James passed away on his beautiful Stoney Knob farm
on January 21 after a long and courageous battle with cancer.
His tenure in land conservation was extraordinary and his tenacious
ability to protect our state’s farms and forests will be
sorely missed. That tenure began in 1994 when James became the
Executive Director of the National Committee for the New River
(NCNR), a position he held until 1997. During his time with NCNR,
James recognized a critical need to protect rural lands. He chaired
a steering committee organized by the Watauga County League of
Women Voters and the Blue Ridge Resource Conservation and Development
Council, to examine ways to stop the loss of our rural mountain
landscape. Blue Ridge Rural Land Trust (BRRLT) was the result
of that effort and James became the organization’s first
Executive Director.
Under his direction, BRRLT grew from an all-volunteer group to
a leading force in farm and forest land conservation. By the end
of 2008, BRRLT had protected over 10,000 acres through conservation
easement and direct purchase. These accomplishments include the
creation of two state parks, Bullhead Mountain and Beech Creek
Bog, and the protection of 83 other properties. In 2008 alone,
BRRLT protected 2,780 acres.
One of the key ingredients to professional success is passion
for the work. And one of the best ways to create passion is to
experience “first hand” the trials and tribulations
of your clients. As an active farmer for over 30 years James grew
to understand farming and farmers. It was undoubtedly this experience
that gave him the passion to do his best to protect North Carolina’s
vanishing landscape.
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