technical resources and catalytic funding from The Thread, local communities will plan and implement their portions of this green interstate system. Catawba Lands Conservancy is the lead agency for The Thread, working in partnership with the Trust for Public Land, Foundation For The Carolinas, and many local partners.


Additional Resources:
• www.catawbalands.org
• www.carolinathreadtrail.org