Duke Energy donates conservation easements to Foothills Conservancy to protect the Catawba River
Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina announced the permanent protection of three conservation easements transferred from Duke Energy, totaling 130 acres of permanent stream protection buffer along the Catawba River and its tributaries below the dams at Lake James.
These properties will help protect water quality in the upper section of the Catawba River Basin, and will be added to Foothills Conservancy’s vast portfolio of permanently protected lands around Lake James.
In 2006, Duke Energy, Foothills Conservancy and 68 other stakeholders signed the Comprehensive Relicensing Agreement (CRA) – a landmark document providing the region's vision for conservation initiatives needed to protect the Catawba River and lake system for a 50-year planning horizon.
“Foothills Conservancy is proud to permanently protect these properties around Lake James and along the Catawba River,” said Andrew Kota, Executive Director of Foothills Conservancy of NC. “Thank you to our partners at Duke Energy for supporting this conservation effort, which is the latest in what has been a strong conservation-focused partnership for many years.”
“Duke Energy appreciates the efforts of the Foothills Conservancy toward conservation and protection of lands in Western North Carolina," said Tami Styer, Project Manager for Duke Energy's Catawba-Wateree Hydro Project. “We know that these conservation easements will be well cared for, and we are proud to be partnering with this organization to protect our water resources for generations to come.”
The conservation easements were fully funded by Duke Energy. In the future, ownership of the easement areas and the surrounding land will be transferred to the State of North Carolina, with Foothills Conservancy holding and stewarding the permanent conservation easements. These lands are also the future site of a co-location section of the Fonta Flora State Trail and Overmountain Victory State and National Historic Trail.
