TRIANGLE LAND CONSERVANCY INC

FOUNDED IN 1983, TRIANGLE LAND CONSERVANCY (TLC) IS AN ACCREDITED LAND TRUST THAT CONSERVES LAND IN THE SIX-COUNTY TRIANGLE REGION OF NORTH CAROLINA THROUGH LAND PURCHASES, CONSERVATION EASEMENTS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS. IN 2018, TLC SET A GOAL TO STRATEGICALLY AND PERMANENTLY PROTECT AND STEWARD 25,000 ACRES OF LAND ACROSS THE TRIANGLE BY 2025, WHICH IMPLIED DOUBLING THE PACE OF OUR CONSERVATION WORK. WE EXCEEDED THIS GOAL A YEAR EARLY AND TLC HAS NOW PROTECTED 26,557 ACRES. DESPITE LAND BECOMING MORE EXPENSIVE AND DISAPPEARING QUICKLY, WE ARE NOT SLOWING DOWN OUR WORK TO CONSERVE AND CARE FOR LAND. AS THE NORTH CAROLINA POPULATION CONTINUES TO GROW, TLC WILL CONTINUE TO CONSERVE THE ECONOMIC, ECOLOGICAL, AND SOCIAL BENEFITS THAT OUR OPEN SPACES AND NATURAL LANDS PROVIDE. TLC IS PROUD TO BE PART OF THE NETWORK OF ACCREDITED LAND TRUSTS ACROSS THE COUNTY THAT WORK TO CONSERVE AND PROTECT LAND AND MAKE OUR COMMUNITIES MORE CLIMATE RESILIENT. CONSERVATION STRATEGIES:IN FY 2025, TLC PROTECTED 1,447 ACRES OF PRIORITY CONSERVATION LAND, BRINGING OUR TOTAL TO 26,557 ACRES, SURPASSING OUR 2025 GOAL BY 1,557 ACRES. TLC NOW STEWARDS OVER 7,800 ACRES ACROSS 96 OWNED PROPERTIES AND PROTECTS 11,170 ACRES THROUGH 193 CONSERVATION EASEMENTS. EACH OF THESE CONSERVATION PROPERTIES SUPPORT AT LEAST TWO OF THE FOUR BENEFITS THAT TLC PRIORITIZES: SAFEGUARDING CLEAN WATER, LOCAL FARMS AND FOODS, NATURAL HABITAT, AND CONNECTING PEOPLE WITH NATURE. CONSERVATION EASEMENTS ARE LEGAL AGREEMENTS BETWEEN A LANDOWNER AND A LAND TRUST THAT LIMIT USES OF THE LAND IN ORDER TO PROTECT ITS CONSERVATION VALUES IN PERPETUITY. SPECIFIC TERMS OF INDIVIDUAL EASEMENTS VARY, BUT IN GENERAL THEY LIMIT FUTURE DEVELOPMENT. IN FY25 TLC CLOSED 13 EASEMENTS THAT PROTECT 631 ACRES, INCLUDING SIX AGRICULTURAL CONSERVATION EASEMENTS WHICH PROTECT A MIX OF TRADITIONAL ROW CROPS, PRODUCE PRODUCTION AND SUSTAINABLY MANAGED FORESTS. TLC CONTINUED TO DEVELOP THE GOOD GROUND INITIATIVE (GGI) PROGRAM THROUGH COLLABORATIONS WITH PARTNERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND IS WORKING TO TRANSFER PROPERTIES IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.

STEWARDSHIP: AS TLC PROTECTS MORE LAND, OUR STEWARDSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES CONTINUE TO INCREASE. AS OF FY25 TLC HOLDS 193 CONSERVATION EASEMENTS ON 11,170 ACRES AND OWNS 7,873 ACRES OF LAND. AS AN ACCREDITED LAND TRUST, ALL 19,043 ACRES MUST BE MONITORED AND STEWARDED BY TLC STAFF ANNUALLY TO ENSURE THAT THE EASEMENT TERMS ARE NOT VIOLATED AND THE CONSERVATION VALUES OF OWNED PROPERTIES ARE BEING MAINTAINED. IN ADDITION TO OVER 240 HOURS OF STAFF TIME SPENT MONITORING, WE CONTINUE TO HAVE ENLISTED AND TRAINED VOLUNTEERS THAT HELP TO MONITOR PROPERTIES. AFTER COMPLETING A TRAINING PROGRAM, VOLUNTEERS USE A MONITORING AND MAPPING APP AND GO ON AT LEAST ONE MONITORING VISIT WITH A TLC STAFF MEMBER BEFORE BEING ELIGIBLE TO MONITOR EASEMENTS ON THEIR OWN. IN FY25 TRAINED VOLUNTEERS CONTRIBUTED 223 HOURS TO MONITOR 53 OF TLCS EASEMENTS. TLC CONTINUES TO MAINTAIN 54 MILES OF TRAIL (28 FOR HIKING AND 26 MULTI-USE TRAILS) AT OUR PUBLIC NATURE PRESERVES, WHICH WERE USED BY ROUGHLY 120,000 PEOPLE IN FY25. BRUMLEY AND WILLIAMSON PRESERVES CONTINUED TO SEE INCREASED USAGE, WITH AROUND 75,000 AND 30,000 ANNUAL VISITORS, RESPECTIVELY. TLC'S STEWARDSHIP STAFF ALSO WORK TO MAINTAIN, RESTORE AND IMPROVE HABITAT ON TLC LAND BY REMOVING INVASIVE SPECIES, PLANTING NATIVE PLANTS, AND CONDUCTING PRESCRIBED BURNS. IN FY25 TLC CARRIED OUT THREE PRESCRIBED BURNS, AND CONTINUED TO WORK WITH A NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS TO MAINTAIN TRAILS AND REMOVE INVASIVE PLANTS, AS WELL AS HELP WITH STORM CLEANUP FOLLOWING A SET OF DAMAGING SUMMER STORMS INCLUDING TROPICAL STORM CHANTAL. TLC CONTINUED IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FARM PLAN AT WILLIAMSON PRESERVE AND HOSTS FIVE FARM PARTNERS, WHO USE REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE TECHNIQUES TO SUPPORT PERENNIAL AND ANNUAL CROPS, LIVESTOCK, AND A NATIVE TREE NURSERY. IN FY25, THE KAREN COMMUNITY FARM, WHO TLC HAS BEEN PARTNERING WITH FOR THREE YEARS AS PART OF A REFUGEE AGRICULTURAL PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM GRANT, BEGAN TRANSITIONING THEIR OPERATIONS TO WILLIAMSON.