Shannon Millsaps / Millsaps Creative
The Continental Divide Tract includes forests, streams, wildlife habitat, and rare wildflowers.
On July 1, Conserving Carolina conveyed 315 acres of pristine mountain land to the N.C. Forest Service, adding more land in DuPont State Recreational Forest, including clear trout streams, rare wildflowers and important wildlife habitat.
This is the second phase of the Continental Divide Tract — a long-sought conservation priority that provides the “missing link” between DuPont and a vast nearby conservation corridor spanning over 100,000 acres.
“In a region blessed with an abundance of public and conserved natural lands, DuPont State Recreational Forest is already one of our greatest conservation treasures,” said Conserving Carolina executive director Kieran Roe.
The Continental Divide Tract includes 717 acres of new public land. The property straddles the Eastern Continental Divide, which separates the waters that flow toward the Atlantic seaboard from those that flow toward the Gulf of Mexico. The Continental Divide Tract protects pristine headwater streams, including tributaries of both the Green River and Reasonover Creek.
“The incorporation of the Continental Divide tract will enhance it further by protecting water quality, preserving an important wildlife corridor and creating future opportunities for public recreation,” Roe said.
“DuPont State Recreational Forest is a treasured and essential natural resource for our state,” said N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “This new 315-acre addition to the forest further protects critical headwaters and wildlife habitats, aligning with the N.C. Forest Service’s mission to protect, manage, and promote forest resources for the citizens of North Carolina.”
The Continental Divide Tract creates a link between DuPont and the conservation land that extends along the North Carolina-South Carolina state line. This includes Jones Gap State Park, Caesar’s Head State Park, Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area, Headwaters State Forest, Greenville Watershed, Jocassee Gorges and Gorges State Park — and, further west, Sumter and Nantahala National Forests. The tract also buffers two large protected summer camps — the 2,600 acre Green River Preserve and the 1400-acre YMCA Camp Greenville.