In a ceremony at Town Hall, Blue Ridge Conservancy transferred ownership of 152 acres of land on Paddy Mountain to the town of West Jefferson. The land, acquired in 2021 through a massive collaborative effort between BRC and the West Jefferson community, will be protected as a public park and serve as a trailhead for the Northern Peaks State Trail. Part of the ecologically rich Amphibolite Mountains, this land adjoins 445 acres of protected land managed by the NC Plant Conservation Program. 

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Blue Ridge Conservancy and the Watauga Arts Council are working to bring public art to the Middle Fork Greenway. This week, Zach Smith-Johnson and Fred Mead’s “Home” sculpture was installed at the 321 Trailhead, joining Cindy Michaud’s mosaic posts at Sterling Creek Park.

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Blue Ridge Conservancy recently transferred a newly constructed access on the Watauga River in Valle Crucis to Watauga County for management. The access is part of the Watauga River Paddle Trail and is located between the Hwy 194 bridge and Mast Gap Road.  Currently the property features a parking area and a ramp to the water, and a kiosk and entrance sign will be added in the near future. This is the second access on the Watauga River BRC has helped facilitate, joining the Guy Ford Rd / Lower Gorge River Access, completed in 2020. 

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Blue Ridge Conservancy continues adding land to Three Top Mountain Game Land in Ashe County. BRC recently transferred 90 acres to NC Wildlife Resources Commission on the east end of Three Top Mountain. This is in addition to 615 acres transferred in recent years. The game land currently covers 3,100 acres in Ashe County.

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