Grant, gift boost land trust efforts
Monday, July 19, 2010

Foundations continue longtime support with combined $53,000

The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation is continuing its longtime, valued support of conservation in North Carolina with another grant to CTNC.

The foundation has awarded CTNC a one-year, $50,000 grant to help accelerate the pace of land and water protection across the state by supporting, promoting and representing the state's 23 local land trusts and by protecting more land along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

“Support from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation has been instrumental in the success of North Carolina’s land trusts, and is especially critical in the current economy,” said CTNC associate director Margaret Newbold. “This grant will help CTNC leverage much-needed additional funds from other foundations and individuals as we come up with strategies to see us through these challenging times.”

The grant comes at the same time as a gift from another longtime supporter of CTNC and land conservation, Firestone Fibers & Textiles Company, LLC. Through its Bridgestone Americas Trust Fund, the company made a gift of $3,000 to CTNC to support Blue Ridge Parkway protection. The gift marks the Parkway's 75th anniversary, which comes in the same year the FF&T celebrates its own 75th anniversary of operating in Gaston County.

FF&T has been a CTNC supporter since 1999.

Download the news release on the Z. Smith Reynolds grant.