Open meadows, hardwood forests, working farms, bogs and marshes, streams, ponds, historical landmarks and breathtaking views – these features define the unique and amazingly beautiful character of our region. As our landscape continues to change in the rapidly urbanizing Greater Charlotte Metro Region, the natural places we value as a community and define this region’s character are steadily being converted for various human uses. Catawba Lands Conservancy is dedicated to help balance the inevitable growth of our communities with the protection of those places that provide our sense of place – open space with scenic vistas, recreational trails, water access, and working farms.

Protecting ecologically diverse natural habitats is of primary importance to the Conservancy. As the only land trust serving this region, the Conservancy has a responsibility to ensure that wildlife and various plant species thrive and our natural systems function properly. Many of the Conservancy’s protected properties are designated natural heritage sites where biologists have identified uncommon natural communities. The 506-acre Stanley Creek Forest and the 107-acre Buck-Smith-Long Property are two examples

Safeguarding the region’s water supply and protecting the integrity of riparian buffers is another focal point for the Conservancy. The Conservancy has permanently protected several hundred acres in the Mountain Island Lake Watershed, which serves as the drinking water supply for Charlotte, Mount Holly, Gastonia, and other local communities. The South Fork Catawba River, which flows through Catawba, Lincoln, and Gaston counties, has long been a focus area for the Conservancy, having protected more than 2,500 acres and 16 miles of river. On March 1, 2007, the Conservancy submitted a grant application to the Clean Water Management Trust Fund on behalf of Lincoln County requesting nearly $1.3 million for the purchase of a 116-acre parcel in close vicinity to Lincoln County’s water drinking supply in Lake Norman. If funded, the property will not only permanently preserve the undeveloped land near the county’s primary drinking water source, but will also serve as a public park for county residents.

In the last 20 years, North Carolina has lost approximately 2.8 million acres of farmlands and open space. Charlotte, the state’s largest metropolitan area, lost 26% of its total cropland and forestland for a staggering total of 300,000 acres, more than any other region in the state. For an in-depth discussion about North Carolina’s rapid development and loss of open space, please read “Losing our Natural Heritage: North Carolina’s Disappearing Open Spaces,” published by the North Carolina Public Interest Research Group. Over the years, the Conservancy has worked hard to preserve the rolling fields and wooded areas of our rural communities, as illustrated by our protection of the 48-acre Hunter Farm in Union County, the 180-acre bicentennial Rhyne Farm in Gaston County, and the 63-acre Oakwood Farm in Catawba County.