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be Kuenzler Wildlife Habitat Preserve Page 1 0 1 The Kuenzler Wildlife Habitat Preserve A Stagy of Farmland Protection and Wetland Restoration The Family Latnd Protection. n. Ed and Jutta Kuenzler bought a 154 acre property in Orange County The Kuenzlers negotiated with the Triangle Land Conservancy in 1965 , shortly after they moved to Chapel Hill. The couple fell in (TLC), a local non-profit land trust, to put the whole farm into a love with the property immediately and it has been their home ever conservation easement. The easement specifies that future since. They built a house, raised their son and daughter on the land, owners will be able to use the existing hayfields and pastures for and kept small herds of beef cattle. The mosaic of hayfields, pastures, agriculture, but will not be able to subdivide the property or and forests also served as an outdoor classroom for Ed s students. Ed build additional homes. The agreement encapsulates the was an environmental sciences and engineering professor at UNC= Kuenzler's vision for the property and legally ensures their farm Chapel Hill and would often bring classes out to his homestead, will be protected after they are gone. Like other farm families in North Carolina, the Kuenzlers value their The family donated the conservation easement to TLC . As a rural lifestyle and love their land . As a biologist, Ed Kuenzler enjoyed result, they are eligible for federal and state tax credits. The land studying his property s plants and animals . He identified more than also qualifies for lower property taxes. 400 species on the farm before his death in 2001 . fy�� z'6.97, rty r _ r �f ill to e tA K r When the Kuenzler family began to consider the future of their land, ;- they knew they wanted to preserve their farm for future generations to enjoy and love. They did not want it to be subdivided and converted y « into residential lots. Instead, they wanted their home to remain as farm and forest land . The family also wanted to protect and enhance wildlife habitat on drr . r their property. For years, they dreamed of restoring a small degraded wetland near Collins Creek. The area had long ago been ditched and Upland Chorus Frogs (Pseudacris triseriata) breed in large drained for agricultural use. The family envisioned a wetland wildlife numbers following restoration. refuge for migratory birds, amphibians, reptiles, and local A 3T To achieve their dream of a restored wetland the Kuenzlers solicited the help of several government agencies : Natural Resource Conservation Service (MRCS), Orange County Soil < dE r and Water Conservation District, and U. S . Fish and Wildlife - - s Service (iJSFWS) . These agencies work together to help fi * fir— Mo. •.2 � }ram, f� S -`�� ...+aL!4AY. " 1-, le"F1'�{8_.FN ,ys1"Y `?' �3F r � f s families across North Carolina protect and restore wildlife ` ,= 'L ti, ` . s�� ",' e , ° � ,' ✓ t k be�lnll habitat . a i its - 7 13 � ` r fY yY l !' J'T- f1Xi i .x- The project began with a planning process, as the Kuenzlers, the } r y .{ f r1y � s fk. � �'`i�T'F f1 -! r K . fir' agencies and TLC considered different ways to bring water and v ; l ' '} * 4 , ` ` wetland dejj�� endent life back to 14 acres of the property. There 2 . t •� 3 ' . were no records of how the land had looked before its Ak --f�"i ' � r`s _'icy �r r K ° NY •� . �{ , conversion to farmland, so the team had to be creative . In ik r14 • ,w- y , � a tt"�� .fir f � br .� c r. r<r r' ' , �.�.. fi �;. `� particular, the Kuenzlers wanted a maintenance free system that , would sustain wetland wildlife without the need for active The Kuenzler 's dream is realized in 2002. This shallow pool is one management. component of the restored wetland. Neq.%#.-t Page»