Foothills Conservancy purchases 303 acres in Catawba County for parklands

On April 30, Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina (FCNC) purchased 303 acres in Catawba County along the Henry Fork River — part of a local and state partnership to develop new public parklands close to outdoor recreation access areas along both the Henry Fork and Jacob Fork rivers.

The newly acquired tract — between U.S. 321, Hickory, Conover and Newton — adjoins 141 acres owned by the City of Hickory that is pending for donation to the N.C. Division of Parks & Recreation (State Parks) to assemble a large nature-oriented park. This park is made possible by a 2019 state law establishing the Wilderness Gateway State Trail (WGST).

Earlier this year, a study conducted for the future WGST identified paddling trails along rivers and woodland trail concepts that would create connections between existing local parks or greenway trails and FCNC’s newly purchased lands on the Henry Fork and Jacob Fork rivers in Catawba County. The long-term goal for WGST is to extend trail and river “blueway” connections to South Mountains State Park and the Town of Valdese, as well as through existing conservation lands, west to Chimney Rock State Park and into Pisgah National Forest.

FCNC and the City of Hickory will temporarily manage the adjoining properties, which cover more than 400 woodland acres, until the land is conveyed to North Carolina State Parks for public access and passive recreation development. The City of Hickory’s Henry Fork Regional Recreation Park lies just upstream near Interstate 40 Exit 121.

The new 303-acre property protects more than 1.4 miles of Henry Fork River and its tributary streams and forested lands, preserving extensive habitat for native plants and animals, including the threatened Dwarf flowered heartleaf, and conserving scenic open space near Hickory, Brookford and U.S. 321. When park facilities are developed by N.C. State Parks, Catawba County residents and visitors will be able to paddle, fish, hike and enjoy other passive recreation activities in a location convenient to Hickory, Conover and Newton.

Easily accessible outdoor recreation destinations are increasingly sought by local communities in North Carolina for improved quality of life and to foster economic growth by attracting new and exciting business opportunities. According to the Outdoor Industry Association, 56 percent of North Carolina residents participate in outdoor recreation each year. Outdoor recreation in North Carolina generates $28 billion in consumer spending annually — more than financial services and insurance — and supports 260,000 jobs.

“It is a privilege, and our land trust is very grateful to have strong support and leadership assistance for these river parkland acquisition efforts by the City of Hickory, Catawba County and the N.C. Division of Parks & Recreation, in addition to elected officials in the N.C. General Assembly serving Catawba and Burke counties,” said Tom Kenney, land protection director for Foothills Conservancy. “The conservancy also thanks private landowners that have partnered with our land trust to increase protection for Catawba County’s important rivers. Once equipped with trails and river boating access, these parklands will provide significant outdoor public recreation enjoyment and contribute to local economic growth.”

Funding for the 303-acre parklands acquisition was provided through a $250,000 state grant in 2019 to Catawba County, the conservancy’s revolving conservation loan funds, a contribution from a private conservationist and grant support from the Beaver Family Foundation and Piedmont Natural Gas Foundation.

“Catawba County is most grateful to Senator Andy Wells and Representatives Mitchell Setzer and Jay Adams for their support of state parkland projects and for the 2018-2019 state budget, which included the $250,000 of funds to be used by the county to purchase this property,” said Catawba County Planning Director Jacky Eubanks. “This key piece of real estate, combined with other large tracts and existing county and city parks along both the Henry Fork and Jacob Fork Rivers, will help form the Wilderness Gateway Trail Corridor, connecting counties throughout Western North Carolina.”

Foothills Conservancy and its partners welcome interest from landowners who share conservation goals with the land trust, which include fish and wildlife habitat conservation, water supply protection along the Jacob Fork and Henry Fork rivers, outdoor recreation opportunities for area residents and visitors, and farmland preservation.