Environment

Conservation deal protects 1,125 acres in the Brushy Mountains

88.5 WFDD - Public Radio For The Piedmont | By Neal Charnoff

Published May 10, 2023 at 10:56 AM EDT

Over 1,100 acres of land in the eastern Brushy Mountains will be protected thanks to a collaborative conservation effort. Photo courtesy Blue Ridge Conservancy.

A unique collaboration between two conservation organizations has led to the permanent protection of over 1,100 acres in North Carolina’s Brushy Mountains.

The land deal was the result of a joint effort by Blue Ridge Conservancy and Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina. The two nonprofits worked together to buy the property from private conservationist Tim Sweeney, who donated a large portion of the land value.

Foothills Conservancy of NC Executive Director Andrew Kota released a statement praising the initiative for the large amount of protected natural land secured in a single transaction, as well as for the opportunities presented by a collaboration with Blue Ridge Conservancy.

Blue Ridge Conservancy Executive Director Charlie Brady says his organization looks forward to future joint efforts, and will continue its focus on providing large-scale public access to land in the Brushy Mountains.

The 1,125 acres purchased in this deal span Wilkes, Alexander, and Iredell counties.

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Neal Charnoff

Neal Charnoff joined 88.5 WFDD as Morning Edition host in 2014. Raised in the Catskill region of upstate New York, he graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1983. Armed with a liberal arts degree, Neal was fully equipped to be a waiter. So he prolonged his arrested development bouncing around New York and L.A. until discovering that people enjoyed listening to his voice on the radio. After a few years doing overnight shifts at a local rock station, Neal spent most of his career at Vermont Public Radio. He began as host of a nightly jazz program, where he was proud to interview many of his idols, including Dave Brubeck and Sonny Rollins. Neal graduated to the news department, where he was the local host for NPR's All Things Considered for 14 years. In addition to news interviews and features, he originated and produced the Weekly Conversation On The Arts, as well as VPR Backstage, which profiled theater productions around the state. He contributed several stories to NPR, including coverage of a devastating ice storm. Neal now sees the value of that liberal arts degree, and approaches life with the knowledge that all subjects and all art forms are connected to each other. Neal and his wife Judy are enjoying exploring North Carolina and points south. They would both be happy to never experience a Vermont winter again.

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Conservation deal protects 1,125 acres in the Brushy Mountains

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