 |
Members of E. P. Nisbet Family and Friends Help Protect Easement
In January 2003, members of the Nisbet family generously donated a conservation easement to the Katawba Valley Land Trust on land along the Catawba River in Lancaster County. The Ivy Place tract has been used by the Nisbet family for generations for cattle grazing, agriculture, and hunting. The family, in donating the 100-foot conservation easement along the river, indicated that they hoped to protect water quality and the beauty of the river environment forever. On January 18, they furthered this goal by gathering and planting some 800 trees in the buffer area.
Led by Genie and Terry Graham, who live on the home place, family members and friends worked all day. The group, aged 5 to 75, planted trees on about a third of the 1.5-mile long easement. Trees planted include water oak, ash, sycamore, dogwood, and hawthorne. Native hardwood trees were selected to provide wildlife habitat and food and to provide needed ground cover on the sensitive river bank habitat. As they grow, the trees will create a wider buffer along the river bank which will filter out sediment and contaminants as water flows toward the river. They will also provide a wildlife corridor along the river bank for birds and animals. The planting plan was approved by the local Soil and Water Conservation District staff. The river buffer includes mostly flood plain and other sandy soil types suited to the hardwood trees which were planted.
D. Lindsay Pettus, President of the Katawba Valley Land Trust, stated, "The Nisbet family has cared for this land for generations. The conservation easement they created and this tree planting project in the river buffer area is an excellent example of how families can be good stewards of the land while continuing to use and enjoy it. We are deeply appreciative to the family members who participated in this project, which will provide benefits to all who use and enjoy the beauty of the Catawba River."
For additional information, contact D. Lindsay Pettus, President of Katawba Valley Land Trust at (803) 285-9455.
|
|
|
