Scenic View Protected Along Blue Ridge Parkway Property The Conservation Trust of North Carolina has donated over 63 acres along the Blue Ridge Parkway to the National Park Service. The Conservation Trust for North Carolina announced today it has donated over a 63-acre property at the Jumpin-Off Rocks Overlook along the Blue Ridge Parkway to the National Park Service for inclusion in the Park’s boundaries. The property is an entirely forested site that provides visitors with pristine views of the spectacular mountain landscape of the region. The Overlook is located at Milepost 260.2 and is the first overlook south of the Northwest Trading Post in Ashe County. The Conservation Trust acquired the land in September of 2001 to protect it from being developed. “Development of this land would have ruined the view visitors experience from the Jumpin-Off Rocks Overlook,” said Reid Wilson, Conservation Trust Executive Director. “The National Park Service had targeted this site for protection.” The National Park Service uses a Scenic Quality Assessment to identify critical sites for preservation. The Parkway works with non-profit partners like the Conservation Trust to preserve the natural and scenic qualities of those sites. A recent study done by the National Park Service showed that scenic quality was the main reason tourists came to the North Carolina section of the Blue Ridge Parkway. “The Conservation Trust is giving us another protected view along the Parkway,” said Dan Brown, Superintendent of the Blue Ridge Parkway. “This kind of private-public partnership is essential if we are to preserve the scenic views of this national treasure for future generations.” “The transfer of this property to the National Park Service is more than just protecting a view. It is part of an effort to preserve the natural and scenic heritage of a region millions visit every year because the Parkway is such a special place,” Wilson said. The Conservation Trust for North Carolina has transferred fourteen properties along the Blue Ridge Parkway, totaling 1,731 acres (658 of which were donated), to public agencies for the public’s long-term benefit. The Conservation Trust is a land trust that focuses its land protection efforts on protecting the Blue Ridge Parkway’s scenic and natural corridor. The Conservation Trust has protected more than 21,000 acres along the Blue Ridge Parkway in over 25 locations, and is currently working with other land trusts, conservation organizations, and public agencies to protect another 14,000 acres. The Conservation Trust is also a statewide land trust service center, providing an array of financial and technical assistance to the North Carolina’s 22 local and regional nonprofit land trusts that work with families and communities to permanently protect rivers, forests, farmland, scenic vistas, and other natural areas of greatest importance to the communities they serve. North Carolina land trusts follow the rigorous ethical and legal standards and practices established by the national land trust umbrella organization. Collectively, North Carolina’s land trusts have protected over 184,000 acres across the state in 998 locations.