(Photo of Beaverdam Lake by TLC) Triangle Land Conservancy (TLC) closed on three projects in…
At the end of July, Triangle Land Conservancy finalized the protection of 28 acres in the highly-pressured area between Fearrington Village and Jordan Lake in Chatham County.
The property, which is protected through a legally binding conservation easement, adds to growing conservation momentum in the area: the tract is near TLC’s 248-acre Big Woods Forest, which the organization purchased in November 2023. The landowners, Peter and Sandra Conway, donated the value of the easement.
“We are so glad to be a small part of TLC's larger vision," the Conways said in a statement. " We are grateful to the Fitches, and all our neighbors, who care so much about green space and wildlife in North Chatham.”
The property includes open fields, riparian buffers and mature hardwood forest. A perennial stream flows from an approximately three-acre pond into Bush Creek, which passes through Big Woods Forest before reaching Jordan Lake, an important drinking water source for Cary, Apex and other downstream communities.
“We are grateful to the Conways for their commitment to conservation,” said Bo Howes, Director of Conservation West at TLC. “Because of their easement donation, we will have more connectivity and green space in this region where land is increasingly in demand.”
Conservation easements are one of TLC’s best tools for permanently protecting land. Landowners can donate or sell easements, which are often funded through a mix of federal, state, and local sources. Easements reduce the land’s value by removing development rights, which lowers property taxes and makes the land more affordable for future buyers.
Other conservation tools include purchasing property outright (also known as fee simple purchase) or acquiring land to then transfer to another entity like the state or county for long-term management. Learn more about protecting land with TLC.
