Also in Rowan county, Harold Earnhardt, his wife, Helen, and children Mark Earnhardt, Cristy Mc Kinney, and Leslie Hedrick, took measures to insure their property will forevermore look as it does today. The 130 acre property on Potneck Road, which is now protected by a restrictive conservation Easement, includes a thick forest consisting of a mixture of hardwoods and pine trees, a large lowland meadow, a significant wetland area, beautiful steep bluffs, and a small stream feeding into Second Creek, a tributary to the South Yadkin River.
“We’re very happy to be able to participate in land conservation at the local level. With natural wild spaces disappearing at such a rapid rate, the time is now to protect what we still have left,” said Harold Earnhardt.
Director of land Protection, Andy Abramson noted, “The Earnhardt Family is to be commended for their contribution to Rowan County. Their property is going to protect substantial wildlife habitat and will also have a significant positive impact on water quality for the region.” According to Abramson, the property has over 4000 feet of frontage along Second Creek that will now remain in its natural state, thanks to a very restrictive easement that provides a 300 foot vegetated buffer to the creek.
“The Earnhardt tract is yet another key piece to a larger puzzle we continue to work on. It is of great importance as it lays adjacent to two properties previously protected by County Commissioner Steve Blount and his wife Melanie, and Dr. Donald Lomax and his wife Marie,” said Jason Walser, Executive Director at The landTrust. With this most recent addition there now exists over 325 acres of contiguously protected land on Potneck road and along Second Creek next to Alcoa gamelands and just upstream from 300 acre Catawba College wildlife Refuge.