Ep. 1029: How You Can Help Save 4000 Acres of Prime Public Hunting Ground with Travis Morehead

In this episode of the Wired to Hunt Podcast, host Mark Kenyon discusses a critical conservation effort to save 4,000 acres of prime public hunting and fishing land along the Tucker Town Reservoir in North Carolina. The land, currently privately owned by Alcoa but historically open to public access since the 1960s, is now up for sale and at risk of being developed for housing or resource extraction. To prevent this, the Three Rivers Land Trust is leading a fundraising campaign with the support of MeatEater and OnX, each contributing $100,000 in matching funds—doubling every donation made between April 14 and May 14. The goal is to purchase the land and transfer it to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission for permanent public use. Travis Moorhead, executive director of the Three Rivers Land Trust, shares the land’s ecological significance, its importance to local hunters and anglers, and the urgency of the campaign, noting that the land is one of the few remaining large public access areas in central North Carolina, a region experiencing rapid urbanization. The episode highlights the growing threat to public lands across the U.S., especially in the East, and positions this campaign as a rare, actionable opportunity for hunters and outdoor enthusiasts nationwide to directly influence conservation outcomes. The episode emphasizes that this is not just a local issue but a national one—representing a rare chance to expand public access in a densely populated region where public land is scarce. Despite challenges like the lack of federal grant timelines and Alcoa’s refusal to accept conservation easements, the campaign has already raised over $90,000 in just weeks, with donations from 49 states and international supporters. The team is urging listeners to donate at SaveTuckertown.org, share the campaign widely, and contact elected officials to advocate for public land protection. With a strong grassroots movement and high-profile backing, the episode ends on a hopeful note, framing the effort as a model for how collective action can preserve vital outdoor heritage in the face of increasing development pressures.