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PROTECTING THE PINES con't. next column PROTECTING THE PINES con't. next column PROTECTING THE PINES con't. p. 28 PROTECTING THE PINES con't from p. 2 PROTECTING THE PINES continued PROTECTING THE PINES continued River. Scottish immigrants settled in Moore County and farmed the land neighboring the Piedmont with its clay, rocks, and hardwood forests. Still others came in search of our longleaf pines that offered wood and rich tar production used in the Naval stores and shipyards. With the land stripped, a certain James Walker Tufts arrived on the railways, caught a dream, and developed our golfing community with Donald Ross. Others grew Southern Pines as a health resort with its pine-scented air and pleasant climate. Settlers discovered Candor and grew a crop of peaches and generations of strong families. Settlements in Jackson Springs, Drowning Creek, Deep River and the Cape Fear River all centered around the water. No matter the path traveled or the driving force that led them, the earliest locals settled around the natural resources of fresh air, clean water, and land. The natural resources became the destination. With our natural resources cherished, one such local organization among many seeks to protect them for generations to come. My travels lead me to Sandhills Area Land Trust, SALT, where I meet Nancy Talton, Executive Director, who agrees, “This area is so rich in cultural stories and history, and all the founders came together for completely different reasons. Different classes of people, different skill sets, different ideas of what they were looking for in terms of personal growth—no matter the reasons for settling, ultimately they came because of the natural resources. The how and why and who remains are the stories of today.” The SALT story begins with some local landowners who shared a love of this great land of the pines and sought to protect it for generations to come. The year was 1991, when the seed grew their vision to assist the locals in protecting the Longleaf Pines. Several years later, the Cumberland Conservancy contacted SALT about partnering in a regional land trust. Twenty five years later, SALT continues to serve the landowners of the Sandhills region of North Carolina including six full counties and portions of other counties. Nancy explains, “Fundamentally, we cover the geological makeup of the Sandhills including Moore, Hoke, Scotland, Richmond, Harnett, Cumberland, with segments of Lee, Montgomery, and Sampson.” In growing roots, the mission remains, “to protect the land, water, and cultural aspects of the Sandhills.” Nancy adds, “We work with willing landowners to protect land in a way that is consistent with their goals and with those of the local community. Ultimately, we hope to leave a legacy of land, clean water, and open space for the next generation.” Nancy hopes locals will become familiar with the work of the Sandhills Area Land Trust (SALT) and consider participating in support of these efforts. So how does SALT incorporate their mission? Nancy begins, “In order to achieve this, we work with landowners, farm owners, and equestrian properties. Land can be donated, SALT might purchase land with conservation value, or a conservation agreement can be placed on a tract of land. All of these protection options are permanent and voluntary.” Oftentimes, a conservation easement (a legal document) is utilized when an individual or entity wants to limit development rights or to prevent a property from being divided as a means of preserving the habitat, or working lands such as a family farm. Nancy informs, “The larger landscape initiative may include a wildlife habitat corridor, a section of a river or creek that allows for a link to other natural areas to join together as a whole. In other words, you may hold a piece of land; SALT might have a protected tract; and someone else may have a piece downstream, together we are creating a corridor of protection where the benefits of our partnership will be multiplied for all.” There are several types of easements available. A working lands conservation easement allows for farming, forestry, or other designated uses. Nancy tells, “For instance, a farmer who is getting older and wants to pass the land to the next generation could incorporate a working conservation easement to allow for the continuation of farming.” The forest easement allows for the continuation or the establishment of the longleaf pine in the Sandhills. The equestrian easement offers the same rights for generations to be able to ride horses on the land. Nancy gives an example of such, “Several of SALT’s equestrian easements allow for traditional use and access to areas used during the fox hunting season in Southern Pines.” Offering choices, Nancy works with each landowner to fulfill their requests in line with the SALT principles. “The specific details just need to be written into the easement,” says Nancy. “The conservation easement becomes a part of the deed. Whatever rights and restrictions are written into that particular document becomes forever a part of the management of that tract of land. However, the landowner still owns the land, all of it. Whether they sell the land or will it to heirs, the conservation easement goes along with it.” SALT helps to pull together resources for landowners. Nancy introduces some of its partners, “As founding member of the North Carolina Sandhills Conservation Partnership (NCSCP), the Land Trust works with a number of other environmental agencies including the Forestry Department, Nature Conservancy, Fish and Wildlife Department, Fort Bragg, and others to address the overall concerns for our area.” One of the partnerships success stories is the protection of over 20 miles of Drowning Creek. From its headwaters bordering Montgomery County and Moore County, the creek flows southeast between Moore County and Richmond County; it becomes the Lumber River, and eventually flows into the Pee Dee River. All along its route to the coast, from its small beginnings to its navigable waters, through Moore/Hoke area, Fort Bragg, and Camp McCall, and on to the Lumber River State park, there are protected sections. The combined efforts of the NCSCP have made this possible. Several landowners partnered with SALT to protect the area completely surrounding of the water intake for the town of Southern Pines near Highway One. So when you have a drink of water in Southern Pines, you’re drinking Drowning Creek. The land owners along Drowning Creek have been very generous in their approach to the betterment of the community.” When protecting private land is questioned, some wonder, “How can the protection of this little sliver of land be of any value to the rest of us?” Nancy provides an example, “Those swampy wetlands that aren’t suitable for farming or housing are providing a filtering system for the water; and as the water flows downstream, it flows right into our drinking water system. The gifts from our environmentally-friendly neighbors do benefit the whole community.” Each land preserve, has a management plan in place. This plan helps the landowner and SALT identify and address the necessary measures to maintain the environmental value of the land under protection. It helps keep the timber healthy, sustain the wildlife, birds and butterflies, and to ensure that riverbanks aren’t eroding or invasive species aren’t taking hold. SALT’s responsibility is to oversee that the agreement is upheld and to assist the landowner in finding the appropriate resources for the continuation of the best management practices for their specific type of conservation. In keeping the daily operations flowing, SALT manages its resources carefully. With no government backing, SALT relies on the donations of members and supporters from the local communities. “I think there is a misconception about who we are in terms of support,” Nancy mentions. “We work hard to secure grants, but 99.9% of the time, those grants are ‘pass-through grants.’ In other words, when SALT is awarded a grant from the NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund, those funds are restricted for the protection of the water buffers designated in the agreement—that’s where the money goes. The grant does not pay for the light bill, overhead, or for the staff members who wrote the grant, prepared the maps, worked with the landowner, or ultimately facilitated the protection of the land. We are totally dependent upon unrestricted donations from our members and the community. Every dollar received is Nancy Talton, Executive Director of SALT. p.26 The Pinehurst Gazette, Inc. No. 124


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