Sadness in the Wood Household

I normally blog on marketing tips, happenings in Stokes County or events that I feel are important or of note. I ask your indulgence today to let me take on a personal tone.

We lost a beloved member of our family yesterday. Murray, our Basset Hound/German Shepherd mix had to be put to sleep. Murray was going on 16 years old and we had the pleasure of having him in our family for almost 15 of those years. The vet kept saying how lucky he was to have been adopted by us but I beg to differ. We were the lucky ones to have this funny looking, lovable, dignified fellow with us for so long.

My wife brought him to our home in Lenoir just after we had moved in. He had been hit by a car near the mall in Hickory. He had a bad scar on his belly and hip but he recovered fully and soon was a full blow member of the family. He was a little lonely at first but we rescued Sophie from Burke County and soon had a happy duet. We lost Sophie about two years ago and Murray had to break in two new pups and did a wonderful job.

Murray was built like a basset hound, colored like a shepherd and would cry like a baby. When my dad would come to visit, Murray would come to sit by his side and stay for hours. Dad was in declining health but he loved dogs and I think Murray understood that Pop needed some comfort.

Murray wasn't one to do tricks, he wasn't fast or sleek nor did he have a pedigree, what he was, was a wonderful companion, a dignified hound and a great friend.

We laid him to rest with Sophie and Fig (the only cat I have ever owned.) They can keep each other company after we have to leave hear. I hope it is true that all dogs go to heaven. If it is, he and Sophie are with Pop, chasing rabbits, letting him rub his ears (his favorite thing) and having a grand time. He deserves it!

Rest in Peace your wonderful hound!

Business Facebook Pages

Does your business have a facebook page? If it doesn't it is time to start one. You are giving away a tremendous opportunity to attract new customers. If it does, here are some good tips on how to make it more effective. I found this on LinkedIn and it was compiled by Zach Hanebrink, I think it is a good list. Do you have any additional pointers, if so please take time to share them.

9 Tips for Facebook Page Success

Having a Facebook Page for your business or website is quickly becoming a staple in any online marketing strategy. Just having a Facebook Page is not enough. There are 8 things you can do to ensure your Facebook Page is a success.

1. Add a link back to your website – Sounds simple right? It is! Add your website url to your page. Be sure you also feature it in the left sidebar for maximum visibility. This will help send additional traffic to your website as well as help with your SEO. Google loves links and a link from Facebook is a good one to have.

2. Company profile – Still standard stuff here, but you would be surprised how many people seem to skip over this. Fill out the Info section of your page to include “about us” type information. This will help visitors who are not so familiar with you know exactly what you do.

3. Static FBML – Add the Static FBML app. This app will allow you to essentially have a custom landing page on your Facebook page. You can include custom html, content, images and graphics. Once you have everything in place, you can make this tab the default landing page. There is an option for “Default Landing Tab for Everyone Else.”

4. Blog feed – Install the Social RSS app. This app will enable you to publish your latest blog posts to your wall. There are useful settings that let you “like” your own posts, add the posts to your wall or in a dedicated tab/box.

5. YouTube – There are several good YouTube apps out there. I happen to like YouTube Video Box. This app will give you a dedicated tab where you can feature all your videos from your YouTube channel. Videos are a good way to breathe a little extra life into your pages.

6. Promotions – Let’s face it, your brand probably isn’t the most interesting thing on Facebook. Many of the people become “fans” because they are looking for discounts. So, give them what they want! Facebook is a good outlet for one off promotions, contests etc. Promotions is a great app that makes running Facebook promotions a breeze.

7. Poll – Don’t let your Facebook page become static. Interactivity is interesting. Give your fans something to do on your page. Polls are a great way to get others involved in your brand as well as give you an opportunity for some easy market research. Add a Poll to your page today!

8. Usernames – If you haven’t noticed, page urls are not attractive out of the box. They are long and hard to share. Once you have 25+ fans you can get a custom username for your page. This lets you further brand your Facebook page. Now your Facebook url can be Facebook.com/YourCompany.

9. Promote your page – One of the best ways to promote your Facebook page is on your blog. Give your blog readers an opportunity to connect with you. Facebook is a great way to better stay in front of your audience

Sokes County Included in 21st Century Community Program

STOKES COUNTY
Economic Development Commission

MEDIA RELEASE

For Release: Immediately

Contact: Alan Wood, Director, Stokes County Economic Development

* * * * * *

(Danbury, NC August 23, 2010) N. C. Department of Commerce Sec. Keith Crisco announced on August 13 that four counties have been selected to participate in the continuation of the 21st Century Communities Program. Stokes County, along with Cleveland, Jones and Pamlico are the new counties.

The Stokes County Economic Development Commission applied for inclusion in this program, which is designed to foster growth in counties that are facing economic challenges to assist them in the development of programs and initiatives that will lead to economic growth. The application process was competitive and Stokes County was chosen from several candidates. The success of the application was in large part due to the support provided by the City of King, Towns of Walnut Cove and Danbury, who each provided a letter of endorsing Stokes County in their efforts to be included in this program. Having 100% of the taxing municipalities willing to participate in this process and the willingness the county has shown to partner regionally was seen as key to this selection.

Jimmy Walker, Chairman of the Stokes County Board of Commissioners was very excited about the inclusion of the county in the program saying “It is difficult to place a monetary value on the return this program will have for Stokes County and its citizens. It will help raise the awareness of the Department of Commerce as to what we have to offer, it should help foster a greater sense of cooperation within the county and it should help us further develop a plan for future growth in our economy.”

Alan Wood, the Director of Economic Development was very pleased with the news and responded with the following “I relish the opportunity to work closely with the Department of Commerce and their Community Assistance arm. Hopefully we can find a way to fine-tune our development efforts. We have many wonderful assets within our borders, we need to learn to work together in more meaningful ways and leverage these assets to our best advantage. I believe this program can assist with this.”




PO Box 20 Danbury, NC 27016 336-593-2496 adwood@co.stokes.nc.us

The 21st Century Communities program will focus on the communities for a period of 24 months. The process starts with a two day orientation session for officials of the selected
communities with the next step being a community assessment. This assessment will look at the strengths and weaknesses of each county and provide recommendations on how to proceed.

The full statement from N.C. Dept of Commerce Sec. Keith Crisco is included below.

* * *


Crisco announces 4 new 21st Century Communities


N.C. Dept. of Commerce Sec. Keith Crisco announced Aug. 13 that four additional counties in North Carolina have been selected to participate in the 21st Century Communities Program. The program, part of Commerce's Division of Community Assistance, fosters economic growth in less prosperous counties by helping them develop innovative economic and community development plans and initiatives. Cleveland, Jones, Pamlico and Stokes counties have been selected are the new counties.

"This two-year program prepares counties to be more competitive in today's challenging economic times," said Crisco. "Through collaboration and partnership, we are able to leverage local resources, strengthen infrastructure and support ongoing workforce and leadership development, ultimately bringing jobs and investment to these counties."

Some interesting thoughts on a rainy day.

I am on a distribution list from Thomas Dismukes and wanted to share some of his thoughts on this rainy Thursday. Some of them made me smile and others gave me pause to stop and think for a moment. Hopefully, they will do the same for you!

Hello Alan,
Here are a few quotes to ponder. Several people have asked if I would also add one of my stories, so I've also added "The Meek Shall Inherit the Water." I hope my misery gives you great pleasure! :) Keep living a life of significance, by telling your story through your time, talents, treasures and touch! Remember, there is meaning behind the madness.
With warm regards,
Thomas Dismukes

Make others happy wherever you go, not whenever you go.
FEAR—is False Evidence Appearing Real.
Your life will either shed light or cast a shadow.
Courage is being scared to death… and saddling up anyway. John Wayne
If you work 75% of your capacity, 75% will become your capacity
If there exists no possibility of failure, then victory is meaningless. Robert Schuller
Everything has been said before, but since nobody listens, we have to keep going back and begin again.
A sharp tongue sometimes cuts it’s own throat.
The need to be right all the time is the biggest bar to new ideas.
Everything in the universe is subject to change and everything is right on schedule.









The Meek Shall Inherit the Water.

I’m not sure if it’s true but they say the last words of a red neck is, “Watch this!” I don’t think I’m a red neck, but I know I’ve certainly said it a time or two.
I am a compassionate lover of animals, bugs and birds. I tend to see them as the underdog, the less fortunate, the weak, and “helpless.” I enjoy being around them and if there is anything I can do to help them out I usually do what I can do. This day was no exception. I was enjoying the beautiful spring day with my wife Kim, out on the dock on Lake Keowee, SC. The birds were chirping, the squirrels were corkscrewing around the trees, the fish were splashing, it was a zip-pedee-dooda with a blue bird on my shoulder kind of day.
We were minding our own business just relaxing and eating our picnic lunch when off in the distance we heard the call of a family of Canada Geese. They must have been used to seeing people on the docks and scavenging for scraps of food because they were heading our way. They were a cute little family. The strong gander up front leading the charge as six tiny gosslets rapidly tried to keep pace. The graceful mother trailed shortly behind to protect the rear and to get a better view of her family making a wake toward us.
Kim had made us sandwiches for lunch so as they drew near to the dock I began to tear the crust off my sandwich. It was the least I could do for this poor helpless family. I would give up part of my sandwich… so that…they may live. Yes, I felt “one with nature.” They looked so sweet and gentle, treading patiently for me to feed them. Yes, just call me “nature boy”, in tune with the ecosystem dynamic. I grabbed the crust and began to bestow my bounty upon these needy birds with a toss of my hand. I anticipated them showing me with honks of gladness and thanksgiving but to my surprise, the gander began to aggressively HISS at me. I was shocked! Here I am providing his family with food, and he has the gall to HISS at me. Surely this must be a misunderstanding, so I tossed another handful their way. Once again the gander HISSED and even aggressively flexed his shoulders and bowed up toward me. And to beat all, he would do this AFTER his family ate my food. I was not trying to hurt his family I was trying to be KIND! Well, his little attitude got me a little angry. Here I am trying to help them out and this ungrateful recipient was trying to bite the hand that was feeding him!
I wondered just how tough he really was. Yeah, he thought he was big and bad, trying to show off in front of his little lady and kids! But I knew he was all honk. I continued to mildly harass the family with an overly exaggerated toss just to watch him fuss. When all of my sandwich was gone, rather than thanking me, the ungrateful heathens started to HISS at me more as if I had not given them enough! While they began to congregate at the end of the dock, obviously discussing their disappointment with my peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwich, I sat with Kim and told her how disgusted I was with their ungrateful behavior. And then I began to think. In hindsight that’s where the trouble began.
An idea came to my head that would satisfy my urge of revenge. I never wanted to hurt the geese; I only wanted to “put them in their place.” They would see my majestic splendor. The incredible power of a human being and humbly recognize that I am far superior then they. It would be a tough lesson for them to learn, but it had to be done, for the children.
I gently backed up 40 feet to the beginning of the dock and quietly mouthed to Kim the last words of a red neck. With all my might and speed I could muster, I sprinted to the end of the dock where the family of geese were congregated, and with a warriors scream, I jumped, spread eagle.
It was my contention that the geese would see me in mid air and recognize the error of their ways. With that, they would humbly scatter, in recognition of their fault.
I was in mid air, when my warrior’s scream turned to a whimpering shrill. Four feet from the waters edge, I realized they were not being humbled nor were they seeing the error of their ways! I wish someone had told me geese could retract their claws like cats. I didn’t know they even had claws. Nor did I realize they had razor sharp teeth like an Amazon piranha! For future reference they also have a keen ability to hone in on vital parts of the body such as eyes, nose, ears and other “sensitive” body parts. They nearly blinded me and took the ability to father children before I even hit the water. With a load splash, I gracefully belly flopped into the water, expelling any remaining air I vitally needed to escape the wrath of the most assuredly reincarnation of Satan. Under the haven of water I felt safe for a brief moment until to my horror, I saw two goose torpedoes bearing down on me. They must have followed to trail of blood! I could only flip my legs around, half kicking them off and half swimming deeper, which did not help my now near suffocation problem. Seconds pasted and they finally stopped their pursuit. I looked up into the water and saw no swimming claws and determined it was safe to surface.
I broke the surface gasping for air and freedom. BAM! Direct hit. They went straight for the jugular! Where did they come from and where was Kim?! I blew the ballast and sucked in half the lake. Finally after hearing my screams through my surfacing bubbles, Kim was able to shoo Satan’s helper away with a paddle. It was over! Thankfully Kim was a Life Guard and had been trained in how to drag limp bodies to shore.
A vital lesson was learned through this…humbling episode and can be summed up in a single phrase said by Jesus Christ, “But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
Thomas Dismukes

Tourism In Stokes County

The only way this can succeed is for citizens to bet involved. Give me a call or send me an email: adwood@co.ctokes.nc.us if you have any questions.


August 16, 2010


What: Discussion of Tourism Opportunities in Stokes County


When: Thursday September 2 from 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM


Where: YMCA Camp Hanes Conference Room- 1225 Camp Hanes Rd. King, NC 27021


Why: A dedicated group of local citizens and officials have been working to map the tourism assets of Stokes County and determine how to best conserve, manage and develop these assets to create jobs and new investment in the community. We need your input and support to make this a success. Please join us to review our progress and for a frank discussion on how we can take full advantage of the opportunities that tourism offers to the citizens of Stokes County.


We can’t make this happen without your input and assistance. Please RSVP by August 30, 2010 to the email address or phone number shown below.





Alan D. Wood, Director

Out of Sorts

I found the article below on Linkedin and it resonated througout my soul. I have been out of sorts for sometime, not because of new love but the fact that my love of 30 years and I have been having a long distance relationship for 18 monnths. This is not how my life was planned and has been and continues to be a very stressful existance. The four points that the writer shares can't fix my living situation but by using them as a guideline, it may help with the stress and hopefully the rest will work itself out!

Inspiration or Desperation – A 4 Step Process To A Happier More Fulfilling Life
by Sean Smith on July 29, 2010
Recently it seems like my life has been turned completely upside down. It’s as though I’ve lost that balance I used to have in life that made it all so wonderful. Several events have happened to cause me to seriously re-evaluate my life as a whole.
• I’ve moved in with my parents temporarily while transitioning to a new state of residence.
• I’ve been doing a lot of traveling as a result of my eventual move.
• I haven’t kept up with my own personal development regimen.
• The launch of my coaching program keeps getting delayed.
• I recently lost my Land Rover but luckily was able to get it back.
• And a whole lot of little things that seem to compound into bigger things.
The bottom line, my life is a mess right now and I have WAY to many balls in the air!
This got me thinking… What am I doing wrong? How is it that I let my life get so out of control? Am I operating out of inspiration or desperation?
Then suddenly, it donned on me! I knew in a sudden moment where I went wrong and when my life became such a disorganized mess!
WAIT FOR IT….
Yup, you guessed it, I FELL IN LOVE!
You’ll notice, there are a few pics of us together in the header of my blog
Ok now, don’t get me wrong… I’m completely beside myself for finally finding and reconnecting with the woman I fell in love with 17 years ago. But, it was at that point that my priorities changed and my routine deviated from that of laser focus on what I want out of life to doing everything I could to be with the woman I love.
I know, this may sound corney to some of you, but it became crystal clear to me, that the moment I reclaimed the woman I love, my whole mental outlook changed. Love is an amazing thing, and it is certainly capable of consuming you and take over your life. The key to success is in finding a balance.
Now, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It is merely an adjustment of priorities. You see, I failed to recognize the change when it happened and did not make the proper adjustments in my life to accommodate my new love appropriately in addition to my normal routine. Once I realized this had happened, the solution to my disorganization was soon presented to me.
What resulted was this 4 step process to an organized, happier, more fulfilling life.
Step 1: Return To My Personal Development Regimen
This was the most important step to recovery. I realized that I could still enjoy the company of the woman I love while still practicing my regular personal development regimen. This shouldn’t be to difficult to do, because she enjoys many of the same things that I do. She loves to read. She loves to workout and stay fit. She is a spiritual person.
This makes the whole process of reattaining my personal development ways much easier. So, I’ve gotten back to:
• Reading and focusing on Personal Development an hour every day.
• Working out an hour every day. (Starting P90X next week!)
• Meditating 10 – 15 minutes daily.
• Enjoying time with the people I love and care about on a daily basis. (After all, they are the reason I do what I do!)
I noticed immediately that once I started back with my personal development regimen, that my quality of life instantly seemed to improve. My outlook on life was much more happy and prosperous. Things are beginning to fall into place. I FEEL GREAT!!!
Step 2: Schedule My Day
One of the many things I used to do but seem to be lacking recently was that of a solid yet flexible schedule. I find it necessary and important to plan out my day, no matter how busy or not so busy it seems to be. Google calendar has been my friend here!
I created 3 calendars in Google calendar and sync them among my laptop, desktop and iPhone.
1. Blog (Business)
2. Personal
3. Tasks
I then use these three calendars to organize and prioritize my life. Yes, it may seem a little anal, but hey it works!
On my Blog calendar I schedule my time wisely. I schedule 1 hour each day to read other blogs. This helps me stay up to date on what’s going on in the blogosphere and helps inspire blog posts and discussions. I also schedule 1 – 2 hours daily for blogging. This is when I write my blog posts.
On my Personal calendar I put any events that are relevant to my personal life, such as events for my daughter (Although she is going to have to maintain her own calendar soon!) Personal events for me, i.e. doctor appointments, workout schedule, time with family, etc…
And finally on my Tasks calendar, I put any action items I need to complete. This calendar mostly contains product development events. Currently it carries a lot of events that relate to my new Internet Marketing coaching program I’ll be launching.
Having my day planned out helps to priorities things more clearly. It simply tells me where I’m at and what I need to be doing so I don’t lolly gag around and waste time that could be spend being more productive. And by more productive, I mean in business, love and life!
Step 3: Set Attainable Goals
This is HUGE!
At that start, I sat down and wrote out some short-term and long-term goals. The point of this is to simply give me something relevant to shoot for. A target that I could achieve in an effort to experience some success no matter how great or small it is.
Writing your goals down is very important and makes them real. Write them down and put them some place you will see them daily. Read them, memorize them and re-read them. Commit them to your mind and make an effort to attain them.
Setting goals also allowed me to formulate step 4 in the process.
Step 4: Formulate An Action Plan
The previous 3 steps helped me to get organized. In this final step, I created a plan of action on how I was going to attain my goals and implement the previous 3 steps.
Write down your plan and treated as your mission, one where failure is NOT an option!
Having a plan helps guide you through the process necessary to achieve what you desire out of life. Your goals are simply milestones which you attain while taking action on your plan. No amount of success can be conceived and attained without a plan.
Summarizing
I’ve only recently re-started this process and will keep you informed as to my progress. I’m excited and confident at what lies ahead and look forward to building a better future for myself, my daughter and the woman I love so very much!
I’d like to hear from you… What are you doing to achieve your goals and better yourself? Share your own personal development regimen in the comments. I’d love to see what others are doing. And maybe I can learn from you!

Wildlife in North Carolina Writes About the Dan River

Below is a story in this months Wildlife in North Carolina. It is part I of II concerning the Dan River. Take a moment to read about this Stokes County treasure. Where it starts, where it goes and the wonderful discoveries along the way.
The Many Faces of the Dan River Part 1
I am kneeling on a boulder after just hitching myself
up the massive rock when I spot what I have been
looking for. There, bubbling up between moss-covered
rocks on the left and rhododendrons on the right, is a head -
water spring of the Dan River. The air smells earthy—a
mixture of pristine water, decaying leaves, lush rhododen -
dron, and verdant sugar maples, ashes and ironwood.
I am on a two-year quest to explore the multiple faces
of the Dan River, from where it trickles up from springs in
Virginia’s Patrick County to where it disappears into the
immensity of 48,900-acre Kerr Lake. North Carolinians
reading that the Dan begins in the Old Dominion may well
wonder what the Virginia section of the river has to do with
whether or not they catch fish from the waterway in Carolina.
And the short answer is, Everything.
For no river that I have ever explored is so intertwined
with two states. How Virginians treat the waters of the Dan
has truly everything to do with how clean and clear the
North Carolina portion is—and the reverse is true as well.
This is so because, although the Dan begins and ends in
Virginia, it flows deep into North Carolina for much of its
length but often meanders between the two states.
Here, then, are the many faces of the Dan, as well as the
virtues and fisheries that give the river such charm, and
the challenges and problems that the waterway must over -
come in the years to come.
Patrick County Headwaters
My journey begins on a summer day as guide Mike Smith,
who operates Greasy Creek Outfitters in Willis, Va., and I
drive down the Blue Ridge Parkway. We pass the famous
Mabry Mill and note that the pond that borders the mill is
part of the Dan River watershed. We also stop briefly to
fish a native brook trout rill that flows into the Dan. North
Carolinians may be surprised to learn that they don’t need
a nonresident license to fish any trout stream within the
Virginia section of the Blue Ridge Parkway, as both states’
licenses are honored on all parkway waters.
July 2010
But our real destination is a few miles past
the mill, Townes Reservoir—more specifi -
cally that part of the Dan River that flows into
the impoundment and courses through what
some folks call the Grand Canyon of Virginia.
Accessing the reservoir requires some
planning, as Townes Reservoir and its sister,
upper impoundment Talbott Reservoir, are
part of the Pinnacles Hydroelectric Project,
which the City of Danville owns. One has to
obtain a free visitor ’s permit from the city,
which includes the daily combination to a
locked gate at the entrance of Townes Reser -
voir, and wait until 8 a.m., when city per son -
nel open another lock on that same gate.
Smith and I drive down a precarious road
to reach Townes Reservoir and then paddle
his canoe some 30 minutes to where the Dan
rushes into the impoundment. Beaching the
boat, we wade a few feet, and almost imme -
diately the lake is left behind and we enter
the canyon. Steep mountainous terrain
envelopes both sides of the Dan, as the river
charges past banks where rhododendron,
beeches, alders, sycamores and the odd red
oak crowd the shoreline. Along the shore -
line and sometimes within the river, boulders
half the size of compact cars pock the area.
Sadly, though, we mark dead hemlock
after dead hemlock, corpselike, wan sentinels
on the river, victims of the woolly adelgid.
Mike says that many hemlocks have crashed
into the stream since his last visit.
On his second cast Smith drifts a size 12
Adams through a riffle, and a 7-inch wild
brown sips in the offering. He catches and
releases the fish and a few minutes later does
the same with a slightly larger rainbow.
“It is serious business when you travel
back into the canyon,” Smith says. “I once
had a guy twist an ankle, and it took us four
hours to evacuate him out of here and back
to the canoe.
“But just look at the majesty of these
mountainsides,” continues Smith as he
gestures to the rugged terrain that has been
chiseled through the ages by a stream that is
no more than 40 feet wide. “The Dan here
has a great trout fishery, with mostly wild
browns between 6 and 15 inches, and a fair
number of rainbows about the same size.
But it would be worth coming in here even if
the fishing were just fair.”
In a four-hour period, we wade a little
more than a mile upstream, periodically
watching ’bows and browns rise to our flies,
and often noticing the sounds of Acadian
flycatchers, Eastern wood-pewees, wood
thrushes and a host of other birds. But the
City of Danville requires that everyone be
out of the canyon and off the property by 5
p.m., and Smith and I want to visit one of
the native brook trout streams that com -
mingle with the reservoir.
So we hike out of the canyon, paddle
down Townes Reservoir and beach the canoe
where a likely stream enters. A jumble of
boulders lies where the stream flows into the
lake, and we have to ascend them, careful
not to break bones or fly rods. Smith has
fished this creek before and has regaled me
all morning with stories of its numerous
native brookies. But in two hours of fishing
the Dan River tributary, not a single trout
rises to our offerings. The water has a cur -
ious stain to it, and I make a mental note to
check into the matter later.
Once we leave the Pinnacles Hydroelec -
tric Project, Smith drives me to the upper
upper Dan, where the river is just the pro -
verbial “hop, skip and a jump across” and is
a put-and-take trout stream. He says that
superlative wild trout fishing also exists above
Talbott Reservoir, but it is the waters of the
Grand Canyon that still have the great est
attraction for his sporting soul.
Below Townes Reservoir to the Pinnacles
Powerhouse, continues Smith, the Dan is
catch-and-release fly-fishing only. Below
there, the Dan for the rest of its voyage
through Patrick County is a standard putand-
take trout stream.
North Carolina and Conservation Issues
The Dan rambles into North Carolina for the
first time in Stokes County and is designated
Hatchery Supported Trout Waters from the
Virginia state line downstream to a point
200 yards beyond the end of State Road 1421.
The first part of the Dan in North Carolina
receives a great deal of fishing pressure (espe -
cially after stockings), and its trout have a
reputation for wariness and selectivity regard -
ing fly and lure offerings.
A few days later, still troubled by the
curious stained water of the native stream,
I make some phone calls and learn that runoff
from agricultural and cattle farms is a serious
concern on the Dan watershed, and that
Virginia law does not require that farmers
keep their cattle out of streams—native brook
trout rills downstream or otherwise. I then
contact Roger Holnback of the Western Vir -
ginia Land Trust and ask if his organization
is having much success in recording con ser -
vation easements in Patrick County.
Conservation easements are voluntary,
permanent agreements wherein a land owner
agrees to give up certain development rights.
The more development rights a landowner
relinquishes, the more tax and other finan -
cial benefits the individual or family receives.
I, for example, have placed 392 acres I own
under conservation easements. I have seen
my taxes on the parcels dramatically decrease
and received other tax benefits totaling many
thousands of dollars. I also have gained the
satisfaction of knowing that I have per ma -
nently protected wildlife habitat. For fisher -
men, a major plus of easements is that they
often serve to protect riparian zones.
Holnback says that six easements totaling
917 acres have been placed in Patrick County.
Although none of that acreage is on the Dan
River itself, much of it does include land
within the watershed.
“What we are seeing in Patrick County
is typical of what is going on in the western
Piedmont of North Carolina and Virginia,”
says Holnback. “Folks are moving up from
urban areas in North Carolina and buying
former 100-acre farms that have been split
up into 10- to 20-acre parcels, each with its
own hilltop. Then the buyers build a home
or vacation getaway on that hilltop—a place
with a view.
“Conservation easements really have not
caught on here yet, but the interest I am
seeing is coming from two groups. The first
is from the ‘come-heres,’ people from outside
the area who have built their homes here but
don’t want to see the county further devel -
oped. And the second is from the ‘from-heres,’
multi-generational farmers who are worried
about the development and don’t want to
see their land broken up when they die.”
Holnback suggests that I call the
Piedmont Land Conservancy (PLC) in
Greensboro, and I contact Kenneth A. Bridle,
its stewardship director. Bridle has actively
worked on the Dan River watershed for the
past 25 years and has done Natural Heritage
Inventories in Stokes and surrounding coun -
ties, riparian corridor studies, water shed
plans and sediment studies. He has built
canoe access sites, done stream restor a tions
and surveyed for rare plants and animals, plusBasin Association (DRBA) and is in the early
stages of a 12-month water sampling survey.
“We have conducted Natural Heritage
Inventories in all of the counties that are in
the Dan River Basin, and we have done N.C.
Clean Water Management Trust Fund-spon -
sored riparian corridor studies of the entire
channel,” Bridle says. “We also received
several grants to study the suspended sedi -
ment in the river and to prepare a Dan River
Watershed Protection Plan, which was pub -
lished in December of 2006.
“This watershed plan is the most com -
pre hensive collection of data and recom -
men da tions on the upper Dan River Basin,
includ ing the Virginia portion. We have also
received grants for the purchase of pro per ties
and easements in Stokes and Rockingham
counties and have recently spent significant
effort on the establishment of and land pur -
chase for the new Mayo River State Park in
the middle of the watershed. This park is
being matched by an effort on the Virginia
side to put the upper reaches of the Mayo
into a Virginia state park.”
As is true in Patrick County, few pro per -
ties are under conservation easement on the
North Carolina part of the Dan watershed,
says Bridle, as a long-standing resistance to
land use planning exists.
“Residents, the from-heres and comeheres
in both states, don’t see the threats to
water quality and loss of scenic and eco -
logical values,” continues Bridle. “In this
area, development does not occur in big
easy-to-see blocks, such as malls and multihundred-
home housing developments, like
in the urban counties to the south, but in
subtler, harder-to-notice scatterings of new
homes, new roads, loss of smaller chunks of
forests and farms and ultimately a harderto-
perceive-and-regulate land conversion.
The citizens and politicians just don’t see
the threat or loss, possibly until it’s too late.
And unless land trusts have willing land -
owners who perceive the threats and want to
do conservation easements that would help
mitigate the threats, then there is really no
market for this kind of conservation activity.
“It might be argued that since the water -
shed threats are not dramatic, they are also
not imminent, which is true. But we know
that now is the time to work, when there are
reasonable land values, big blocks available
and resources still worth conserving. By the
time threats are obvious, all the resources
are impacted, the costs are much more and
conservation potential is limited.”
The most effective areas of impact have
been where the PLC has been able to meet a
wider range of conservation-minded land -
owner needs and also put a lot of easements
in a focus area. The PLC has placed much
emphasis on inventory, survey, sampling and
coalition building, and only recently has a
new swell of interest started that will lead to
more productive conservation partnerships.
Bridle says the Dan River watershed is
facing the same pressures that all of North
Carolina’s Piedmont is dealing with. He sees
as some of the factors “the need to improve
agricultural best management practices, espe -
cially on farms in transition to new crops or
new land use; increasing residential develop -
ment and resultant stormwater runoff; ripar -
ian buffer impacts; lawn and agricultural
chemical impacts; non-point-source sedi -
ment pollution; plastic trash and litter; and
ATVs being ridden in creeks and the river.”
But Bridle also lists a number of positives,
including the following.
•New communication across the state
line between agencies
•Increased recreational use of the river
because of the Dan River Basin
Association’s outings and programs
•The potential impact on the area of the
Mountains to Sea Trail coming through
•New rare aquatic species discovered
in the Dan
•The new state parks and potential to
designate a Dan River Trail State Park
•A push to make some of the Stokes
County canoe access sites permanent
•New county tourism boards
The Carolina Dan Becomes a
Smallmouth River
I ask Kevin Hining, District 7 fisheries biol -
ogist for the N.C.Wildlife Resources Com -
mission, to give an overview of the Dan as a
smallmouth river.
“To be honest, I don’t think many anglers
outside Stokes County know about the Dan,”
he says. “I’ve heard few people talk about it,
but from what I’ve seen, the section in Stokes
County downstream of N.C. 704 is a really
fun smallmouth river. We haven’t seen any
monster fish, but lots of smallmouth in the
12- to 16-inch size range. Also, we’ve talked
to a few anglers who routinely catch larger
fish than our samples indicate.”
As the Dan continues its path through
Stokes County, it passes under the Flippin
Road Bridge and through the communities
of Joyce Mill and Jessups Mill. Once again,
the Dan flows through a gorgelike area, and
two Class III rapids mark the waterway. But
the swift water comes to an end in the back -
waters of Jessups Mill Dam.
Downstream from the dam to the High way
704 bridge, a distance of about 6 miles, the
Dan is known for its remoteness and white
water. Paddlers may also encounter the James
River spiny mussel, an endan gered species.
The next section is the 12.4-mile float
from the Route 704 bridge (known as the
Hart Access) to the Hanging Rock State Park
access. Lexington’s Anthony Hipps and I
conduct a summertime float of part of this
section (that is, 4.5 miles from Moores
Springs Campground to the park) and catch
smallmouth bass and redbreast sunfish.
What impresses me most is that both
banks are heavily wooded, almost through -
out the entire excursion, and cliffs up to 60
feet tall often appear. Songbirds are numerous,
highlighted by appearances from scarlet tan -
agers, red-eyed vireos, orchard orioles and
hooded warblers. When the rhododendron
is in bloom, the white flowers add ambience
to our junket.
For Part II of this exploration of the Dan,
I’ll cover the river from Hanging Rock State
Park to Kerr Lake from fishing and conserva -
tion viewpoints, as well as look at how somelandowners are proving to be good stewards
of the watershed.
Bruce Ingram is the author of several books
on rivers and fishing, including, “Fly and Spin
Fishing for River Smallmouths” ($19.25).
To purchase one, contact Ingram at be_ingram@juno.com.