Submitted Photo
This is a close-up view of the Fishers Peak area which was captured in the fall of 2008. At about 3,300 feet, the peak itself — shown in the center of the mountain range — is the highest point in Surry County.
The land transaction was announced Wednesday by officials of the Piedmont Land Conservancy (PLC), who say it will aid long-term goals not only of preserving a key resource but opening up the remote site for public use.
A preliminary move toward accomplishing the latter will occur on July 17 when the organization hosts a rare guided hike at the site which is open to all individuals or groups.
“We have done a lot of work at Fishers Peak,” said Kevin Redding, executive director of the PLC, a grassroots land trust headquartered in Greensboro which was formed 20 years ago. Its mission is to permanently protect important lands to conserve rivers, streams and natural and scenic areas in a nine-county region that includes Surry.
Redding added Wednesday that with the most-recent land-acquisition of 421 acres at Fishers Peak, 1,185 acres have now been acquired there by the conservancy — ensuring it never will be logged or developed.
That latest tract is in addition to the purchase of another 413 acres which was finalized in December 2008 and 350 acres acquired in 2007.
The Piedmont Land Conservancy is now negotiating for a fourth tract that would add 575 more acres to the protected area, for a total of about 1,800.
“That would have the entire mountain protected,” Redding said of Fishers Peak, which is nestled in the northwest corner of Surry County just south of the Virginia line, near the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Outside of Pilot Mountain, Fishers Peak is the most “iconic” geographical feature in Surry, the PLC official said.
So far, the group has spent about $2.5 million acquiring the property. “Most of it was raised privately,” Redding said. “We did get a grant from the state Clean Water Management Trust Fund.”
One tract involved a “bargain sale” that allowed the organization to obtain the land at a cost below its fair-market value, according to the executive director.
He explained that the Fishers Peak land-acquisition project is important not only from the standpoint of preserving a scenic area from housing sprawl or other ravages. It also will safeguard wildlife and water quality.
Twenty-nine different streams originate within the entire 1,800-acre project site, all of which drain into the Fisher River, a clear-flowing tributary of the Yadkin River.
But a timber-removal or similar project being undertaken in the rugged forestland around Fishers Peak would mean “everything downstream is going to suffer,” Redding said.
“So that’s one of our driving forces, the water quality downstream.”
The largest streams have been thought to contain native brook trout. Meanwhile, the steep slope and rock outcroppings at Fishers Peak are homes to rare grasses and unique wildlife habitats.
Another part of the project involves trying to rebuild a chestnut tree population that fell victim to blight.
Plans For Hike
With much of the targeted land around Fishers Peak now acquired, “our next step is to figure out what to do with it,” Redding said. “Eventually, we would like to have public access to it.”
Fishers Peak is now virtually cut off from visitation. “We restrict access just from a control standpoint,” Redding explained.
But the public has a chance to fully experience what Fishers Peak has to offer through an upcoming hike there on July 17, which is open to anyone who wants to participate.
Those interested are asked to meet at the nearby Blue Ridge Music Center at Milepost 213 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. From there, participants will carpool to Fishers Peak.
Redding said that while a four-wheel-drive vehicle is not necessarily needed to reach the site, one that sits high off the ground is required due to the condition of the roadway there.
Plans call for a hike of about 90 minutes to two hours in the Fishers Peak area, “taking in the views and looking at the plants,” Redding said. After the hiking, a picnic will be held back at the music center — with participants to provide their own food.
Everyone will be invited to hang around for an evening concert at the music center to feature The Zephyr Lightning Bolts.
“This would be a rare opportunity to go on a guided hike up to Fishers Peak,” Redding said of the upcoming event.
Those wanting to take part are asked to call him at (336) 691-0088, so PLC officials will have an idea of how many people to expect. That is a local number, Redding said.
Blue Ridge Music Center also could play a future role in opening Fishers Peak to public access through a trail connection, according to the PLC official.
While the Fishers Peak Loop already exists at the music center, it basically just loops around the area as its name suggests, Redding said. There is a possibility that this trail actually could be extended to the peak site.
“It would probably add one or two miles to the trail, but it would take you right up to Fishers Peak,” Redding said.
It is hoped at some point that the Piedmont Land Conservancy can partner with another entity, such as the Surry County government or N.C. Wildlife Commission, to open the area to permanent public uses.
However, that could take some time, given budget pressures facing the state and local governments due to the economy.
“It’s just too special of a place not to allow people to see it,” Redding said of Fishers Peak and the views offered there, which would provide a boost to area tourism efforts.
“On a clear day back in the winter, you could see downtown Winston-Salem,” he added. “It is really spectacular.”
Contact Tom Joyce at tjoyce@mtairynews.com or at 719-1924.
One of my most memorable childhood trips to Surry County.