Holders work with land trust to preserve 200-plus acres for wildlife

ASHEBORO — More than 200 acres in Randolph County have been preserved for wildlife. 

Gene and Pat Holder, partnering with Three Rivers Land Trust, have permanently conserved 211 acres in two sites within Randolph County.

According to Gene Holder, 158 acres are off Iron Mountain Road east of Asheboro and another 53 acres are on Jerico Road west of the city. Those sites, which are heavily forested, will never be developed.

“We’re conservation-minded,” Holder said of himself and his wife. “There’s so much development without caring for wildlife. But this land can never be developed.”

He praised Three Rivers Land Trust for helping get the properties conserved. “Three Rivers is good at taking care of land. They’ll be there for many years.”

According to the Three Rivers Land Trust website:“The Holder’s property contains a mature hardwood forest and connected stream corridors that provide habitat for white-tailed deer, eastern wild turkey, bobcats, and migratory songbirds. The property also protects water quality in the Yadkin River basin by filtering pollutants, stabilizing streambanks, and supporting better water quality for communities downstream.”

Travis Morehead, executive director of Three Rivers Land Trust, is quoted as saying, “Landowners who permanently protect their land through a conservation easement provide a much-needed balance to the development that is taking place in the rural areas of North Carolina.”

Emily Callicutt, TRLT’s director of conservation, said, “Without conservation-minded landowners, like Gene and Pat, conservation projects like this do not happen. We’re grateful to the Holders for their decision to choose conservation over development.”