The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Plant Industry Division was recently awarded a $630,000 grant from the Natural Heritage Trust Fund. Money from this grant will be used to acquire nearly 80 acres adjoining the Eno River and the Penny’s Bend Nature Preserve in Durham County, protecting some of the state’s rarest plants.

“Residential and commercial development pressure on this property has been particularly strong, so it is a significant accomplishment to be able to preserve this land,” said Agriculture Commissioner Britt Cobb. “I appreciate the Natural Heritage Trust Fund providing funding for this project and recognizing the importance of protecting this valuable resource for future generations to enjoy.”

The property purchases are targeted within a project area that will provide an important link between the existing Penny’s Bend Preserve, the Eno River State Park and the Butner-Falls of the Neuse Gamelands. More importantly, the project area includes significant stands of smooth coneflower, a federally endangered species, as well as the only known population of the state-endangered tall larkspur in the North Carolina Piedmont. Overall, the area supports more than 30 rare species and includes remnants of the historic Piedmont landscape that was once shaped by fire.