N.C. DOCUMENTS
NORTH CAROLINA :;
1969
NATURAL HERITAGE P~t5l;Rtl1{1(
for the preservation of natural diversity
Newsletter
SPRING-SUMMER 1989 · North Carolina Department of Natural Resources and Community Development
Division of Parks and Recreation, P. 0. Box 27687, Raleigh, N. C. 27611
James G. Martin, Governor
BIG YELLOW MOUNTAIN AND WHITE
PINES NATURE PRESERVES DEDICATED
The Triangle Land Conservancy's 242-acre White
Pines Preserve , and The Nature Conservancy Is 426-acre
Big Yellow Mountain Preserve have been permanently
dedicated as North Carolina Nature Preserves through
completion of articles of dedication and donation of
conservation easements to the State of North
Carolina. The Department of Natural Resources and
Conmunity Development endorsed the preserve
dedications, and Gov. Martin and the Council of State
formally accepted the dedications. These dedications
bring the total nllllher of preserves dedicated under
terms of the state's Nature Preserves Act of 1985 to
11 areas, which total 14,730 acres.
The White Pines Preserve is located in Chatham
County at the confluence of the Rocky and Deep
rivers. Land for the preserve was purchased by the
local land trust through a private fundraising
campaign. The preserve contains stands of white
pines at the farthest southeastern point of the tree
species' natural range. The white pine stands are
relicts of the Ice Age and are separated by 75 miles
from the next nearest natural occurrences to the
vest. The scientific and educational value of the
white pines has been recognized for a century; Along
with a variety of oountain-like vegetation on the
cool, north-facing slopes, is a rich assortment of
other natural conmunities and plant and animal life.
The area includes floodplain forests along both
rivers, hardwood forests in the ravines, rhododendron
and mountain laurel slopes, old-growth oak and
hickory forest on the dry ridgetops, and 200-year old
beech trees over a carpet of spring-flowering
wildflowers. A nationally endangered fish species is
found in the river ~nt next to the preserve. The
combination of rock-studded rivers and forested
slopes creates an exceptionally beautiful scene.
continued on page 2
William W. Cobey, Jr., Secretary
IMPORTANT LEGISLATIVE
PROPOSALS PENDING
flt the tilllP, of preparation for this newsletter,
several legislative proposals were pending which
could provide major assistance for natural heritage
protection. The General Assembly has removed the
1989 "sunset" termination provision from the statute
which in 1987 established the Recreation and Natural
Heritage Trust Fund, and is considering an
appropriation bill that would allocate a surcharge on
fees for personalized autQlll)bile license plates to go
to that fund. If the license plate fee increase is
passed, as much as $1. 5 million' annually could go to
the Natural Heritage Fund for use to acquire and
manage state-owned natural areas and to finance
natural heritage inventory and protection planning
projects. An alternative proposal would increase the
real estate transfer tax to benefit the Natural
Heritage Trust Fund and a water and sewer
construction fund. other proposals would provide
direct state appropriations of $275,000 for each year
of the biennium to the Natural Heritage Trust Fund.
other pending appropriations proposals would finance
natural areas surveys for several counties, would
finance purchases of critical inholdings in state
parks, would extend state acquisition of land for the
Buxton Woods and Masonboro Island coastal reserves,
and would expand the staff for the Department of
Agriculture's Plant Conservation Program. No
proposals were introduced to expand staff or
operational budgets for the Natural Heritage Program
or the Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program. The
Historic and Nature Preserves Act was amended to add
and protect a number of parcels of land (totalling
35, 750 acres) added in recent years to the state
parks system. other enacted legislation authorized
an exchange of land between the town of Cary and
state of North Carolina, which will expand the size
of state property in the Hemlock Bluffs Natural Area.
· continued on page 12