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TLC receives grant to protect Neuse Basin in Johnston CountyBy Jon Scott, In February, TLC was awarded a $180,000 grant to protect water quality within the Neuse River Basin in Johnston County. The funding comes through an Environmental Enhancement Grant (EEG) from the NC Attorney General’s office. Funding for the EEG program was provided by Smithfield Foods and its subsidiaries through an agreement with the NC Attorney General. The EEG Program provides reimbursement grants to organizations working on projects which will “improve, maintain, and encourage environmental enhancement in the State of North Carolina, with particular focus on environmental issues associated with the swine industry.” The three-year grant will help sustain TLC’s efforts to acquire land and conservation easements along streams within the county. Although the grant provides funding for work throughout the Neuse Basin in Johnston County, primary focus will be given to the Neuse River Lowgrounds and Mill Creek watershed. Located south of Smithfield in Johnston County, the Neuse Lowgrounds is a vast area of rural, mostly forested land along the Neuse River. This region is known for its unique and rare natural communities, with several areas designated as significant by the NC Natural Heritage Program. Mill Creek is a major tributary to the Neuse, converging with the river several miles downstream from Smithfield. The Mill Creek watershed harbors several unique natural areas as well as the culturally significant Bentonville Battleground Historic Site. The grant will provide funding to update an existing conservation plan for the Neuse Lowgrounds, expanding the study area to include the Mill Creek watershed. These funds will also provide education and outreach on the benefits of voluntary land conservation to area landowners and contribute to the costs of completing land and conservation easement acquisitions within the Neuse Basin in Johnston County.
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