The Nature Conservancy in North Carolina - More of Susie Hamrick Jones

Black Bear

Susie Hamrick Jones
Activist with a passion for South Mountains

On April 2, 1998, The North Carolina Chapter of the Nature Conservancy purchased 17,829 acres of land, primarily in Cleveland and Rutherford Counties. This land, known as the Rollins Tract in the South Mountains, was possibly the largest privately-owned forested section remaining in the North Carolina Piedmont. At that time it was the largest purchase made by TNC-NC. The land is now managed as Game Lands by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and is one piece of more than 35,000 contiguous acres of prime hardwood forest that will be protected in perpetuity.

The size of this deal was unprecedented. But what was even more surprising was the unique and successful coalition that made this project work. At the center of this group of committed citizens were several people who loved this area and were convinced that they were the ones who had to save it for future generations to enjoy. Steve and Judy Padgett live near the Rollins Tract and have always understood its significance. Susie Hamrick Jones also lives adjacent to the Rollins tract. She lived away from the area for a time, but came back to lead one of the most successful land conservancy efforts in recent memory.

On Memorial Day weekend in 1995, while camping in South Mountains, Susie went to visit Steve and Judy and asked if Bill Moye, a native of the area and a remarkable botanist, was in the woods that weekend. Once Bill was located, the four began to hatch a plan. By the fall of 1995, Susie had gathered more than 100 people in Morganton to discuss saving the Rollins Tract from development. This group included representatives from the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and N.C. Parks and Recreation. While both of these state agencies had great interest in the land, neither had anywhere near the $8 million price tag.

Armed with an eye-opening botanical report from Bill Moye, Susie convinced TNC-NC that the Rollins Tract was of critical value, and they joined the cause. But in 1996, all seemed to be lost when the land was sold to an out-of-state investment company who began to sell timber rights. TNC-NC learned that the new asking price for the tract had escalated to $18 million. Undeterred, the group continued their efforts, and money began to show up from a variety of sources, including $5 million from the N.C. General Assembly. In 1997, TNC-NC successfully negotiated a purchase price of $13.4 million. The funds came from a wide-ranging coalition and included $1.45 million in private funds pledged by the Foothills Conservancy, a grassroots organization Susie helped establish. Susie is now the Executive Director of the Foothills Conservancy, based in Morganton.

Susie Hamrick Jones was not discouraged by seemingly unbeatable odds. Without people like Susie, who are willing to risk failure in order to achieve great things, The Nature Conservancy could not reach its goals.