Morganton based Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina this week acquired 377 acres in the Ivy Creek watershed of the South Mountains. The land trust in 20 years, has now protected over 50,000 acres in an 8 county area of Western North Carolina. Foothills Conservancy will eventually add the Ivy Creek land to South Mountains State Park. In the interim, the conservancy will be responsible for monitoring and stewardship of the property. The two parcels at Ivy Creek have high conservation value due to both their proximity to existing public lands, and their location in the Henry Fork River watershed.