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Needmore Game Land

Little Tennessee River, Needmore Game Land
LIttle Tennessee River, Needmore Game Land 
© The Nature Conservancy 
Paddling on the Little Tennessee River
Paddling on the Little Tennessee
 © The Nature Conservancy 
Location:
Mountains
Swain and Macon counties

Size in Acres:
4,460

Involvement in Acres:
4,460

Topographical Map:
Topographical maps are available by contacting:
NC Geographical Survey.
1612 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1612.
(919) 715-9718
www.geology.enr.state.nc.us/

Activities & Amenities:

Ownership & Access:
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
1701 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1701
(919) 733-7291

Site Information:
Needmore is the collective name for multiple parcels totaling 4,400 acres on a 27-mile stretch of the Little Tennessee River between Franklin, NC and Fontana Lake. The largest parcel, 4,000 contiguous acres, consists of 3,400 acres in Swain County and 600 acres in Macon County. Twelve non-contiguous parcels in Macon County account for the remaining 400 acres.

Biologists call Needmore, which straddles the Little Tennessee River, one of the most threatened and biologically important areas in North Carolina because it represents one of the last remaining Southern Appalachian river systems with viable populations of native aquatic species. The properties are home to outstanding biological resources, including two federally endangered mussels, the Appalachian elktoe and the little pearlywing, as well as an endangered plant, the Virginia sweetspire. The Little Tennessee River supports populations of four federally-listed and 12 state-listed species of animals and plants. The area is also rich in cultural history.

Conservation Highlights:
As part of its Forever Wild campaign in 2004, The Nature Conservancy purchased the Needmore tracts from Crescent Resources, LLC and transferred them to the NC Wildlife Resources Commission. The transaction concluded more than three years of negotiations. The Conservancy raised $2 million in private funds which was combined with public monies from the Clean Water Management Trust Fund, the Ecosystem Enhancement Program, the Natural Heritage Trust Fund and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to meet the $19 million price tag on the property. 

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