Blue Ridge Rural Land Trust celebrated its tenth year of existence in May 2007, having been formed as a result of a series of meetings in early 1997 by the Blue Ridge Resource Conservation and Development Council, Inc., and Watauga League of Women Voters. The primary purpose for the creation of BRRLT was to address issues related to the loss of farmland and rural culture in northwestern North Carolina. Since 1997, we have protected 7531 acres in 65 sites.

Blue Ridge Rural Land Trust has completed another very productive year. We have always made land protection our priority, with 2007 being no exception. In the last 12 months, BRRLT completed 17 projects in 2007, protecting 1892 acres.

BRRLT continued its long history of successful grant writing providing support for the various parts of our land protection effort. Between late 2006 and the end of 2007, we submitted 24 proposals with 21 of these being funded. We attribute this remarkable success to our careful grant writing and management, combined with a very low overhead and excellent project closure rates.

In 2007 BRRLT also took several needed steps to allow for far greater growth in the future. These steps included the following:

• BRRLT hired Walter F. Clark as Deputy Director. Walter is a tremendous asset to this organization, and will allow for greatly enhanced land protection and outreach capacity in the future. He also continues the BRRLT tradition of having staff with “hands-on” agricultural and conservation experience. In 2006, Walter donated a conservation easement to BRRLT on his farm, Old Orchard Creek in Ashe County.

• BRRLT nurtured and assisted the Toe River Valley Watch (TRVW) to grow to an advocacy organization with its own 501c(3) status. This has given the Mitchell-Yancey county area a very vibrant river advocacy group, which continues to spin-off land protection projects for BRRLT.

• BRRLT has committed to being among the first land trusts in the southeastern U. S. to undergo the forthcoming accreditation process by Land Trust Alliance. We hope to complete this process by late 2008, pending an upgrade of our baseline documentary reports.

• BRRLT began to seriously work on membership development, an area that has always been a challenge for us. We achieved a 54% increase in membership in 2007.

• BRRLT did very well in non-grant-related fundraising, resulting in much greater income from this source. The Fall Fundraiser hosted by Walter Clark and Johnny Burleson was our most successful ever, raising approximately $16,000.00. The Huber Challenge grant (designed to raise funds for our new Deputy Director position) totaled $25,166.00. These efforts contributed to an increase in our income of 200% over last year.

Blue Ridge Rural Land Trust has had a phenomenal year, building on our strengths established since 1997. We protect land, primarily through conservation easements, we do it efficiently, and we do it inexpensively. In 2007 BRRLT protected roughly 30% of all the land that it has protected since its inception in 1997. The following Land and Easement Acquisition Projects Completed in 2007:

• McDowell Project, Green Mountain, Yancey, 18 acres: This project protects significant wildlife habitat and riparian forest on the North Toe River. Closed 18 January 2007.

• Paul and Judy Tobin Farm, West Jefferson, Ashe, 47 acres: This project protects the second part of an ongoing effort to protect a 140-acre property with frontage on Beaver Creek. Closed 1 March 2007.

• Bob and Carol Black Quarry Tract, Piney Creek, Alleghany, 82 acres: This project protects an 82-acre working forest with frontage on Prather’s Creek. Closed 1 June 2007.

• Day P. Church purchased easement, Purlear, Wilkes, 45 acre: This part of the Church project closed on 31 July 2007, protecting the entire 155-acre Church property and 3400 linear feet of Reedy Branch.

• Ron and Alice Linville Tract, north of Todd, Ashe, 33 acres: This project protects a small but important tract adjacent to the Three Top Gameland of NC WRC. It will undoubtedly lead to other “spin-off” protection projects. It closed on 4 October 2007.

• Jacqueline Kocar – John Steadman tract, Boomer, Wilkes, 18 acres: This project protects 18 acres of woodland in Wilkes, and closed on 4 October 2007.

• Ginn Laurelmor Project, Watauga – Wilkes, Conservation Area I, 618 acres: This project protects 15 miles of trout streams and significant populations of unusual plants and birds. It closed on 30 October 2007.

• Arch Woodard Farm, near Burnsville, Yancey, 53 acres: This project protects significant frontage on the South Toe River, and a small working farm. It closed on 26 November 2007.

• Rose Koontz, MP 247 on BRP, Laurel Springs, Alleghany, 230 acres: This project has frontage on both the Blue Ridge Parkway and Thurmond Chatham Gamelands, and is primarily working forest. It closed on 16 November 2007.

• Doug and Tamara Hutchinson, Creston, Ashe, 116 acres: This project protects a working farm and forest with frontage on Roaring Fork creek. It closed on 6 December 2007.

• Anonymous Easement Donation, Piney Creek, Alleghany, 278 acres: This is a beautiful working farm and forest with a historic farmstead. This project closed on 5 November 2007.

• Charles and Barbara Joines’ “Old Truitt Farm”, Vox, Alleghany, 72 acres: This project , protecting a historic farm in eastern Alleghany, closed on 5 November 2007.

• Susie Defenderfer tracts, Twin Oaks, Alleghany, 112 acres: This project, protecting excellent cattle pasture in an area of intense development pressure, closed on 3 December 2007.

• Wittenberg Tract, Green Mountain, Yancey, 18 acres: This project is adjacent to the McDowell (above) and Fairey (2006) projects, and protects similar habitat. It closed on 17 December 2007

• Hal and Holly Levinson, Celo, Yancey, 28 acres: Part of the South Toe project to protect 4000 linear feet of frontage of the South Toe in its ORW reach. This project closed on 17 December 2007.

• Brownie and Leon Newman, Celo, Yancey, 6 acres: Although a small tract, the project is part of our overall effort to protect 4000 linear feet of frontage of the South Toe River. It is adjacent to the Levinson property noted above. The project closed on 17 December 2007.

• Ted and Evelyn Baker Farm, near Mars Hill, Yancey, 118 acres: A beautiful farm on the Cane River. Project closed on 17 December 2007.

•YMCA Herring Ridge Project, Boomer, Wilkes, 712 acres: This project is funded by CWMTF and should proceed quickly.

• Pfohl Tract, Beech Mountain, Watauga, 41 acres: This project is funded by CWMTF. It should proceed to closure quickly in 2008.

• Sidden Tract, Traphill, Wilkes, 232 acres: This project did not close due to last minute difficulties in 2007, but appears to be ready to close in early 2008.

• Stoney Knob Farm, Piney Creek, Alleghany, 250 acres: Privately funded.

• Whippoorwill Academy, Ferguson, Wilkes, 350 acres: Funded through NC DOT Scenic Byways grant, this project should proceed quickly.

• Giardina Farm, Mars Hill, Yancey, 133 acres: Funded through CWMTF. Some details remain to work out, but this project should proceed by June 2008.

• Baldwin Farm, Lansing, Ashe, 85 acres: Funding applied for by NCDA ADFPTF.

                    Respectfully submitted,

                    James Coman
                    Executive Director