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Triangle Land Conservancy outlines recent county projects, seeks additional Johnston County funding
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Summary
Triangle Land Conservancy told Johnston County commissioners it has protected thousands of acres locally, highlighted recent easement and fee-simple closings including a 30-acre Sunflower Farm and a 48-acre Buffalo Creek Wetlands purchase, and asked for $1.6 million in county funding for FY27 to leverage additional state and federal dollars.
Representatives of Triangle Land Conservancy updated the Johnston County Board of Commissioners on April 20 and described recent conservation closings, ongoing projects and a FY27 funding request aimed at preserving farmland, wetlands and natural heritage areas.
Leanne Hammerbacher, TLC’s director of conservation east, said the group has protected about 6,750 acres in Johnston County since 1983, including more than 1,200 acres of designated natural heritage area and 42 projects that preserve farmland. Bridal Thomas, TLC’s director of land protection for the eastern division, detailed several recent closings: a 30-acre bargain-sale conservation easement called Sunflower Farm in Benson (TLC reported Johnston County contributed about $83,000 and the landowner donated roughly $750,000 in land value); a donated 230-acre conservation easement on the Neuse River in Selma (the landowner’s donation was described as over $3,000,000 in value, and TLC requested county help covering transaction costs); and a 48-acre fee-simple purchase protecting Buffalo Creek Wetlands (TLC said Johnston County contributed $47,000 toward transaction costs and the landowner donated $171,000 in value).
TLC said the county’s $3.4 million in support since 2023 has leveraged significant additional private, state and federal funding, and said the group plans to request about $1,600,000 in county funding for FY27 to support additional projects it expects will close next year. Staff noted projects in the Neuse River lowlands and several farmland preservation efforts that include farmsteads, hay fields and some archaeological resources.
Commissioners asked about enrolling conserved lands in the state Wildlife Resources Commission game lands program and about timing and match requirements; TLC said it is pursuing enrollments and state funding and is coordinating some projects to support floodplain resilience, including a project supported in part by federal funds in connection with Seymour Johnson Air Force Base resiliency.
TLC representatives thanked the board for prior support and asked for continued county partnership in leveraging additional funds.
Quote: "For every dollar you have invested, we have been able to leverage at least $10 in land value," Leanne Hammerbacher told the board.
