Nearly 500 acres of land have been purchased by Conserving Carolina for a vast nature preserve located near Chimney Rock State Park.

According to an Oct. 30 news release, Conserving Carolina purchased 483 acres of mountainous land North of Lake Lure. The tract is the last major piece in a 2,669-acre protected wilderness adjacent to Chimney Rock State Park, the release said.

"At the end of the day, we protected about 75% of a state natural area that is rated excellent for wildlife habitat, which is the highest possible rating," Assistant Director for Programs with Conserving Carolina Rebekah Robinson said in the release.

Now, the full 2,669 acres is protected -- over half of it as the Town of Lake Lure's Buffalo Creek Park and the rest as the Joel Ridge Nature Preserve, owned by Conserving Carolina, the release said.

"We have protected a critical population of Hickory Nut Gorge's Green Salamanders, which is a state endangered species. We have protected all or nearly all of the Buffalo Creek watershed. And these thousands of acres of forest land are providing corridors so plants and animals can migrate and adapt to climate change," Robinson said.

Conserving Carolina said in the release that the land purchased "will offer extraordinary trails, preserve vital wildlife habitat, and provide clean water flowing out of the mountains. The land could also provide the link between two state trails -- the Hickory Nut Gorge State Trail and the Wilderness Gateway State Trail.

In the early 2000s the land was slated to become an upscale development, spanning over 4,000 acres, called GreyRock at Lake Lure. Lots were expensive, offering gorgeous mountain views and the promise that they would be surrounded by protected forests. The plan was to preserve swaths of undeveloped natural areas among the 700 planned houses, the release said.

Then, after hard economic times, the developer filed for bankruptcy. According to the release, the company that had issued bonds for the roads refused to pay, and the owner-developer was arrested for fraud.

"For the people who had bought lots, the outlook was bleak. Owners were stranded with no roads to their land and no power lines. The value of their lots plummeted. And there seemed little hope of preserving forests as common land, as promised. More likely, undeveloped land would be split up and sold to pay some of the developer's debts," Conserving Carolina said in the release.

Conserving Carolina and the GreyRock Community Association stepped in and chose to protect thousands of acres of wilderness, first purchasing a section of the land in 2009. This latest purchased marked the final tract of the land.

STORY & PHOTO COURTESY OF ABC 13 WLOS