The North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation, in partnership with The Conservation Fund and 130 of Chatham, LLC, has successfully acquired 238.14 acres of high-elevation land as part of Mount Mitchell State Park’s land protection strategy.
This land, located southwest of the park’s main access area and bordering Yancey County, enhances connectivity with the Blue Ridge Parkway, Pisgah National Forest, and the Asheville Watershed.
“These are important acres the division has been trying to acquire for conservation the last 50 years,” said State Parks Director Brian Strong in a press release. “We are very grateful for this partnership with 130 of Chatham and The Conservation Fund that has helped protect areas of exceptional natural resource value in the Black Mountains.”
The newly acquired area consists of southern Appalachian spruce-fir forest, a highly endangered ecosystem in the U.S. This unique habitat is critical for the survival of several rare, threatened, or endangered species, including the Carolina northern flying squirrel and the spruce-fir moss spider, both of which are found exclusively in this region.
Historically, red spruce and Fraser fir trees dominated the southern Appalachian forests, but their range has been severely reduced due to rising temperatures and extensive logging in the 1800s and 1900s. The remaining habitat, isolated to peaks above 5,000 feet, continues to face threats from acid rain and the balsam woolly adelgid. To combat these challenges, N.C. State Parks is participating in the Southern Appalachian Spruce Restoration Initiative, which aims to restore red spruce trees across high-elevation lands in western North Carolina.
This $3.588 million acquisition was made possible through a grant from the North Carolina Land and Water Fund awarded to The Conservation Fund, along with matching funds from the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund to N.C. State Parks. The initial purchase of the parcels was made by 130 of Chatham, a company owned by Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games and a dedicated conservationist.
