Protecting the natural, rural and historic character of ...

Protected public parks, wildlife refuges, forests, and nature preserves account for only a small percentage of western North Carolina's total land area. The remainder belongs to you and me and the other landowners in northwest North Carolina. Although privately owned, our farms and properties are valued by the public for their productivity, beauty, historic value and natural beauty.
Our farming culture, the very survival of our rural communities, is in grave danger. Indeed, our remarkably unspoiled environment is threatened by the absence of land-use planning, depressed farm prices, rapidly escalating land values, and IRS inheritance tax rates.
If we are to save our remarkable land resources for future generations, as well as give future generations the option of sustaining an environmentally sound, economically viable agriculture, then we must act now.
We are obligated to conserve the land and the traditional agricultural community that depends upon it.

How a land trust offering private conservation options may be ...

Each situation is unique. Every decision is a personal one. Financial consideration, tax circumstances, the land resource itself, and the goal of the conservation measure - all must be considered when choosing a solution. There are conservation methods to accommodate all visions for the future use of land.
A first step is contacting a land trust. A land trust seeks to preserve the rural character of our landscape in a variety of ways. Methods include purchasing property and accepting land donations. One of the most common methods is the conservation easement.
How does a land trust work? Many rural landowners wish to maintain their property in its natural or agricultural state. A land trust provides a landowner with a number of conservation options without necessarily having to give up control of his or her land. In many cases, a property owner will donate or sell development rights (a conservation easement) to the land trust.
The land trust will protect the property from development while the landowner continues to use the land, sell the property or deed it to his or her heirs. The property remains privately owned and subject to county property taxes. The conservation easement remains in effect after the original owner disposes of the land - in other words forever. Landowners who donate an easement or property typically realize significant state and federal income tax benefits.

Ensuring that the land you love is protected forever is ...

Conservation options are strictly voluntary and tailored to each landowner's needs. For example, many individuals donate a conservation easement but retain certain specified uses of the property. Land trusts help landowners exercise their ultimate property right - controlling the future use of their land while meeting their financial goals.
As a private, non-profit organization dedicated to conserving and protecting natural resources, the Blue Ridge Rural Land Trust relies on voluntary methods. Explore the protection options available. Take time to consider what it is that you want to protect. Rely on us to help with questions and preparation of your conservation plan.
But begin the process today. Don't allow the absence of land-use planning, currently depressed farm prices, rapidly escalating land values, or IRS inheritance tax rates to pressure you into selling out to speculators or developers who have entirely different thoughts concerning the stewardship of land.
If you seek the security of knowing that the land you love is protected forever, you are ready to take the next step.

Retaining our strong tradition of private property rights and responsibility as ...

Most landowners in northwestern North Carolina are true stewards of the land. They take pride in protecting their farms to ensure the future development and quality of rural life they revere.
Escalating land values, however, combined with IRS inheritance tax rates are threatening many traditional farm families' dreams of keeping their families on the land that they have owned for generations. Your neighbors and ours take pride in managing their properties without governmental land use controls and regulations. But these ideals may increasingly put intense economic and development pressures on the very people who depend on the land.
In the end, it is the action of private landowners which will determine how our rural communities and culture are protected.

The right team, at the right time and in the right location...

The Blue Ridge Rural Land Trust has completed an impressive body of work as a volunteer organization since its inception in 1998. The members of this private, nonprofit, nongovernmental organization are your neighbors ... a dedicated, enthusiastic, competent and knowledgable team that has proven that it can work together to achieve its goals.
Dedicated to developing respect and credibility in our community, we are successfullt building a network of trained volunteers in all counties of our service area. It is this approach of "neighbor talking to neighbor," with locally respected landowners making the initial approach to those of their neighbors who may be interested in protecting their farms and land through conservation easements, that is most successful.
The Blue Ridge Rural Land Trust has set for itself the goal of preserving our rural communities and culture in northwest North Carolina through the protection of the land resource upon which we all depend.

" Neighbors helping neighbors work to preserve rural communities and culture in northwestern North Carolina through the protection of the land resource upon which they depend."