NC Coastal Land Trust

Land acquisition and community conservation: the North Carolina Coastal Land Trust (ncclt) completed eight (8) new conservation acquisitions during the fiscal year, protecting 2,557.94 acres during the fiscal year. In addition, ncclt transferred three (3) properties to the state of North Carolina to be added to state game lands and managed by the North Carolina wildlife resources commission for public use. Highlights of this year's completed transactions and other activities are as follows: - in december 2022 ncclt completed the bargain-sale purchase of an ecologically significant and biologically unique 32.16-acre wet marl forest tract in pender county. This property lies within the larger rocky point marl forest state significant nature heritage area and is considered an "exceptionally significant site" according to the North Carolina natural heritage program (nhp). The purchase was funded by a u.s. Fish and wildlife service North american wetlands conservation act (nawca) grant; - in december 2022 ncclt completed the acquisition of the 78.37-acre sea gate woods tract ii in carteret county, which adjoins and expands ncclt's sea gate woods preserve to 201.37 acres. The property, donated to ncclt by radio island investments, llc, is considered to be a regionally significant natural heritage site by the North Carolina nhp and hosts a currently rare wetland community type known as non-riverine wet hardwood forest; - in december 2022 ncclt closed on the acquisition of a 55.75-acre family farm near aulander, in bertie county, which was donated by two elderly brothers, wayland l. jenkins, jr. and joe henry jenkins, to fulfill their mother's wish for the property to always be conserved. The farm (comprised of Land in cultivation and woodland) was once part of the larger "rice farm" which had been owned by the great-grandfather of messrs. jenkins. The property is located within the beaverdam pocosin and lies in close proximity to North Carolina's bertie county game lands; - in december 2022, ncclt closed on the purchase of the chowan/perry et al. Tracts, collectively, five (5) contiguous tracts of Land containing 421.38 acres and more than 1.7 miles along the chowan river, in bertie county. Ncclt negotiated the purchase of the property with six (6) sets of owners, and the purchase was funded by a North Carolina Land and water fund grant, a u. s. fish and wildlife service nawca grant, and an enviva forest conservation fund grant. The chowan/perry et al. Tracts lie within the colerain/cow island swamp and slopes significant natural heritage area, a natural area classified by the North Carolina nhp as having high ecological significance, and adjoin a 451-acre parcel owned by the state of North Carolina as part of the 32,570-acre chowan swamp game lands; - in may 2023, ncclt closed on the purchase of the 1,436.9-acre newport river i tract, in carteret county, from weyerhaeuser company - the first of three (3) contiguous tracts ncclt plans to purchase along the newport river. This property, which is located across the newport river from ncclt's 530-acre newport river mashes preserve and is adjacent to a portion of the 160,000-acre croatan national forest, is designated by the North Carolina nhp as a state significant natural heritage site of very high ecological significance due to the discovery of a rare forest type (Coastal fringe evergreen forest) on the property. The purchase was acquired with funding from the North Carolina Coastal federation, ncclt's croatan protection fund and croatan revolving loan fund, private donor funds, and a bridge loan, which will be repaid within one year with grant funds awarded by the North Carolina Land and water fund and will result in permanent conservation restrictions being placed on the property; - in july 2023 ncclt closed on the purchase of the 16.86-acre ecologically unique chowan bluffs comfort property near colerain, in bertie county with funding from a u.s.f.w.s. Nawca grant, private donors, and ncclt's internal revolving loan fund. The property, now designated by the North Carolina nhp as the chowan river point comfort bluffs natural heritage area of exceptional significance (the highest nhp ranking) features 85 to 90-foot bluffs overlooking the chowan river, includes a unique Coastal forest ecosystem, and geologically forms a part of the wiccomico terrace - the pleistocene-era shoreline. Ncclt plans to manage this property as a nature preserve; - in august 2023 ncclt closed on the purchase of the purchase of a 113.95 -acre property lying along the trent river in jones county, which buffers the u.s. m.c. Oak grove outlying landing field, a critical strategic training asset. Since protecting this property from incompatible development was a priority for marine corps air station cherry point, the property was purchased by ncclt with funding from a u. s. dept. Of defense readiness and environmental protection integration program (repi) grant, a u.s.f.w.s. Nawca grant, and funds from the harold bate foundation and ncclt's internal revolving loan fund. The property is now permanently restricted to prohibit residential and commercial development. Continued use of the Land for farming, forestry, and conservation projects is permitted and ncclt plans to retain this property as a nature preserve. This acquisition represents the 17th project completed by ncclt in partnership with mcas cherry point with the dual goal of conserving open space and/or natural habitats and minimizing encroachment adjacent to military installations; - to close the fiscal year, in september 2023 ncclt purchased three (3) tracts collectively containing 402.57 acres in pamlico county, from bate Land company, l. p. this property is ecologically and culturally significant with more than four (4) miles of frontage along the bay river, smith creek, and newton creek - all designated as high quality waters and/or primary nursery habitat - and the site of the harvey muse house (circa 1890) located at an area formerly known as cash corner, the center of the unincorporated town of hollyville; - immediately after closing on the purchase of the 402.57-acre bay river/bate tracts, ncclt transferred this property to the state of North Carolina to be managed by North Carolina wildlife resources commission as part of the state's goose creek game Land; and - ncclt continued its restoration on reaves chapel, a historic african american church within the national parks service's gullah geechee cultural heritage corridor, previously purchased by ncclt to permanently protect this deteriorating landmark. This work, done in coordination with the west bank/cedar hill foundation, is expected to be completed in 2024.

Conservation education: ncclt hosted a series of educational outreach and special events throughout the state's coast, or entered into agreements to expand environmental education opportunities including the following: - in august 2023, ncclt entered into an agreement with camp albemarle that will expand children's access to nature on ncclt's 367+ acre gales creek preserve near the town of newport, in carteret county, which features open, park-like stands of longleaf pine and mature mixed pine hardwood forest along more than a mile of frontage on gales creek, a tidal creek that flows to bogue sound. Camp albemarle will be allowed to use gales creek preserve for its camper and nature study programs. This mutually beneficial partnership will provide greater recreation and environmental education opportunities for children; - partnered to host the fire in the pines festival in new hanover county; - organized and held volunteer trail days at ncclt's everett creek preserve, gales creek preserve, , brunswick county's brunswick nature park and uncw's ev-henwood; - hosted a "fire in the pines education day" (elementary school field day) and 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; - americorps service member visited elementary classrooms in North Carolina Coastal counties and conducted spring break, winter break, and summer programs; - ncclt's annual flytrap frolic environmental education event was held in conjunction with the North Carolina science festival; and - ncclt regularly communicates educational and volunteer events and features profiles of its conservation work, in its electronic and newsletter communications.

Land stewardship and management: - ncclt contracted with invasives, inc., a group that specializes in invasives eradication, to carry out an herbicide treatment with backpack sprayers on the 8-10-acres of wisteria sp. At the island creek preserve in jones county. The invasives inc. Crew worked between july 5-18, 2023. They did a second herbicide treatment on the wisteria on september 19-21, 2023. - ncclt contracted with woodland vegetation management to site prep 20- acres of cut-over pocosin at the bern preserve for the planting of atlantic white cedar. Trenton tree service picked up 9,600 atlantic white cedar seedlings from the n.c. forest service's claridge nursery and planted them by hand on the 20-acres between january 12-13, 2023. - ncclt contracted with wright-mckinley forestry to conduct a prescribed burn on approximately 40-acres of natural and planted longleaf pine stands at the everett creek preserve on october 25, 2023. - all ncclt fee title properties and under conservation easements were monitored and posted by staff biologists and interns, and boundaries of all newly-acquired properties were painted.