North Carolina Coastal Land Trust

TO ACQUIRE LANDS OF REGIONAL AND NATIONAL CONSERVATION IMPORTANCE IN THE COASTAL PLAINS OF NORTH CAROLINA.

LAND ACQUISITION AND COMMUNITY CONSERVATION: THE NORTH CAROLINA COASTAL LAND TRUST (NCCLT) COMPLETED FIVE NEW CONSERVATION ACQUISITIONS, PROTECTING 1,157.99 ACRES DURING THE FISCAL YEAR. IN ADDITION, TWO PROPERTIES PREVIOUSLY PURCHASED BY NCCLT WERE TRANSFERRED TO STATE/FEDERAL AGENCIES FOR PUBLIC USE, AND ONE PREVIOUSLY ACQUIRED PROPERTY WAS PERMANENTLY CONSERVED THROUGH A STATE-HELD CONSERVATION EASEMENT. HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS YEAR'S COMPLETED TRANSACTIONS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES ARE AS FOLLOWS: IN NOVEMBER 2021 NCCLT COMPLETED THE PURCHASE OF 105 ACRES OF LAND ALONG BRICE'S CREEK IN CRAVEN COUNTY USING A PORTION OF THE FUNDS SET ASIDE BY THE 7 MILLION SETTLEMENT AWARDED TO NCCLT IN APRIL 2018 FOR ACQUISITIONS IN AND AROUND THE CROATAN NATIONAL FOREST. ADDITIONAL FUNDING WAS PROVIDED BY BASS PRO SHOPS AND THE RICHARD CHAPMAN CLEVE FUND OF THE NORTH CAROLINA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION. THIS PROPERTY, WHICH IS LOCATED IN A RAPIDLY DEVELOPING AREA OF NEW BERN, N. C., EXPANDS NCCLT'S EXISTING 67-ACRE PRESERVE ALONG MORE THAN 1.5 MILES OF BRICE'S CREEK AND SETS THE STAGE FOR THE FUTURE TRANSFER OF THE NOW 172-ACRE BRICE'S CREEK PRESERVE TO CRAVEN COUNTY TO BECOME A COUNTY NATURE PARK FOR THE BENEFIT OF RESIDENTS AND VISITORS. THIS WILL BE THE SECOND CRAVEN COUNTY PARK NCCLT HAS HELPED ESTABLISH. ON DECEMBER 10, 2021, NCCLT PURCHASED A 766.48-ACRE TRACT OF LAND HAVING SEVEN MILES OF FRONTAGE ALONG KEEL'S CREEK AND THREE MILES OF FRONTAGE ALONG THE CHOWAN RIVER, IN BERTIE AND HERTFORD COUNTIES, NORTH CAROLINA. THE PROPERTY, KNOWN AS THE CUMTUCK TRACT, IS LOCATED NORTH OF THE TOWN OF COLERAIN AND FEATURES THE HEART OF COW ISLAND SWAMP, A SITE IDENTIFIED AS "ECOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT" BY THE NORTH CAROLINA NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM DUE TO THE AGE AND EXPANSE OF ITS MATURE BALD CYPRESS AND TUPELO GUM FOREST. THE CHOWAN RIVER HAS BEEN CLASSIFIED AS A HIGHLY ECOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT AQUATIC SITE DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF SEVERAL RARE FISH, MOLLUSK, AND CRAYFISH SPECIES. THIS ACQUISITION PERMANENTLY CONSERVES THE FORESTED WETLANDS OF THE CUMTUCK TRACT, WHICH PROVIDE IMPORTANT NURSERY AREAS FOR ANADROMOUS FISH, INCLUDING ATLANTIC STURGEON, A FEDERALLY ENDANGERED SPECIES, AND PROVIDE HABITAT FOR RARE FRESHWATER MUSSEL SPECIES, RARE CRAYFISH, AND NUMEROUS BIRD SPECIES THAT NEST AND/OR OVERWINTER IN THE CHOWAN RIVER BOTTOMLANDS AND THE FORESTED WETLANDS ALONG THE CHOWAN RIVER FROM COLERAIN TO PARKERS FERRY, WHICH HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS AN IMPORTANT BIRD AREA BY THE NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY. NCCLT PARTNERED WITH THE OUTER BANKS CONSERVATIONISTS, INC. (OBC), A NON- PROFIT CORPORATION, TO PERMANENTLY CONSERVE 10.35 ACRES OF ITS ISLAND FARM HISTORIC SITE THROUGH A CONSERVATION EASEMENT DONATION COMPLETED ON JANUARY 28, 2022. THIS HIGHLY DEVELOPABLE, VALUABLE, AND POPULAR ISLAND FARM PROPERTY IS LOCATED ALONG OLD U.S. HIGHWAY 64 ON ROANOKE ISLAND IN DARE COUNTY AND IS THE SITE OF A MID-1800'S FARMSTEAD, THE ETHERIDGE FARM. THE FARMSTEAD HOSTS THE METICULOUSLY RENOVATED ETHERIDGE FARMHOUSE BUILT BETWEEN 1845 AND 1852 AND ASSOCIATED HISTORICALLY-ACCURATE PERIOD OUTBUILDINGS INCLUDING A RESTORED WINDMILL, BARN, AND OUTBUILDINGS. A REGISTERED HERITAGE LIVE OAK (ESTIMATED TO BE 500 YEARS OLD), THE SMALL ETHERIDGE FAMILY CEMETERY, AND ONE RESIDENCE ARE ALSO LOCATED ON THE FARM. ISLAND FARM IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, AND OBC CONDUCTS LIVE DEMONSTRATIONS, LIVING HISTORY TOURS, AND EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS ON ISLAND FARM TO TELL THE STORY OF OUTER BANKERS LIVING ON ROANOKE ISLAND IN THE MID-1800S. THE WIDELY-VISITED PROPERTY IS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO OTHER PUBLIC ATTRACTIONS INCLUDING THE FORT RALEIGH NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE, WATERSIDE THEATER (WHERE THE LOST COLONY PRODUCTION OCCURS), THE ELIZABETHAN GARDENS, AS WELL AS ANOTHER NCCLT CONSERVATION EASEMENT. IN MARCH 2022, NCCLT PARTNERED AGAIN WITH OBC TO PURCHASE A CONSERVATION EASEMENT (AT A BARGAIN SALE) ON FOUR PARCELS (TOTALING 11.27 ACRES) OWNED BY OBC THAT BUFFER THE HISTORIC CURRITUCK LIGHTHOUSE AND ITS COMPLEMENTING HISTORIC STRUCTURES ON NORTH CAROLINA'S OUTER BANKS. ONE PARCEL FRONTS THE CURRITUCK SOUND AND FEATURES AN EXPANSE OF COASTAL WETLANDS AND ESTUARINE MARSH. THE REMAINING PARCELS INCLUDE HIGHLY DEVELOPABLE (BUT UNDEVELOPED) RESIDENTIAL LOTS ALONG CAROTANK DRIVE IN THE HEART OF HISTORIC COROLLA VILLAGE AND FEATURE MARITIME FOREST BUFFERING THE HISTORIC CURRITUCK LIGHTHOUSE. RESTRICTING THIS PROPERTY WITH A CONSERVATION EASEMENT ENSURES THAT THESE PARCELS WILL CONTINUE TO BUFFER AND PROVIDE OPEN SPACE FOR THE HISTORIC CURRITUCK LIGHTHOUSE COMPOUND AND COMPLEMENTS PREVIOUS CONSERVATION WORK COMPLETED BY THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, WHICH OWNS AN UNDEVELOPED 30-ACRE PLOT OF LAND ADJOINING THE CURRITUCK LIGHTHOUSE AND ITS RELATED HISTORIC STRUCTURES, AND A NEARBY COMPLEX OF PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE LANDS AND HISTORIC SITES, INCLUDING, HISTORIC COROLLA PARK OR HERITAGE PARK PROPERTY OWNED BY CURRITUCK COUNTY, WHICH FEATURES THE HISTORIC WHALEHEAD CLUB, A 1920S ERA HUNT CLUB RECOGNIZED AS AN ARCHITECTURAL MASTERPIECE AND USED AS A MUSEUM; THE NORTH CAROLINA WILDLIFE RESOURCE COMMISSION'S OUTER BANKS CENTER FOR WILDLIFE EDUCATION; AND CURRITUCK COUNTY'S CURRITUCK MARITIME MUSEUM. NCCLT RECORDED A STATE-HELD N.C. LAND AND WATER FUND CONSERVATION EASEMENT ON ITS 247-ACRE ISLAND CREEK PRESERVE ON MARCH 3, 2022. THE ISLAND CREEK PRESERVE WAS PURCHASED BY NCCLT IN AUGUST 2019 WITH FUNDS FROM THE 7 MILLION DOLLAR SETTLEMENT AWARDED TO NCCLT IN APRIL 2018 FOR ACQUISITIONS IN AND AROUND THE CROATAN NATIONAL FOREST. THE ISLAND CREEK PRESERVE IS SITUATED ALONG S.R. 1004 (ISLAND CREEK ROAD) IN JONES COUNTY AND LIES IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO A PORTION OF THE 160,000-ACRE CROATAN NATIONAL FOREST. THE PRESERVE PROTECTS PART OF THE VIEWSHED FOR THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE'S POPULAR ISLAND CREEK FOREST WALK TRAIL WHICH FOLLOWS SCENIC ISLAND CREEK FOR OVER TWO MILES. THE ISLAND CREEK PRESERVE IS PART OF THE ISLAND CREEK NATURAL AREA IDENTIFIED BY THE N.C. NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM AS EXCEPTIONALLY SIGNIFICANT. THIS NATURAL AREA HOSTS "BASIC MARL FOREST", A VERY RARE NATURAL COMMUNITY IN THE STATE. ACCORDING TO THE N.C. NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM, THE MARL, WHICH IS A MIXTURE OF CLAY AND LIMESTONE, CONTAINS FOSSILIZED SEA SHELLS CEMENTED TOGETHER THAT WEATHER TO A VERY RICH BASIC SOIL SUPPORTING HIGH PLANT DIVERSITY. INDEED, MORE THAN 600 PLANT SPECIES HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED FROM THE NATURAL AREA INCLUDING PLANTS FOUND IN THE MOUNTAINS AND PIEDMONT PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS. ON APRIL 8, 2022, NCCLT TRANSFERRED 349.91 ACRES OF LAND LOCATED ALONG COUNTY LINE ROAD IN CRAVEN COUNTY TO THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE TO BE MANAGED AS PART OF THE CROATAN NATIONAL FOREST. THE PROPERTY ABUTS THE CROATAN NATIONAL FOREST ON THREE SIDES AND HOSTS EPHEMERAL LIME SINK PONDS AND MANAGED PINE STANDS CLOSE TO EXISTING RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER (FEDERALLY ENDANGERED) BREEDING SITES LOCATED IN THE CROATAN NATIONAL FOREST. THE CROATAN/BATE LAND COMPANY TRACT WAS ACQUIRED BY NCCLT IN FEBRUARY 2020 USING FUNDS FROM THE 7 MILLION DOLLAR SETTLEMENT AWARDED TO NCCLT IN 2018 FOR ACQUISITIONS IN AND AROUND THE CROATAN NATIONAL FOREST. ON JULY 19, 2022, NCCLT TRANSFERRED IN FEE TITLE THE 330-ACRE PEACOCK TRACT ON MASONBORO ISLAND TO THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA TO BE MANAGED AS PART OF THE N.C. COASTAL RESERVE AND THE NATIONAL ESTUARINE RESEARCH RESERVE. NCCLT ACQUIRED THIS PROPERTY, TOGETHER WITH OTHER PROPERTY ON THE 8+MILE LONG MASONBORO ISLAND IN NEW HANOVER COUNTY, AS SUCCESSOR BY MERGER WITH THE SOCIETY FOR MASONBORO ISLAND (SMI) IN SEPTEMBER 2003. THE PEACOCK TRACT CONTAINS PRIMARILY COASTAL MARSH ADJOINING THE ATLANTIC INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY AND THE BARRIER BEACH ALONG THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. ON AUGUST 5, 2022, NCCLT PURCHASED A 264.89 ACRE TRACT OF LAND ALONG 1.1 MILES OF THE CAPE FEAR RIVER IN BLADEN COUNTY (THE CAPE FEAR/TCI TIMBER TRACT) FROM WEYERHAEUSER COMPANY. THE PROPERTY HOSTS MATURE CYPRESS-GUM SWAMP AND FORESTED UPLANDS (APPROX. 15-20 ACRES IN 15 YEAR OLD LOBLOLLY PINE PLANTATION WITH THE REMAINDER IN MATURE HARDWOOD FOREST ON STEEP RAVINES). THE PROPERTY LIES WITHIN THE STEEP RUN SWAMP SIGNIFICANT NATURAL HERITAGE AREA AND IS RANKED OF VERY HIGH ECOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE BY THE N.C. NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM. A WOOD STORK COLONY AS WELL AS A SWALLOW- TAILED KITE NEST (THE ONLY ONE DOCUMENTED IN NC TO DATE)HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED AT THIS SITE. NCCLT THEN TRANSFERRED THIS PROPERTY TO THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA TO BE MANAGED BY THE N.C. WILDLIFE RESOURCES COMMISSION AS PART OF THE WHITEHALL PLANTATION GAME LAND COMPLEX IN BLADEN COUNTY. RESTORATION CONTINUED ON REAVES CHAPEL, A HISTORIC AFRICAN AMERICAN CHURCH WITHIN THE NATIONAL PARKS SERVICE'S GULLAH GEECHEE CULTURAL HERITAGE CORRIDOR, PREVIOUSLY PURCHASED BY NCCLT. THIS WORK, DONE IN COORDINATION WITH THE WEST BANK/CEDAR HILL FOUNDATION, IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN 2023.

LAND STEWARDSHIP AND MANAGEMENT: IN THE SPRING AND FALL OF 2022, NCCLT CONTRACTED WITH WOODLAND VEGETATION MANAGEMENT, INC. TO CONDUCT HERBICIDE APPLICATIONS ON NON-NATIVE WISTERIA GROWING ON ITS ISLAND CREEK PRESERVE IN JONES COUNTY AND ON ITS BERN PRESERVE IN CRAVEN COUNTY. NCCLT STAFF ALSO SPENT MANY HOURS HAND-PULLING OTHER NON-NATIVE PLANT SPECIES AT THE ISLAND CREEK PRESERVE, INCLUDING ORIENTAL HAWKSBEARD AND JAPANESE STILTGRASS. THE ISLAND CREEK PRESERVE LIES ADJACENT TO A PORTION OF THE CROATAN NATIONAL FOREST, AND IS ONE OF THE MOST BOTANICALLY RICH AREAS ON THE NORTH CAROLINA COAST. ERADICATION OF THESE NON-NATIVE PLANT SPECIES IS CRITICAL FOR MAINTAINING THE ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY OF BOTH THE ISLAND CREEK AND BERN PRESERVE SITES. NCCLT CONTRACTED WITH TRENTON TREE SERVICE TO PLANT MORE THAN 32,000 LONGLEAF PINE SEEDLINGS ON APPROXIMATELY 80 ACRES OF PREVIOUSLY CLEARED STANDS OF MIXED PINE-HARDWOODS ON ITS 923-ACRE BERN PRESERVE IN CRAVEN COUNTY. ALL CONTAINERIZED LONGLEAF PINE SEEDLINGS WERE PLANTED BY NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021. NCCLT BEGAN WORK TO RESTORE 30 ACRES OF LONGLEAF PINE FOREST AT PINEY RIDGE PRESERVE IN NEW HANOVER COUNTY. THE TRAIL SYSTEM AT SPRINGER'S POINT PRESERVE WAS DOUBLED DURING 2022, ADDING FOUR ADDITIONAL TRAIL SEGMENTS. SPRINGER'S POINT PRESERVE IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC YEAR-ROUND. ALL OF NCCLT PROPERTIES HELD IN FEE TITLE AND UNDER CONSERVATION EASEMENTS WERE MONITORED AND POSTED BY STAFF BIOLOGISTS AND INTERNS, AND BOUNDARIES OF ALL NEWLY-ACQUIRED PROPERTIES WERE PAINTED.

CONSERVATION EDUCATION: CONSERVATION EDUCATION: NCCLT HOSTED A SERIES OF EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH AND SPECIAL EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE'S COAST INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING: PARTNERED TO HOST A HYBRID VERSION OF FIRE IN THE PINES FESTIVAL IN NEW HANOVER COUNTY; ORGANIZED AND HELD VOLUNTEER TRAIL DAYS AT NCCLT'S EVERETT CREEK PRESERVE, GALES CREEK PRESERVE, ABBEY NATURE PRESERVE, AND BRUNSWICK NATURE PARK; HOSTED A "FIRE IN THE PINES EDUCATION DAY" (ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FIELD DAY) AS WELL AS A FIRE IN THE PINES COMMUNITY EDUCATION DAY; HOSTED A "SHOW ME DAY- AND A "TAKE A HIKE WITH A VETERAN DAY" AT NCCLT'S EVERETT CREEK PRESERVE; HOSTED "POLLINATOR PALOOZA", AN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION EVENT THAT PROVIDES MATERIALS AND GUIDANCE ON CREATING SMALL POLLINATOR GARDENS, WHICH REACHED 86 INDIVIDUALS AND HOUSEHOLDS; AMERICORPS SERVICE MEMBER PARTICIPATED IN THE PINE KNOLL SHORES CLIMATE CHANGE CARNIVAL SCIENCE FAIR, VISITED ELEMENTARY CLASSROOMS IN 3 NORTH CAROLINA COASTAL COUNTIES, AND CONDUCTED SUMMER PROGRAMS; NCCLT'S ANNUAL FLYTRAP FROLIC ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION EVENT WAS HELD IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE NORTH CAROLINA SCIENCE FESTIVAL AND REACHED 130 INDIVIDUALS; AND NCCLT REGULARLY COMMUNICATES EDUCATIONAL AND VOLUNTEER EVENTS, AND FEATURES PROFILES OF ITS CONSERVATION WORK, INCLUDING THE IMPORTANCE OF PRESERVATION ACTIVITIES IN ITS ELECTRONIC AND NEWSLETTER COMMUNICATIONS.