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Stand at the intersection of Hines Chapel and McLeansville roads. Look north. South. East. West.

In each direction, as far as the eye can see, stretch fields and forests, their greens and browns distinctively marking this rural corner of Guilford County.

And so it will remain.

That became official Tuesday when Guilford County’s open space program closed on its largest property acquisition to date, a 450-acre swath on the south bank of Reedy Fork Creek.

“This one ... is quite sensational,” said John D. Young , chairman of the open space committee, which recommends potential properties for the taxpayer-funded program.

At more than two-thirds of a square mile, the property represents a major acquisition for the open space effort, funded by a $10 million bond referendum passed in 2004.

“That’s one of the appealing things — the size of the tract,” said Jack Jezorek , who sits on the board in an advisory role. “Having protected a piece of land that large in Guilford County is quite unusual these days.”

Alex Ashton , who manages the program for the county, said he found the mix of farmland and forestland appealing for a number of reasons.

The $2.3 million purchase price came in at less than the appraised value, he said. Greensboro’s Community Foundation, a nonprofit that funds charitable and philanthropic projects, owned part of the property, so that money can be returned to the community in some form, he noted.

The parcel includes about two miles of frontage along Reedy Fork Creek, so the acquisition will pay benefits in terms of water quality, he said.

The property sits between Bryan Park and Northeast Park and could one day be part of a link between the two.

It also would serve as a secondary route for the planned Mountains-to-Sea trail.

The property has more subtle charms, including plenty of bobwhite quail and a stand of jack-in-the-pulpit plants, a small flower.

The property’s proximity to other key parcels is part of the appeal, Jezorek said. “We try hard not to do a shotgun approach,” he said. “The buzzword is connectivity.”

The exact use of the land — and the amount of access that will be allowed — has yet to be determined

The committee is reviewing its purchases so far.

In the short run, the new purchase likely will be open by permission or for guided tours, Jezorek said. Longer-term, it could become part of the trail.

Although the open space program is in its relative infancy, its future direction is unclear.

With this purchase and another planned acquisition set to close in the coming months, the initial $10 million fund will dwindle to $4 million . And that likely will be spent or committed by sometime next year.

“If the program is to continue, obviously we’ll need more funding,” Jezorek said.

It’s a buyer’s market right now, Ashton added.

“We have people just beating our doors down trying to sell us property right now,” he said. “As far as large acreage tracts, we’re kind of the only game in town.”

One possibility for new funding could be a second bond referendum next year, Ashton said.

Contact Jason Hardin at 373-7021 or jason.hardin@news-record.com