0325-GCG-FoothillsConservancy_ESG25_12-18 (2) - Flipbook - Page 12
Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina
“We need to join
forces with others to
accomplish a common
goal: to save the land
and to conserve nature.”
Marsha Riddle
Founding Board Member
Tom Kenney
Land Protection Director
of balanced conservation and responsible land
Protecting What
Matters, Together
to economic development, the Conservancy has
management, alongside thoughtful approaches
advanced this mission through a wide range of land
acquisitions and conservation easements. Partnering
with large and small municipalities, landowners, and
state and federal agencies, I have been honored to
From the rolling foothills west of I-77 to the Blue
support conservation of the land and waters that
Ridge Mountains, our eight-county service area of
de昀椀ne our region for 25 years and counting.
Western North Carolina is known for its rural farms,
vast woodlands, clear headwaters, winding rivers and
tributaries, and unique mountain vistas. These special
places and their stories re昀氀ect the heart of the people
who call this region home, and those who return to
visit it again and again.
Our story began with grassroots leadership and local
mobilization. Community members joined forces
with FCNC and major partners—including the North
Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, The Nature
Conservancy, and state and local governments—to
protect the South Mountains. Together, we helped
Since its founding, FCNC has been inspired by a
establish North Carolina’s largest state park, South
singular vision: to protect the natural landscapes
Mountains State Park, and the neighboring game
that sustain both our environment and our quality of
lands that stretch toward Cane Creek, Golden Valley,
life. Guided by that vision and adhering to principles
and Casar, covering a portion of three counties. Early
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