Thanks to a $3 million federal grant, the N.C. Forest Service and its conservation partners have now protected more than 40 percent of a fledgling 8,000-acre Headwaters State Forest in southern Transylvania County.
On Tuesday, state forestry officials announced they acquired 3,217 acres in 2013 formerly owned by U.S. Rep. Charles Taylor in the East Fork headwaters of the French Broad. The Taylor property is the largest undeveloped tract of private land in Western North Carolina.
“This is a project that in 2010 was less than 800 acres, and now we’re over 3,000, so that’s pretty huge,” said Peter Barr, trails and outreach coordinator for the Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy, a local partner in the Headwaters acquisition.
The rugged property along the Blue Ridge Escarpment boasts roughly 25 waterfalls — including 100-foot-plus Hidden Falls — and supports 60 miles of high-quality streams, nine rare mountain bogs and habitat for several endangered or uncommon plants and animals.
The most recent state purchase, of 711 acres in December, was made possible by a grant from the U.S. Forest Service’s Forest Legacy Program, which is funded by the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund.
From BlueRidgeNow.com: https://www.blueridgenow.com/article/20140204/ARTICLES/140209964#gsc.tab=0