Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy is staunchly in favor of creating the East Fork Headwaters on 8,000 acres of wilderness. The land is still privately owned by former Congressman Charles Taylor, but is under contract to be purchased as a publicly managed preserve, according to a release from the conservancy.
The tract sites mid-way between the 10,000- acre DuPont State Forest and the 7,500-acre Gorges State Park.
The Transylvania County commissioners will hold a public hearing on Nov. 22 at 7 p.m. to consider submitting a letter to WRC expressing County support for the project. The official notice says the hearing will focus on “the primary use of an 8,000-acre Headwaters Tract in the East Fork area of Transylvania County, adjacent to the South Carolina state line, for hunting and fishing. The Conservation Fund is considering purchasing the tract to add to the North Carolina Game Lands.”
In addition to presentations by staff from CMLC and WRC, there will be an opportunity for members of the public to make comments. The Conservancy is asking people to speak at the hearing.
A website, Save the East Fork Headwaters provides more information in support of the creation of saving the land as a wild area. The site says, the NC Wildlife Resource Commission passed a resolution on Nov. 4 expressing support for managing the East Fork Headwaters as NC Gamelands.However, status of this project is still in flux due to uncertain funding.
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