Three Rivers Land Trust has permanently conserved 770 acres of working farm and forest land in Harnett County through a conservation easement—one of the largest projects in the organization’s history. 🌾🌲
Key points:
- 770 acres protected from future development through a permanent conservation easement
- Continued use as productive farmland and managed timberland
- Protection of water quality and wildlife habitat within the Cape Fear River Basin
- TRLT’s largest conservation project in Harnett County to date
- A strategic response to development pressure spreading outward from the Triangle
Why this matters to landowners & investors:
- Conservation easements can preserve long-term land value and legacy while limiting development risk
- They play a growing role in shaping regional growth patterns, land supply, and entitlement constraints
- Protected land supports environmental resilience while reinforcing the rural-economic base of surrounding communities
As growth accelerates across central North Carolina, projects like this highlight the increasing intersection between land use policy, conservation strategy, and development economics.
