Rutherford Weekly

Page 4 - Rutherford Weekly 828-248-1408 www.rutherfordweekly.com Thursday, July 29-August 4, 2021 397 Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church Rd., Forest City, NC Contact: Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church 828-245-4496 or Waynette Wells 828-429-6078 Aug. 4-7 8am until --&-- Aug. 10-14 8am until UNBELIEVABLE UNBELIEVABLE PRICES! PRICES! Prepare for unexpected power outages with a Generac home standby generator FREE 7-Year Extended Warranty* A $695 Value! REQUEST A FREE QUOTE! 844-334-8353 Off er valid February 15, 2021 - June 6, 2021 Special Financing Available Subject to Credit Approval *To qualify, consumers must request a quote, purchase, install and activate the generator with a participating dealer. Call for a full list of terms and conditions. On July 13, Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina purchased 118 acres in the Globe area of Caldwell County, along N.C. Highway 90 and the Johns River and between Blowing Rock and Collettsville. Named Burntfi eld Branch, after the stream that runs through the property, this acquisition contains an undeveloped portion of the existing Johns River Valley Camp property. Surrounded on three sides by Pisgah National Forest, the Burntfi eld Branch property will soon be offi cially added to Pisgah's landscape, transferring from Foothills Conservancy to the U.S. Forest Service in the next few years. The project will bring new public fi shing and access opportunities to the area in addition to a local wildfl ower trail along Burntfi eld Branch. Conservation of this property improves public access to existing Forest Service lands and protects a section of the Johns River that begins near Blowing Rock. "First and foremost, this will be fantastic for public access to Johns River," said Nick Larson, USFS Grandfather District Ranger. "Ten years ago, public access on Johns River was a total of about 200 yards. Foothills Conservancy's work on the Burntfi eld Branch tract, along with other recent acquisitions, has greatly improved public access to Johns River." Phil Hardy, executive director of Johns River Valley Camp, is excited for the opportunity to protect important natural resources right in his organization's backyard. "A large part of our mission at Johns River Valley Camp has been and continues to be to teach the vital importance of our relationship to the land we inhabit," he said. "We recognize that the earth sustains us, and we, in turn, engage in its stewardship. We are exceedingly thrilled to be in partnership with Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina and are enthusiastic about passing along the baton of care for this small corner of the planet to the U.S. Forest Service. As our ministry continues, we will refl ect upon this as an historic moment in which we linked arms with others who share our love for the created world." The Burntfi eld Branch property is rife with a variety of spring wildfl owers and consists entirely of Southern Appalachian natural communities and plant species. At least 205 species are found on the property, including 175 plants and 30 wildlife species. Six North Carolina National Heritage Program rare species, including three wildlife and three plant species, are documented on the property and in Johns River, including the little brown-bat (Myotis lucifugus) and tricolored bat (Perimyotis subfl avus). Dominated by forested habitats, the property also features exposed bedrock, rocky summits, cliffs, boulder fi elds and outcrops. "The ecological value of this property is fantastic," said Larson. "Much of this property is a mix of southern yellow pines and hardwood that really identify the foothills of the Grandfather Ranger District. It also has some unique meadows that will provide great habitat and opportunities for birders to chase song birds and casual botanists to chase unique fl ower and plant species." Foothills Conservancy board member and wildfl ower enthusiast Susan Powers has enjoyed the social trail for many years and expressed her excitement to share this special section of Caldwell County with others. "This is the best wildfl ower trail I've ever hiked," said Powers. "There are so many varieties in such a short distance, and I'm always astonished at how natural and undisturbed the trail is. It's pretty, peaceful and not strenuous. My favorite time of year to go is the second week of April." Funding for the project acquisition includes a generous contribution from conservation philanthropists Brad and Shelli Stanback and a grant from the Alice Zawadski Land Conservation Fund of the North Carolina Native Plant Society (ncwildfl ower.org). This grant was used to complete a baseline documentation report, recording the property's current conditions to be used as a basis of stewardship during FCNC's ownership. 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 benefi t of people and all living things. A 501(c) (3) nonprofi t, Foothills Conservancy serves eight counties: 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. Foothills Conservancy of NC purchases 118 acres along Johns River in Caldwell County for Pisgah National Forest Article Provided By: Hayley Benton Rutherford Weekly Sudoku Answers on page 23 Spend it here, Spend it here, keep it here! keep it here! BUY LOCAL LOCAL PLEASE PLEASE RECYCLE RECYCLE

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