Opportunity  

The 2136-acre Bluff Mountain Preserve is home to over 400 species of plants, 25 of them endangered, rare or threatened. The Nature Conservancy established the preserve in Ashe County in 1977 and manages it today. In 2007, The Conservancy identified 59 acres for inclusion in the preserve. But the land was part of a 114-acre parcel put on the market by a single seller who was unwilling to divide the property. When the parcel became available for sale, The Nature Conservancy did not have the time or financial resources needed to buy it. Unique Places was contacted and asked to purchase the property.

Unique Places’ expertise  

Unique Places developed a buy-and-hold strategy to protect the land from development. It included a purchase of the 114-acre parcel and a formal agreement giving The Nature Conservancy a fixed amount of time to buy 59 acres. Unique Places created a detailed land-use plan to put in place should The Conservancy terminate the agreement. In 2010, The Nature Conservancy purchased the second 55 acre tract to add to the Preserve.

Conservation Benefits  

• 114 acres of land rich with biodiversity protected from development
• A multi-year, multi-phase transaction including two tracts of 59 and 55 acres being added to the Bluff Mountain Preserve through a bargain sales to The Nature Conservancy.
• The land includes tributaries to the North Fork of the New River and habitat for the globally threatened Bog Turtle.

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