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Trustees with the N.C. Natural Heritage Trust Fund have awarded $23.8 million to help the state preserve more than 13,000 acres of some of North Carolina’s most culturally and ecologically significant land.
Many of projects call for funding from private donations, land owner bargain sales, the state’s other trust funds, local government matching funds and others.AMong other awards, the trust fund board awarded $6.2 million to the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Most of these funds will be used to acquire additional land for Chimney Rock State Park. The award also will enable the department to protect environmentally significant areas in the Scuppernong River Swamp Forest in Tyrrell County, Carolina Bay and longleaf and wiregrass habitat in Bladen County, DuPont State Forest in Transylvania County, Deep River State Trail in Lee County and other areas. The N.C. Natural Heritage Trust Fund provides supplemental funding to select state agencies to acquire and protect important natural areas, preserve the state’s ecological diversity and cultural heritage and inventory the natural heritage resources of the state. The trust fund is supported by 25 percent of the state’s portion of the tax on real estate deed transfers and a portion of the fees for personalized license plates. It is one of four trust funds the state administers to protect and conserve land. For more information on the trust fund, go to http://www.ncnhtf.org/. (Image provided by the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area.)
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