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CONSERVATION TRUST FOR NORTH CAROLINA |
Conservation Trust for North Carolina Electronic Newsletter Waynesville Water Supply Protected! Historic Agreement Preserves After eight years of negotiations, on September 22 the town of Waynesville’s drinking water supply officially became protected forever. The Conservation Trust for North Carolina, along with the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy and the North Carolina Clean Water Management Trust Fund (CWMTF), signed a conservation agreement with the town of Waynesville to preserve the town’s 8,030-acre watershed. Other partners in the endeavor include the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee , Western Carolina University, the NC Division of Water Quality (DWQ), and the US Environmental Protection Agency. The agreement will safeguard the town’s clean drinking water supply, protect the area’s unique wildlife habitat, and preserve ten miles of stunning Blue Ridge Parkway views between mileposts 430 and 440. The value of the conservation agreement donated by the town exceeds $18,000,000. The agreement was announced yesterday, October 3, at a press conference at the Waynesville reservoir. The town of Waynesville owns its entire watershed – the undeveloped land from which hundreds of surface streams and underground springs feed its drinking water reservoir. The watershed earned the highest quality ranking the state can assign a drinking water source, and it is part of an area nationally recognized for its diverse wildlife habitat. Conserving land in the watershed is far more cost effective than cleaning up polluted water after the fact. The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy and the Conservation Trust for North Carolina will share responsibility for regularly monitoring the property to ensure its conservation values, including the pristine water quality, are preserved. You can help the Conservation Trust preserve more lands that provide clean drinking water to North Carolinians by making a financial contribution to the Conservation Trust today. It is one of the most important gifts we can give to our children and grandchildren.
*********************** Conservation Trust for North Carolina
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