Land acquires to expand park and wilderness trail

Jan. 26—MORGANTON — The Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina acquired six valuable acres Jan. 19 for permanent conservation in Valdese. This property, across from Valdese Children's Park on E. Main Street, will be eventually transferred to the Town of Valdese for expansion of the Children's Park and future development of the Wilderness Gateway State Trail (WGST).

"Foothills Conservancy is glad to partner with Friends of the Valdese Rec and the Town of Valdese to secure this six acres of open space for future public park and trail use," said Land Protection Director Tom Kenney. "Projects like this support healthy lifestyles and economic development through tourism in Valdese associated with the Wilderness Gateway State Trail."

Preserving this property will also help protect the water quality of the area, as this property adjoins Micol Creek, a tributary that drains to Lake Rhodhiss in the Catawba River Basin.

This project is the latest in a series of conservation efforts for the WGST by Foothills Conservancy, which serves as the lead organization for the trail. Earlier this month, the Conservancy transferred 75 acres in Catawba County to the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation for addition to state land and the WGST corridor.

Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina is a nationally accredited regional land trust that inspires conservation in Western North Carolina by permanently protecting land and water for the benefit of people and all living things. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Foothills Conservancy has conserved more than 66,000 acres in its eight county service area: Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cleveland, Lincoln, McDowell and Rutherford, in three major river basins: the Broad, Catawba and Yadkin. Information about Foothills Conservancy, including ways to support its work, can be found online at www.foothillsconservancy.org or by calling 828-437-9930.