0299-GCG-FoothillsConservancy ESG24-FINALb (1) - Flipbook - Page 13
A
2024 Impact Report
Mountains in the distance, command the view to
the west. Across the Catawba River Valley to the south,
the South Mountains stretch between the Piedmont
and the Blue Ridge.
Directly below one’s feet at this spot, the Johns River
emerges from the forest as a series of mountain
creeks – this is the site of a 326-acre parcel of land
that was acquired and permanently protected by
Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina in February
Johns River
2024. Across the ridges, Wilson Creek originates on the
south side of the prominent Calloway Peak, part of the
Grandfather Mountain massif.
These two rivers, Johns River and Wilson Creek,
the latter a National Wild & Scenic River, are vital
headwater streams that deliver large volumes of
dependable, high-quality water to the Catawba River.
Through conservation efforts by FCNC and its partners,
and because tens of thousands of acres in the two
adjacent watersheds are part of the Pisgah National
Johns River and Wilson Creek Con昀氀uence
Forest, these rivers enjoy a high level of protection and
offer numerous outdoor recreation opportunities.
Miles away and nearly 2,500 feet below The Blowing
117 ACRES
Rock and 4,000 feet below Calloway Peak, these two
Connecting the
Conservation Dots
important rivers merge.
Johns River and Wilson Creek Con昀氀uence
preserving outstanding habitat and water quality for
Standing atop the cliffs on the overlook at North
Carolina’s oldest travel attraction, The Blowing Rock in
Caldwell County, a visitor encounters a dramatic and
iconic view of the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains.
This vantage point can induce a dizzying effect on
the body as the land drops away vertically beneath
one’s feet and sweeps around a steep, forested,
bowl-shaped basin immediately below. The folded
landscape expands in the distance as stacked
ridgelines and narrow valleys coalesce. Grandfather
Mountain looms above to the north, while Table Rock,
In August of 2024, FCNC acquired 117 acres at
the rivers’ con昀氀uence, adding to the permanent
protection of land within both watersheds and
aquatic and terrestrial wildlife, as well as for public
water supplies downstream.
Between the places where these two rivers originate
in their adjoining watersheds in the Blue Ridge
Mountains, FCNC has completed 13 transactions to
protect 1,951 acres of land along miles of the rivers and
their tributaries. These projects represent a thread of
linked and related conservation efforts from point of
river origin to point of river convergence, similar to
the way that the intricate creeks and streams weave
mountainous landscapes together.
Hawksbill, and Long Arm Ridge, framed by the Black
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