None The Nature Conservancy in North Carolina Press Releases Search All Press Releases Maria Sadowski 919.403.8558 msadowski@tnc.org

1,568 Acres in North Carolina Mountains: $16 Million
View from the World's Edge: Priceless

LAKE LURE, NC—09 August 2005—What does a $16 million dollar view look like? For the Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy and The Nature Conservancy, the answer is more than 1,500 acres of sparkling waterfalls, sheer cliffs, forested slopes and dramatic views. Known as “World’s Edge,” the land was protected today thanks to quick action by these conservation partners.

World’s Edge is in the Hickory Nut Gorge, just 15 miles southeast of Asheville, North Carolina—abounding with stunning natural features, this popular tourist destination faces the combined pressures of development and rapidly increasing land use.

Formerly owned by The Robert Haywood Morrison Foundation, the World’s Edge property became available on very short notice. Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy worked with Cynthia Haldenby Tyson, estate executrix, and seized the narrow window of opportunity. With the involvement of The Nature Conservancy’s North Carolina Chapter and financing assistance from the Open Space Institute and Self-Help Ventures, this ecological treasure is now guaranteed to be protected. Closing took place today.

Earlier this year, North Carolina’s General Assembly authorized a state park in the Hickory Nut Gorge area. The area is important as a potential tourism destination and has tremendous biological value.

“We’ve been excited about the idea of a state park at Hickory Nut Gorge for a long time, and that idea has moved from possibility to probability in just a matter of weeks,” said Lewis Ledford, director of the NC Division of Parks and Recreation. “It shows what can be accomplished with such committed partners as The Nature Conservancy, the Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy, the Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina, the local community and the General Assembly.”

World’s Edge contains a mile-long set of steep slopes on the eastern edge of the Blue Ridge Escarpment, with more than 20,000 feet of streams and waterfalls. From an overlook point, the land falls away to provide a stunning view of the Piedmont. Unique cave-dwelling invertebrates, rare flowers, a variety of forest communities and an array of animals such as endangered bats, salamanders, peregrine falcons and migratory neotropical birds dwell there. The non-contiguous property extends into Henderson, Polk and Rutherford counties.

“Acquiring this magnificent property is a triumph for our region’s people and our natural heritage,” says Kieran Roe, Executive Director of the Hendersonville-based Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy. “With development pressures on the rise, opportunities to protect significant lands such as World’s Edge are becoming rare. As a local land trust, we’ve already protected 700 acres in the Hickory Nut Gorge, and our Conservancy will continue to work with landowners to make the most of this tremendous opportunity to preserve our special mountain places.”

The Nature Conservancy agrees. “Safeguarding the beauty, diversity and natural integrity within the Gorge fits in perfectly with our mission,” says Katherine Skinner, Executive Director of The Nature Conservancy’s North Carolina Chapter. “We’ve been working in the Gorge for more than 20 years and have protected nearly 1,500 acres here. But no matter how hard we work, private groups just can’t do it alone. We’re delighted to now have a state partner on board.”

The support of the General Assembly and of community partners in the area has been a critical component of ongoing efforts in the Hickory Nut Gorge area.

“I’m pleased that so many local conservation partners are committed to working with our Division of Parks and Recreation to create a new state park in Hickory Nut Gorge. The increased recreation and tourism opportunities will strengthen the local economy and provide many benefits to the people of North Carolina and to visitors from other states. Future generations will appreciate our efforts to protect this wonderful place,” says Senator Walter H. Dalton of Rutherford County, a primary co-sponsor of the bill that authorized the new park.

"There is a strong partnership among State Parks, other conservation and recreation groups, area legislators and local communities to establish Hickory Nut Gorge State Park and safeguard one of our state’s most spectacular natural resources," said Susie Hamrick Jones, Executive Director of the Foothills Conservancy, a land trust serving Rutherford and other counties along the eastern flank of the Blue Ridge Mountains. "A state park will provide much needed public recreation as more and more people are drawn to the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains."

Local sentiment is echoed by Todd Morse, President and GM of Chimney Rock Park. “A new state park will add much needed tourism to complement what we have at Chimney Rock Park. The additional exposure will create a positive economic impact for area businesses and for towns within the Gorge, in Rutherford County and beyond.”

The $16 million dollar acquisition is the result of a partnership among the Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy, The Nature Conservancy and numerous conservation lenders and donors. Critical funding has been provided by loans from the Open Space Institute and the Self-Help Credit Union, and by guarantees from the Conservation Trust for North Carolina, Lisbeth and Don Cooper, Bill and Nancy Stanback, Fred and Alice Stanback and other generous supporters.

“This is a great day for North Carolina. This project stands as a national model of collaboration and partnership between public and nonprofit partners. It is a testament to their collective vision, commitment and gritty determination that this land has been preserved for all to enjoy,” said Peter Howell, Director of Conservation Finance at the Open Space Institute.

According to Ms. Haldenby Tyson, “From his youth, Robert Haywood Morrison took an intense interest in the natural world, particularly the terrain and flora of western North Carolina, where he grew up. He would be proud to know that the World’s Edge will be forever protected.”

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Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy is a non-profit organization that works with landowners to permanently protect their farms, forests and natural land in Henderson, Transylvania, Buncombe, Rutherford and Jackson counties. It has protected over 10,600 acres of land since 1994 through the use of voluntary land conservation agreements, land donations and purchases. www.carolinamountain.org.

The Nature Conservancy is a leading international, nonprofit organization that preserves plants, animals and natural communities representing the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. The North Carolina Chapter of The Nature Conservancy and its 23,500 members have protected more than 577,000 acres in the Tar Heel state. For more information, contact the NC Chapter office at 919.403.8558 or visit us on the web at nature.org/northcarolina.

Open Space Institute Open Space Institute (www.osiny.org) is a nonprofit land conservation organization that protects scenic, natural and historic landscapes to ensure public enjoyment, conserve habitats and sustain community character. OSI achieves its goals through land acquisition, conservation easements, special loan programs and creative partnerships. Through its Conservation Finance Program, OSI has made 15 grants and 17 loans totaling $28.4 million to protect 1,400,000 acres in the East. For more information, contact Tildy La Farge at 212.356.4297.

Self-Help is a community development lender that has provided $3.9 billion in financing to 43,000 low-income home buyers, small businesses and nonprofits nationwide. Self-Help strives to integrate its community development with a concern for the environment and in 2004 invested nearly $70 million in 80 sustainable development projects.

Hickory Nut Gorge Planning Group are organizations working to protect this natural treasure. Members include: The Access Fund; Carolina Climbers Coalition; Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy; Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina; The Nature Conservancy; North Carolina Natural Heritage Program; North Carolina State Parks; Rutherford Outdoor Coalition; and the Upper Broad River Protection Program.