High Country Conservancy Protects Horseshoe Farm High Country Conservancy recently completed a land protection project on Horseshoe Farm located in northern Ashe County. This property consists of 190 acres of farmland and forestland along Big Horse Creek. This donated conservation easement will permanently protect water quality, open space, forested and agricultural lands as well as half acre, intact rare Southern Appalachian bog. Approximately 2,100 feet of Big Horse Creek, a tributary to the North Fork of the New River will be permanently protected including a 300 foot wide riparian buffer on either side of the creek. The riparian buffer includes trees and shrubs that provide a critical shield between the river and the upland area by stabilizing stream banks, controlling surface erosion, maintaining water quality and dispersing floodwaters. Horseshoe Farm’s owner, Terry Reeves, lives in Raleigh, NC, but comes to the farm every chance he has to enjoy the mountains. He has reserved the right to use the land for recreational purposes such as hunting, hiking and camping and may build and maintaining footpaths and hiking trails. He can also continue to use fields that are already opened and cleared for agricultural purposes such as livestock or planting crops. Reeves has amassed an extensive history of the property and surrounding area through stories collected from neighbors over the years. His love for the property makes him anxious to help HCC protect more land in the Big Horse Creek Area. High Country Conservancy would like to thank Terry Reeves for his passion and dedication to land protection and also the NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund for their help covering transactional costs associated with the conservation easement. High Country Conservancy is a non-profit land trust dedicated to protecting the natural resources of Appalachia by conserving land with significant ecological, cultural, recreational or scenic value in the North Carolina High Country. Please contact High Country Conservancy at (828) 264-2511 or visit our website at www.highcountryconservancy.org to learn more about how you can help Save the Places You Love in the High Country.