TLC Studies Soutwest Shore Wilderness, Recommends Conservation to Chatham Developer

Awilderness of more than 10,000 acres lays along the southwest shore of the Haw River and Jordan Lake in Chatham County. Dotted by the remnants of past settlement, this land is one of the largest, unfragmented areas in the Triangle and drains into Jordan Lake, the second largest drinking water supply for the region.

Within the Southwest Shore Wilderness, Preston Development Company has assembled almost 6,500 acres and plans to develop the largest mixed-use project in Chatham County’s history. Here is where this story takes an unusual turn.

Earlier this year, Preston contacted TLC and the Chatham Conservation Partnership. Before planning its development, Preston wanted to know which areas have the highest priority for conservation.

“Often, land trusts are contacted once the development is plotted, rather than providing input about which areas are the most important to protect,” said Leigh Ann Cienek, TLC Conservation Planner. “We really enjoy the opportunity to offer insight and suggestions about properties toward the beginning of the development process.”

TLC assembled a team of experts from government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and interested citizens to conduct the assessment with funding from The Cannon Foundation. Members of the group made 20 site visits in May and June to study the area.
TLC’s resulting report describes the landscape and provides a detailed list of recommendations to protect the most significant natural areas in the Southwest Shore Wilderness.

For more information about the Southwest Shore Wilderness study, contact Leigh Ann Cienek at lcienek@triangleland.org.

To see the resulting study, click here.