Brushy Fork Riparian Area ~ 7 acres, Surry County
Dick and Suzy Everhart. Donation of Conservation Easement.
“My job with the Natural Resources
Conservation Service (USDA) focuses on helping neighbors protect the Mitchell
River. The river runs clean because of the buffers along its banks and forested
headwaters in Surry County. Buffers are its source of energy, with vegetation
providing food for the insects which feed the fish and other species. Trees and
plants in these buffers stabilize the soil so it doesn’t erode, keep the
temperature down by shading the water, and filter storm run-off. Buffers feed
and protect the river, and we must protect them. If you enjoy our rivers and
want your children and grandchildren to enjoy them, you have to protect them.”
~ Dick Everhart
As community leaders, Dick and Suzy Everhart chose to let
their actions speak louder than words by working with PLC and North Carolina
State University to restore and protect their segment of Brushy Fork, a
tributary of the Mitchell River’s South Fork. The restoration work focused on
returning the stream channel to a more natural design to minimize streambank
erosion and replant the stream banks with appropriate trees, shrubs, and
plants. The easement ensures that these restoration efforts are permanently
protected by ensuring the newly planted buffer will not be removed. 
Project funding provided by the landowner and the NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund.