LWCF FY 2011 – National Forests in North Carolina
Four significant tracts are proposed for acquisition: King Mountain; Phase 2 (205 acres, $700,000),
Backbone Ridge (225 acres, $1.5 million), Mulberry Creek (295 acres, $2.076 million), and Chunky Gal
(53 acres, $159,000). All tracts have significant resource, promote positive future climate change values,
and either consolidate or improve access to existing national forest or are complete forest inholdings; all
tracts have willing sellers. All four properties were in the early stages of residential subdevelopment –
most had been platted and received county zoning approvals, but the slowing economy has allowed for a
rare (and probably time limited) opportunity to protect these threatened treasures.
King Mountain: This tract on the Uwharrie NF near Asheboro in Randolph County provides key
ecological and recreation linkages and will includes key tread for the Uwharrie National Recreation Trail.
The Uwharrie has some of the most fragmented ownership of any national forest – owning only 23% of
lands within the forest boundary. Three additional tracts have been identified as priorities for trail
acquisition and funds will be requested for these in future years. Phase 1 acquisition (150 ac/$500,000)
will close in FY 2010 by the FS.
Backbone Ridge: This large tract in Caldwell County, Pisgah NF, offers unique high elevation habitats,
large tracts of old growth forest, rare ecological communities, amazing scenic views and spectacular
waterfalls. It provides connections between the Blue Ridge Parkway, the City of Blowing Rock,
Grandfather Mountain State Park, and the Wilson Creek Wild and Scenic River Corridor. This request
will fund the first half of a phased acquisition for a total of 449-acres. The State of NC has applied for
grants to acquire the remaining 213 acres of this tract.
Mulberry Creek: This large tract near Lenoir in Caldwell County, Pisgah NF, offers a rich variety of
high quality, lower-elevation forest resources – a very high percentage of riparian habitat, excellent
wildlife habitat, rich forest resources, and dispersed recreation opportunities. This request funds the first
half of a phased acquisition for the 519-acre tract.
Chunky Gal Mountain: This small complete forest inholding includes the tread for a popular Nantahala
NF hiking trail in Clay County.
These tracts respond to the criteria in the USFS Strategic Plan in the following ways:
1. Healthy Watersheds. All the tracts have intact and healthy watersheds. Backbone Ridge and Mulberry
Creek contain headwaters of Wilson Creek (a federally designated Wild and Scenic River) and the Johns
River, which both flow into the Catawba River, the primary water supply for major cities in both North
and South Carolina. The protection of these tracts from development will help protect and improve water
quality for millions of water users. Acquisition of Chunky Gal Mountain will take away the very real
threat of having constructing a new road across existing forest to provide access to this complete
inholding. Poison Fork on the King Mtn tract is identified by the State as outstanding resource waters.
2. Wetlands and Riparian Habitat: The three larger tracts have significant riparian habitat. Mulberry
Creek contains 8 miles of streams. Backbone Ridge has approx. 2.7 miles of stream, 140 acres of riparian
buffers and two rare mountain bogs. King Mountain has .75 miles of stream and 65 acres of riparian
buffers, and has been identified as National Significant Aquatic habitat. Chunky Gal Mountain has about
.20 mile of streams and is the headwaters for Muskrat Branch, a State Wild Trout Waters stream.
3. Diverse Habitats for Threatened or Endangered Species. The King Mountain tract includes 7 stateidentified biologically significant sites, including the federally-endangered Schweinitz’s Sunflower, and is
part of the Long Mountain State Natural Heritage Area.
Immediately downstream from the King Mountain tract, scientists have preliminarily identified a
previously thought extinct species of mussel (Carolina Elktoe) and a newly identified mussel subspecies
(taxonomic evaluations are in progress). Backbone Ridge contains two state-designated Natural Heritage
Areas. Mulberry Creek has several acres of rare riparian hardwood forest and an unusually large
LWCF FY 2011 – National Forests in North Carolina
percentage of riparian habitat. Chunky Gal Mountain contains a rich cove forests with two large rock
outcrop communities.
4. Adaptation to the Effects of Climate Change. These southern Appalachian tracts offer great
opportunities for studying and protecting high-elevation species predicted to be a risk for extinction due
to climate change. All tracts consolidate, reduce development and fuels, promote wildlife migration and
provide ecological links to existing national forest and other public lands that will provide positive
management of future climate change. Backbone Ridge is a part of the Globe forest which the Southern
Environmental Law Center has identified as one of the 10 most endangered places in the Southeast.
5. Conserving Forests for Landscape Restoration and to Mitigate the Effects of Climate Change. These
tracts offer a variety of forest conditions, from significant old growth (Backbone Ridge), to younger,
healthy, growing forests (Chunky Gal Mountain, Mulberry Ridge, King Mountain). Intensive residential
development of these tracts (which is probable if they are not acquired) would significantly impact the
carbon sequestration abilities for 872 acres of existing intact Appalachian forest.
6. Recreational Use and Improved Public Access. Both King Mountain and Chunky Gal Mountain are
critical tracts for providing public access to existing and popular FS trail systems. Backbone Ridge and
Mulberry Creek have the potential to provide significant future recreation opportunities (hunting, amazing
scenic views, camping, hiking, horseback riding, visiting waterfalls). The National Forests in NC is the
second most visited national forest (NVUM), and the need to provide for future recreation opportunities
in this densely populated state is only expected to increase in future years.
7. Cultural and Heritage Resources. Backbone Ridge contains the remains of a small agricultural
settlement from the late 19th, early 20th century, as well as unevaluated but potentially significant
prehistoric sites and sacred areas among its high rocky bluffs. Mulberry Creek also has artifacts from
prehistoric settlement, but has not been surveyed to identify their level of significance. King Mountain is
the middle of the most culturally rich area of NC, a crossroads for prehistoric trade and lithic procurement
– significant prehistoric sites are highly probable.
8. Inside Boundary or Congressionally Designated Area. All of these tracts lie within the existing
boundaries of National Forests in NC. Chunky Gal Mountain lies with an inventoried roadless area.
King Mtn contains tread for the Uwharrie National Recreation Trail.
9. Increased Management Efficiency. Acquiring these four tracts (FY 11 acquisition portions only) will
eliminate 6.12 miles of existing landline by consolidating forest boundaries and eliminating inholdings.
These tracts improve access to existing national forest for future management activities. The acquisition
cost for King Mountain and Mulberry Creek are below market value (bargain sale). Partners involved in
all these tracts are also contributing to management costs including appraisals, HAZMAT, title, and
survey support to lower the federal costs for acquisition.
Acquisition of all four tracts will improve administrative access to existing forest lands which will allow
for better management of fire, timber, wildlife and fisheries programs. The intermingled nature of these
tracts with existing national forest will help the agency do a more effective job in treating invasive species
on existing forest lands. Acquisition of these tracts will prevent the construction of 525 proposed
residences that would have created significant costs to the forest through road ROW construction, illegal
OHV trail issues, increased erosion, sedimentation and wildfire/urban interface threats.
These tracts already have the basic needed road systems in place. Increased costs will only be to maintain
them at their current level – most are expected to remain gated for only administrative and emergency
motorized use. No watershed or other issues have been identified that will require significant agency
costs.