09/09/2026
Take a break from your doom scrolling to hear great news in conservation efforts across North Carolina!
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Henderson County commissioners voted unanimously to put a $25 million bond before voters for farmland preservation
If approved, the bond would pay landowners to place deed restrictions blocking subdivision or other development
That tool keeps working farmland intact by compensating farmers for protecting the land instead of selling it to developers
Just over the border near Townsend, TN, The Foothills Land Conservancy announced it has purchased 638 acres with plans to “substantially” expand the footprint of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
The land was previously owned by Cades Cove resident John Oliver, now adding 638 acres to the forest, ridgeline and wildlife habitat bordering GSMNP
A nearly $20 billion Al data center project planned for Edgecombe County, North Carolina, has been withdrawn after months of local opposition
North Carolina native, and Epic Games founder Tim Sweeney, has spent over $200 million buying up land across NC since 2008 in order to protect it from future development
The North Carolina Coastal Land Trust has signed a purchase agreement to permanently safeguard over 3,200 acres of Sledge Legacy Forest
A breakdown of the deal includes about 1,200 acres that will be donated to the Coastal Land Trust. Then, 2,000 acres will be added through a bargain sale, of which the developer will take on a lot of the contribution effort
The Hilton Bluffs subdivision by Copper Builders must go on as it’s currently approved in order for Coastal Land Trust to become the steward. If a city board blocks the development, the agreement would not move forward
The land includes 8.5 miles of frontage along the Northeast Cape Fear River with planned infrastructure to offer residents and visitors opportunities to experience the landscape
