---
title: Slowplay | Conservation Easement | Unique Places to Save
description: Discover how the Slowplay Mitigation Bank enhances water quality and restores natural habitats in Alexander County, NC through stream restoration and conservation efforts
image: https://uniqueplacestosave.org/hubfs/photo%20of%20slowplay%20land%20conservation%20easement%20in%20north%20carolina.jpg
---

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![A green pond below a hillside planted with rows of young trees.](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/hubfs/photo%20of%20slowplay%20land%20conservation%20easement%20in%20north%20carolina.jpg)

# Slowplay | Conservation Easement

Michael Scisco - April 2025

![](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/hubfs/raw_assets/public/unique-places-theme/images/sep-1-0.png)

### Total Acres

19.7

### Project Year

2025

 

##### Located in Alexander County NC[![](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/hs-fs/hubfs/con%20res%20hab%20badge.png?width=240&height=241&name=con%20res%20hab%20badge.png)](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/our-values#badge)

The Slowplay Mitigation Bank is a private conservation and stream restoration project managed by [Water & Land Solutions](https://www.waterlandsolutions.com/) and located in the rolling foothills of Alexander County, North Carolina.

Designed to improve the health of degraded waterways in the Catawba River Basin, this project restores eroded and altered streams to their natural flow patterns, reestablishes native plant communities, and enhances habitat for fish and wildlife. Through carefully planned ecological restoration, the site helps reduce sediment and pollution, improving water quality for people and ecosystems downstream.  

The project is permanently protected by a conservation easement held by Unique Places to Save, ensuring the land remains healthy and undeveloped into the future. It reflects our mission to protect landscapes that matter—for biodiversity, clean water, and resilient communities.

 

##### Mitigation Partner

[![Naturion logo](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/hs-fs/hubfs/WLS%20Naturion%20Logo%20Horizontal.jpg?width=230&height=72&name=WLS%20Naturion%20Logo%20Horizontal.jpg)](https://naturion.com)

 

Our Role

### Conservation Easement Grantee

Mitigation Type

### Stream Restoration & Conservation

- ![photo of slowplay land conservation easement in north carolina](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/hs-fs/hubfs/photo%20of%20slowplay%20land%20conservation%20easement%20in%20north%20carolina.jpg?width=1600&height=1200&name=photo%20of%20slowplay%20land%20conservation%20easement%20in%20north%20carolina.jpg)
- ![photo of slowplay conservation north carolina](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/hs-fs/hubfs/photo%20of%20slowplay%20conservation%20north%20carolina.jpg?width=1600&height=1200&name=photo%20of%20slowplay%20conservation%20north%20carolina.jpg)
- ![photo of slowplay conservation project NC](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/hs-fs/hubfs/photo%20of%20slowplay%20conservation%20project%20NC.jpg?width=1600&height=1200&name=photo%20of%20slowplay%20conservation%20project%20NC.jpg)
- ![photo of slowplay mitigation conservation easement in north carolina](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/hs-fs/hubfs/photo%20of%20slowplay%20mitigation%20conservation%20easement%20in%20north%20carolina.jpg?width=1200&height=1600&name=photo%20of%20slowplay%20mitigation%20conservation%20easement%20in%20north%20carolina.jpg)

<iframe class="hs-responsive-embed-iframe" style="position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border: none;" xml="lang" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m17!1m12!1m3!1d225977.53881139503!2d-81.33405629904424!3d35.86917638020934!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m2!1m1!2zMzXCsDUwJzU2LjkiTiA4McKwMDknMTUuMCJX!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1743526164265!5m2!1sen!2sus" width="600" height="450" allowfullscreen loading="lazy" data-service="google-maps"></iframe>

About the Author![Michael Scisco](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/hs-fs/hubfs/michael%20scisco.jpg?width=208&height=208&name=michael%20scisco.jpg)

Michael brings nearly 20 years of experience to his role as Trusted Conservation Advisor at Unique Places to Save. He has worked to conserve over 200,000 acres across the U.S. while securing over $200M in funding and transacting $500M in land and other real estate.

[Learn More](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/news/michael-scisco-conservation-expert)

#### We are a trusted non-profit partner for mitigation banks seeking high-quality conservation projects

 

[Learn More](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/conservation-mitigation)

![Blackberries ripening on a bramble at the edge of a young pine forest.](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/hubfs/photo%20of%20poes%20landing%20conservation%20easement.jpg)

[Mitigation Banking](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/news/tag/mitigation-banking), [North Carolina](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/news/tag/north-carolina), [Projects](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/news/tag/projects)

Michael Scisco, October 2026

### [Poe's Landing | Conservation Mitigation Easement](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/news/poes-landing-conservation-mitigation-easement)

Total Acres 321 Project Year 2026 Located in York County, South Carolina Covering approximately 320.69 acres within the Upper Broad River Basin, the easement safeguards critical aquatic corridors including Bullock Creek, Bells Creek, 11 unn...

![A slow stream winds through an open wetland meadow lined with cattails and shrubs, with a band of trees on the horizon under a golden evening sky.](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/hubfs/image%20of%20wetlands%20conservation.jpg)

[Mitigation Banking](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/news/tag/mitigation-banking), [North Carolina](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/news/tag/north-carolina), [Projects](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/news/tag/projects)

Michael Scisco, September 2026

### [What Happens After a Mitigation Bank is Complete?](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/news/mitigation-bank-long-term-management)

Regulatory closeout is a major milestone for a mitigation bank. It confirms that the required restoration or enhancement work has been completed, performance standards have been met, and the formal monitoring and maintenance period can end....

![Pink survey flagging tied to shrubs along a marsh-lined creek on the Point Farm conservation easement, with a weathered stump standing in the still water.](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/hubfs/point%20farm%20conservation%20mitigation%20easement.jpg)

[Mitigation Banking](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/news/tag/mitigation-banking), [North Carolina](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/news/tag/north-carolina), [Projects](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/news/tag/projects)

Mandi Taylor, September 2026

### [The Impossibility of Capturing Nature in a PDF](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/news/baseline-documentation-report)

Every profession has the gap between what the job looks like on paper and what actually happens on the ground. In land conservation, that divide can be neatly summarized by one specific, legal document: the Baseline Documentation Report (BD...

![Mandi Taylor smiling beside a tree in bare winter woods, wearing a cap and a daypack, with pine needles covering the slope behind her.](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/hubfs/mandi%20in%20the%20field.jpg)

[Mitigation Banking](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/news/tag/mitigation-banking), [North Carolina](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/news/tag/north-carolina), [Projects](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/news/tag/projects)

Mandi Taylor, September 2026

### [Behind the Scenes of Land Stewardship](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/news/what-does-a-land-steward-do)

When people think of land conservation wins, they usually picture all the work and coordination required to place land with rich ecological, historical, or cultural value into a conservation easement. And they are right to celebrate those e...

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