North Carolina NWTF Celebrates Public Land Success

This first phase permanently conserves 200 acres along the Tuckertown Reservoir. Three Rivers Land Trust will transfer ownership of this property to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, where it will remain part of North Carolina’s public game lands in perpetuity.

"Three Rivers Land Trust is such a fantastic partner, and they bring so much expertise to land acquisitions that we are proud to collaborate to conserve our public lands," said Howard Rumfelt, NWTF North Carolina State Chapter president. "It was great to get together in person and celebrate our public lands. We look forward to future opportunities to expand access in North Carolina."

Fittingly, the ribbon-cutting was held on National Public Lands Day.

Well-known outdoor brands MeatEater and onX stepped up to rally support for this effort, each providing $100,000 and using their large community followings to communicate the importance of conserving public lands.

Organizers said the campaign's national exposure helped generate donations from every state in the country and beyond.

"We were able to leverage over 1,400 donations from every state, Canada, Europe, and even Guam contributed," said Travis Morehead, Three Rivers Land Trust executive director.

The first acquisition was made possible through the collective effort of dedicated partners.

"We're very grateful to the [North Carolina NWTF] state chapter for seeing the need, and they've always been good to work with as far as supporting public lands projects, and this one is no exception," Morehead said.

And while this is an important milestone, the work is far from over.

The remaining 3,800 acres surrounding the Tuckertown Reservoir are still at stake, limiting future public hunting access and making the lands susceptible to residential development.

The next priority parcel in the Save Tuckertown campaign is an approximately 800-acre tract along the Tuckertown Reservoir, featuring more than four miles of shoreline, a mature hardwood forest buffer and scenic views.

Three Rivers Land Trust emphasizes that time is of the essence, and these lands could be sold at any time, putting public access, wildlife habitat, water quality and the scenic character of this landscape at risk.

Public land access is a major priority for the North Carolina NWTF State Chapter. Since 2022, the North Carolina NWTF State Chapter has committed more than $535,000 to create or expand six publicly accessible game lands in North Carolina. Funding provided by the NWTF Hunting Heritage Super Fund is made possible by passionate grassroots volunteers who raise money at banquets and other fundraisers and allocate a significant portion of those proceeds to impactful conservation, research and outreach projects at the state level and beyond.

About the National Wild Turkey Federation
Since 1973, the National Wild Turkey Federation has invested over half a billion dollars into wildlife conservation and has positively impacted over 25 million acres of critical wildlife habitat. Since 2022, the NWTF has also invested over $2.7 million in critical wild turkey research that, when leveraged with partner contributions, has resulted in more than $25 million to guide the management of the wild turkey and to ensure sustainable populations. The organization continues to deliver its mission by working across boundaries on a landscape scale to create healthy forests and wildlife habitats, clean and abundant water, resilient communities and robust recreational opportunities. With the help of its dedicated members, partners and staff, the NWTF is committed to creating a nation united by the life-changing power of the outdoors.