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Land conservation board approves funding for Hall Creek and Warren Wilson easements
Summary
Buncombe County's Land Conservation Advisory Board approved bond funding for two conservation easement purchases: $254,000 for the Hall Creek (Fall Creek/Hall Creek) project and $858,083 toward four easements near Warren Wilson College. Votes were unanimous.
The Buncombe County Land Conservation Advisory Board voted unanimously to approve bond funding for two land conservation projects, awarding $254,000 to the Hall Creek easement request and $858,083 toward the purchase price for four conservation easements near Warren Wilson College.
Board members said the decisions move long‑running conservation efforts forward and leverage state and partner grants already secured for the Warren Wilson parcels.
Board Chair Bob Turner opened discussion on the first proposal, Hall Creek (also referred to in committee materials as Fall Creek/Hall Creek), which had an average evaluation score of 66 out of 100. Conservancy staff and board members debated steep‑slope, viewshed and watershed risks, and whether county subdivision and fire‑access standards would constrain future development. Despite a score below the board's typical top range, staff and multiple board members argued the site's steep slopes, springs and visibility from the Mountains‑to‑Sea Trail and Blue Ridge Parkway made the project worth protecting.
After public discussion, board member Bruce moved to approve the Hall Creek request; Matt seconded. The motion passed by unanimous voice/hand vote.
The second vote approved $858,083 in bond funding to help close four conservation easements adjacent to Warren Wilson College. That project had been ranked No. 1 in the state ADFP (Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation) cycle; staff told the board that a state grant award reduced the bond ask so the board's remaining request covered the balance of purchase price the land trusts were still seeking. Jess and others who visited the site described the parcels as important for farm and forestry education ties to Warren Wilson College and complementary to previously approved transaction‑cost funding.
Votes at a glance
- Hall Creek (conservation easement). Ask: $254,000 (acquisition $200,000 plus transaction costs). Motion: Bruce (mover); Matt (second). Outcome: approved, unanimous. - Warren Wilson (four conservation easements). Ask: $858,083 (purchase price assistance). Motion: Stag (mover); Nancy (second). Outcome: approved, unanimous.
Board members noted the approvals rely in part on bond funds that county staff had pre‑planned for this fiscal year and that some projects also depend on matching state grant awards. Staff said if a state match does not materialize, funds return to the county and the board would revisit project status.
The board took no formal vote on three new Conserving Carolina project requests presented later in the meeting; those requests were discussed separately and are the subject of a separate article.
