SALT Volunteer Coordinator Jacob Tennis, whose position is funded by a grant from the U.S. Army Environmental Unit, supervised the activity.
“We began the workday by cleaning up the portion of the property nearest to Outback Steakhouse to thank them for donating lunch,” Tennis said.
As part of the “Hands to Lands” initiative, volunteers are trained to help SALT manage conservation sites.
The volunteers took a little break to hike through the property. On the southwest side, just past the property line, the hikers found the gravesite of Kenneth Black, one of the early settlers in the area who arrived in 1774.
“A little break in our work profited in a small history lesson about the land and its people and made us wonder what the land must’ve looked like back then,” Tennis said.
The protected property consists of an upland portion, characterized by native long leaf pines, and a smaller wetlands area visible from 15-501 and utilized for nesting and foraging by native birds. SALT holds the property in a 99-year conservation ground lease. This unique agreement was forged in 1994 between the developers of the site, WM Pinehurst Limited Partnership, and SALT.
As stated in the agreement, the goals are to protect the property for its “natural, scenic, and educational importance to the people of Moore County and the people of North Carolina, [and] its biological importance as a foraging area for the federally endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker.” At the signing of the agreement, the landlord provided funds for implementation and maintenance of the natural and conservation values of the leased property.
SALT is a nonprofit organization dedicated to land protection in the Sandhills region of North Carolina. The land trust works with private landowners, municipalities, and developers to realize their goal to maintain the beauty and ecological integrity of the Sandhills. Membership is open to all interested persons.
The SALT office is located in the Conservation Center of the Sandhills, 140-A SW Broad Street, in Southern Pines. A satellite office is located in Fayetteville to manage Cumberland County properties. Interested individuals may call 695-4323 for more information on the Sandhills Area Land Trust or review the Web site at www.sandhillslandtrust.org.
