Conservation Trust
for North Carolina

North Carolina scenic byways win grant to protect views, heritage

Spectacular views of mountains, valleys and picturesque communities have made the Blue Ridge Parkway the most popular unit of the National Park Service. But from its mountains to the coast, North Carolina has hundreds more miles of scenic roads for travelers to enjoy.

Now the Conservation Trust for North Carolina, on behalf of nine local land trusts, has won a $252,000 grant from the Federal Highway Administration to help preserve views and attractions along the state's most treasured scenic highways.

The effort will focus on 27 routes – more than half of the scenic byways in the state – in 37 North Carolina counties. The trips range from the 98-mile Waterfall Byway in the state's southwestern corner to Lafayette's Tour, which runs 173 miles from Vance County to Pasquotank County in the northeast.

The land trusts will target the natural, cultural and scenic resources along the highways that convey North Carolina's unique stories and cultural heritage. They'll use the funds to identify, map and prioritize key parcels of land for conservation, and provide information about land conservation options to landowners, local governments and the public.

The grant is part of the North Carolina Scenic Byways Land Conservation Initiative, funded by the Federal Highway Administration's National Scenic Byways Program. The National Scenic Byways Program recognizes certain roads as National Scenic Byways, or "All-American Roads," based on their archaeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational and scenic qualities.The grant is one of 309 projects funded in 45 states across the nation. 

"Land trusts are an excellent way to protect the future viability of North Carolina's Scenic Byways as increasing population and development continue to affect our landscapes," said Jeff Lackey, state coordinator of the N.C. Department of Transportation Scenic Byways Program."This effort will help preserve and promote some of North Carolina's most distinctive roads."

You can help protect these signature byways from the continuing and growing pressures of development by donating to the Conservation Trust and/or your local land trust.