University of North Carolina, Greensboro
IN-47: Innovation A

UNC Greensboro petitioned the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and the Council of State to dedicate under the North Carolina Nature Preserves Act (G.S. 143B-135.250 et seq. of the North Carolina General Statutes) approximately 60 acres of undeveloped property located in rural Alamance County, NC as a nature preserve. The primary purpose of the Preserve will be conservation, scientific research, passive recreation and nature education. This property has been owned by the State of North Carolina since 1954 and is controlled by the University, which operates a research telescope and observatory on approximately 2 acres of the site. The remaining property is undeveloped and qualifies under the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program as a site of "Very High Significance" and in particular the Piedmont Monadnock Forest (Typic Subtype) community identified is "overall is one of the best examples in the state." Further, the site is directly adjacent to a 101-acre tract preserved by a conservation easement and will become part of the larger 1,060-acre Cane Creek Mountains Natural Area, with 12-15 miles of planned hiking trails. The site will be ground-leased to Alamance County, and its Parks and Recreation Department will manage the property for the purpose stated above.

It will be featured on the Alamance County Parks and Recreation website once trails are developed and it is open to the public:
https://www.alamance-nc.com/recreation/outdoors/cane-creek-mountains-natural-area/