DURHAM, N.C. -- Unique Places LLC, a conservation real estate company that works to protect natural and cultural resources, today announces the sale of a 32-acre conservation easement along Buffalo Creek in northern Durham County to the N.C. Ecosystem Enhancement Program (EEP).

The EEP easement is just one component of a larger open space protection effort involving Unique Places and Durham County that resulted in permanent protection for approximately 89 acres in the Buffalo Creek watershed.

The land is part of two tracts totaling 107 acres on or near Buffalo Creek, a major tributary to the Little River. It was prioritized for preservation by Durham County in the Little River Corridor Open Space Plan adopted by the Board of County Commissioners in 2004.

Unique Places purchased the land in 2004 after the owners, five siblings who inherited the property, were unwilling to wait for the Durham County to secure public funding to buy it. In addition to the 32-acre EEP easement, Unique Places sold a 50-acre farmland conservation and conveyed at no cost a 6-acre open space easement to Durham County in October 2007.

Jane Korest, Open Space and Real Estate Manager for Durham County, found the partnership with Unique Places invaluable to this complex project: “The protection of 89 acres of permanent open space in the Little River watershed would not have happened without the partnership between Durham County and Unique Places.

“Guenevere had the dedication and willingness to work through complex financing issues and two different easement programs in order to preserve as much of the site as possible. We’re fortunate to have her based here in Durham.”

With the easements in place the resulting property value is lower, making it possible for Orange County farmer Bill Lee to purchase it and keep it as active farmland. Lee owns the adjacent 100-acre farm to the west and farms the Durham County land through a lease. He wants to buy the land because it originally belonged to his grandfather, and he plans to reassemble the family farm. Of the original 107 acres, 82 acres will be conveyed to Lee with the EEP and farmland easements in place. Lee’s farm straddles the Durham/Orange County line and includes a future farmland preservation easement on the Orange County land.

“Poole Farm is an ideal project for us on so many levels,” said Guenevere Abernathy, Unique Places’ Founding Partner, “We were able to use our knowledge of conservation and the real estate market to help Durham County protect the land. As a result, Mr. Lee can keep 82 acres of active farmland and the water quality in Buffalo Creek will be protected. We see it as a good example of how our business can be value-driven and successful at the same time.”

Unique Places LLC harnesses private capital to protect land that has a high conservation value. The company assesses land’s conservation values, which include water quality, farmland preservation and wildlife habitat, then develops conservation strategies that preserve the land and generate a profit for its investors.

In this instance, the company sold conservation easements on the Buffalo Creek bottomlands and active farmland, then developed the less environmentally sensitive areas to cover their acquisition and holding costs. The Poole Farm conservation development sits on 26 acres and includes six home sites.

Unique Places LLC is a conservation real estate company that matches investors with land conservation properties to harness permanent protection for natural and cultural resources. The company uses conservation strategies to preserve the unique natural assets that create a sense of place. For information go to www.uniqueplacesllc.com

View more items »