Blair Tract I

Montgomery County

233.1 acres Fee Title Ownership

The LandTrust has recently taken a significant step towards protecting its first property in the Barnes Creek watershed.  The Blair family, a prominent Montgomery County family known for their civic responsibility and pursuit of historic preservation, has agreed to work with The LandTrust to see that the 235 acre Long Mountain property will be retained in its natural state.  According to the terms of the contract, The LandTrust will purchase the property at a bargain sale while also receiving a nearby 17 acre property as a donation.  Partial funding for this project has been made available by the N.C. Clean Water Management Trust Fund.  The remaining matching funds are currently under consideration by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service through grants made available by the North American Wetlands Conservation Act.
 
The Long Mountain property represents a variety of conservation values worthy of protection.  Foremost of these values, the property contains nearly 3,000 feet of frontage on Poison Fork, a major tributary of Barnes Creek.  With its steep slopes buffering the stream, proper management of the property will ensure continued protection of water quality in Poison Fork.  In addition, several intermittent streams run down from the top of Long Mountain into both Poison Fork and Barnes Creek.  By allowing this entire property to retain its mixed hardwood forest, the waters of Barnes Creek will continue to flow clear and clean.
 
Continuity is another major reason for The LandTrust's interest in this property.  The Long Mountain property sits adjacent to a large block of the Uwharrie National Forest.  Thus, it expands the wildlife corridor formed by the Forest along Poison Fork.  Secondly, the property houses a small portion of the popular Uwharrie Recreational Trail.  Several hundred feet of the trail cross the property along the valley between Long Mountain and Little Long Mountain.  It is our hope that the Long Mountain property will provide a permanent corridor for the trail and help reconnect one of the missing pieces.  Finally, the Long Mountain property forms a portion of that area identified as "Long Mountain Slopes" by botanist Moni Bates in the recently completed Montgomery County Natural Heritage Inventory.  The Slopes were rated as State Significant due to the proximity of Barnes Creek and several threatened species of plants found in the area.  The combination of these factors yields a property that contained all the merits of a wonderful conservation project.
 
The LandTrust would like to thank the Blair family for their commitment to landscape and historical preservation in Montgomery County.  Also, we are grateful to the N.C. Clean Water Management Trust Fund for their support of this project.  Please stay tuned for future updates on the status of this beautiful property.