Foothills Conservancy completes acquisition of Oak Hill Community Park & Forest project

On Friday, Oct. 2, Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina acquired the remaining 322 acres of the Oak Hill Community Park and Forest property in Burke County, completing the 652-acre project total. The Oak Hill Community Park and Forest is slated to become a destination for hiking, mountain biking, outdoor education, archeological exploration, community events and other recreational and educational opportunities.

The land purchase ensures permanent protection of a segment of Canoe Creek (a tributary of the Catawba River), forested uplands, agricultural land and scenic views of the Blue Ridge and South mountains. Areas of the property that were timbered by the seller will be stewarded through forest restoration projects, creating new opportunities for forest management education.

Now that the entire 652-acre property is under the ownership of Foothills Conservancy, the land trust will develop a park master plan with assistance from Destination by Design, planning future amenities like public trails and parking, environmental education infrastructure, community agriculture and forestry programs, trailheads and, potentially, primitive campsites. The conservancy will seek community input and feedback during the planning stages.

“It is important that we maintain momentum and immediately begin the process of park planning with input from stakeholders and the public,” said Executive Director Andrew Kota. “During this process, it will be very important for citizens to contact county and city officials to express their support for this land being transformed into a public park. Local government participation is crucial during these next steps in the project.”

Destination by Design is a planning, engineering and communications firm based in Boone, North Carolina, that specializes in the creation of landscape plans for trails and parks, the revitalization of downtown areas for increased tourism potential, and community branding. The team has prepared a number of design concepts for public parks, trails and recreation areas, including for the Fonta Flora State Trail, the Valdese Lakeside Park, and Rocky Knob Bike Park. Guided by the vision of Foothills Conservancy and the public, the firm will help turn this idea into a reality, planning the future park’s layout and usage.

Foothills Conservancy also hired EcoForesters, a nonprofit professional forestry organization, to complete a Community Forest Plan, a requirement of the USDA Community Forest Program grant. EcoForesters’ mission is to aid in forest conservation, sound forest stewardship and land management for the betterment of our region’s natural landscapes.

“I drove past the property twice every morning,” Kota said, recalling memories from the project’s early days, nearly two years ago. “I’d pass it once on the way to drop off my oldest son at middle school, then double-back on the same road to take my youngest son to elementary school — before heading to the office, where I passed by yet another section of the property.”

Originally a 913-acre parcel, the land was managed for timber production, private hunting and agriculture. In 2015, it was sold to a land investment partnership, and by 2018, the property was being subdivided and sold.

“I remember seeing the real estate signs go up on the edge of the Oak Hill property, offering 10- to 40-acre parcels for sale,” continued Kota. “I also noticed logging trucks exiting the land and could see an abrupt change in tree height on the highest knob on the property — indications of logging activity, which turned out to be clear cutting of native hardwood forests. It was then that I realized Foothills Conservancy could potentially protect the property from further subdivision and possibly even turn this land into a public park.”

Associate Director Beth Willard-Patton commented on what the park will mean for residents and visitors of Burke County: “This is a historical and monumental success for the conservancy and for the community. With this community park and forest, outdoor-seekers will no longer have to drive an hour or more to feel immersed in the woods. Burke County’s tagline is ‘Nature’s Playground,’ and we are so excited to be a part of making more space to play!”

Funding for the Oak Hill Community Park and Forest acquisition was made possible by donations from private individuals, small businesses and churches, as well as grants from Camp Lake James Stewardship Fund, Catawba-Wateree Water Management Group, North Carolina Land and Water Fund (previously the North Carolina Clean Water Management Trust Fund), Community Foundation of Burke County, Duke Energy Foundation’s Powerful Communities program, Glass Foundation, Grace Episcopal Church Foundation, Huffman-Cornwell Foundation, Jefferies-Kendall Foundation, Inc., J. Alex and Vivian G. Mull Foundation, N.C. DOJ Environmental Enhancement Grant Program, Rostan Family Foundation, The Unifour Foundation Inc. Endowment Fund, a component fund of the North Carolina Community Foundation,  and USDA Forest Service Community Forest Program.