NORTH CAROLINA COASTAL LAND TRUST
3 PINE VALLEY DR, WILMINGTON, NC 28412 www.coastallandtrust.org

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

LAND ACQUISITION: THE NORTH CAROLINA COASTAL LAND TRUST COMPLETED FOUR CONSERVATION ACQUISITIONS, PROTECTING 1,216.86 ACRES, DURING THE FISCAL YEAR, TO FURTHER EXECUTE ON ITS CONSERVATION PLANNING FOR ACQUISITION/PROTECTION OF ITS TOP 40 PRIORITY PROJECTS. HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS YEARS COMPLETED ACQUISITIONS ARE AS FOLLOWS: - TAPPING FUNDS SET ASIDE IN A 7 MILLION SETTLEMENT AWARDED TO NORTH CAROLINA COASTAL LAND TRUST IN APRIL 2018 FOR ACQUISITIONS IN AND AROUND THE CROATAN NATIONAL FOREST, WE COMPLETED THE ACQUISITION OF TWO SEPARATE PARCELS (THE FOURTH AND FIFTH ACQUISITIONS WITH THESE SETTLEMENT FUNDS). FIRST, THE 568.08-ACRE BERN TRACT (CRAVEN COUNTY) SERVES AS AN IMPORTANT BUFFER TO THE CROATAN NATIONAL FOREST AND HOSTS EXISTING LONGLEAF PINE FOREST AS WELL AS FOREST STANDS SUITABLE FOR RESTORATION TO LONGLEAF PINE FOREST. SECOND, THE 349.91 ACRE CROATAN/BATE TRACT (CRAVEN COUNTY) IS SURROUNDED ON THREE SIDES BY THE CROATAN NATIONAL FOREST AND HOSTS LOBLOLLY PINE FOREST THAT PROVIDES FORAGING HABITAT FOR THE FEDERALLY ENDANGERED RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER KNOWN TO BREED ON ADJACENT NATIONAL FOREST LAND AS WELL AS NUMEROUS LIMESINK PONDS LINED WITH POND CYPRESS, WHICH PROVIDE HABITAT FOR AMPHIBIANS, REPTILES, AND NEOTROPICAL MIGRATORY SONGBIRDS. WE PLAN TO TRANSFER THE BATE TRACT TO THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE TO BE MANAGED AS PART OF THE CROATAN NATIONAL FOREST IN CALENDAR YEAR 2021. BOTH OF THESE TRACTS WERE UNDER THREAT OF DEVELOPMENT GIVEN THEIR LOCATION JUST OUTSIDE A RAPIDLY DEVELOPING AREA OF THE CITY OF NEW BERN. - ON MAY 15, 2020, NORTH CAROLINA COASTAL LAND TRUST PURCHASED TWO PAMLICO SOUND FRONT INHOLDING LOTS (1.6 ACRES) SURROUNDED ON THREE SIDES BY THE COASTAL LAND TRUSTS 122+ ACRE SPRINGERS POINT NATURE PRESERVE ON OCRACOKE ISLAND (HYDE COUNTY). THIS ACQUISITION CONSERVES TIDAL RED CEDAR FOREST, A RARE FOREST COMMUNITY, EXPANDS THE SPRINGERS POINT NATURE PRESERVE, WHICH BORDERS A PORTION OF THE CAPE HATTERAS NATIONAL SEASHORE MANAGED BY THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, AND BUFFERS AND PERMANENTLY CONSERVES HIGHLY- DEVELOPABLE PAMLICO SOUND SHORELINE. - ON JULY 7, 2020, NORTH CAROLINA COASTAL LAND TRUST PURCHASED A 297.27 ACRE TRACT OF LAND ALONG THE CHOWAN RIVER, IN BERTIE COUNTY, TO CONNECT THE NEW 982+ACRE SALMON CREEK STATE NATURAL AREA (PREVIOUSLY ACQUIRED BY COASTAL LAND TRUST IN 2017 AND TRANSFERRED TO THE STATE OF N. C. TO BE MANAGED BY N.C. DEPT. OF PARKS & RECREATION IN 2018), TO BERTIE COUNTYS ONLY WATERFRONT PARK. THE COASTAL LAND TRUST THEN TRANSFERRED THE 297.27 ACRE PROPERTY TO THE STATE OF N. C. TO BE MANAGED BY THE N. C. DEPT. OF PARKS & RECREATION AS PART OF THE SALMON CREEK STATE NATURAL AREA. THIS LATEST ACQUISITION CREATES A 1,400 ACRE CORRIDOR OF PARK LANDS ALONG MORE THAN 4.5 MILES OF THE CHOWAN RIVER AND SALMON CREEK.

LAND STEWARDSHIP: - FOLLOWING THE WIDE-SPREAD DEVASTATION ON OCRACOKE ISLAND EXPERIENCED AS A RESULT OF HURRICANE DORIAN IN SEPTEMBER 2019, NORTH CAROLINA COASTAL LAND TRUST STAFF ASSESSED THE DAMAGES TO AND TEMPORARILY CLOSED ITS SPRINGERS POINT PRESERVE ON OCRACOKE ISLAND. DURING THE CLOSURE, STAFF AND LOCALS CLEARED TREES, VEGETATION, AND OVERWASH DEBRIS FROM THE PRESERVE, AND REPAIRED TRAILS, PRESERVE AMENITIES, AND TRAIL SIGNAGE. NORTH CAROLINA COASTAL LAND TRUST RE-OPENED SPRINGERS POINT PRESERVE TO THE PUBLIC IN THE WINTER OF 2020. - IN THE SUMMER OF 2020, NORTH CAROLINA COASTAL LAND TRUST CONTRACTED WITH WOODLAND VEGETATION MANAGEMENT, INC. TO CONDUCT TWO HERBICIDE APPLICATIONS ON NON-NATIVE WISTERIA GROWING ON ITS ISLAND CREEK PRESERVE IN JONES COUNTY. COASTAL LAND TRUST 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 IT 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 THE SITE. - NORTH CAROLINA COASTAL LAND TRUST HIRED MOTE FORESTRY INC. TO PLANT MORE THAN 33,000 ATLANTIC WHITE CEDAR SEEDLINGS (PURCHASED FROM THE N.C. FOREST SERVICES CLARIDGE NURSERY IN GOLDSBORO, N. C.) ON APPROXIMATELY 50 ACRES OF ITS WACCAMAW II PRESERVE IN COLUMBUS COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. THIS RESTORATION WORK IS CRITICAL BECAUSE ATLANTIC WHITE CEDAR FORESTS, WHICH ONCE OCCURRED IN SWAMPS, BOGS, AND ALONG WATERWAYS ON THE U.S. ATLANTIC COAST FROM SOUTHERN MAINE TO GEORGIA AND ALONG THE GULF COAST FROM NORTHERN FLORIDA TO MISSISSIPPI, HAVE BEEN REDUCED TO ONLY 5% OF ITS HISTORIC EXTENT. - THE COASTAL LAND TRUST APPLIED FOR AND RECEIVED GRANTS TO DEFRAY THE MAJORITY OF THE EXPENSES INCURRED FOR HURRICANE REPAIRS AND RECOVERY AND HABITAT RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES. - STAFF BIOLOGISTS AND INTERNS MONITORED ALL OF NORTH CAROLINA COASTAL LAND TRUSTS PROPERTIES HELD IN FEE TITLE AND UNDER CONSERVATION EASEMENT DURING CALENDAR YEAR 2020, AND POSTED AND PAINTED BOUNDARIES OF NEWLY-ACQUIRED PROPERTIES.

CONSERVATION EDUCATION: THE NORTH CAROLINA COASTAL LAND TRUST HOSTED A SERIES OF SPECIAL EVENTS UP AND DOWN THE STATES COAST PRIOR TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC-RELATED CLOSURES, SUCH AS THE FOLLOWING: - ORGANIZED AND HELD VOLUNTEER TRAIL DAYSAT NORTH CAROLINA COASTAL LAND TRUSTS EVERETT CREEK PRESERVE, GALES CREEK PRESERVE, AND BRUNSWICK NATURE PARK - ORGANIZED AND HOSTED THE BRUNSWICK PARK TRAIL JAM AND THE BRUNSWICK PARK TRAIL DAY IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH, 2020, RESPECTIVELY - 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 AT EVERETT CREEKPRESERVEAND A TAKE A HIKE WITH A VETERAN DAY - PARTICIPATED IN THE CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT - HOSTED THE RED BEANS & BLUEGRASS FRIEND AND FUNDRAISER IN WILMINGTON - CREATED AND CONDUCTED ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN-CLASS PROGRAMS AT BOGUE SOUND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND AN ACCOMPANYING FIELD TRIP TO THE COASTAL LAND TRUSTS GALES CREEK PRESERVE, SERVING APPROXIMATELY 60 STUDENTS. - AMERICORPS SERVICE MEMBER PARTICIPATED IN THE SAMPSON COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE FAIR, THE COASTAL LAND TRUSTS FIRST TIME TAKING ITS ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS INTO SAMPSON COUNTY, WHICH SERVED APPROXIMATELY 40 STUDENTS FOLLOWING THE ONSET OF THE PANDEMIC, THE COASTAL LAND TRUST PIVOTED REMARKABLY TO HOST A VARIED AND INTERESTING SERIES OF VIRTUAL SPECIAL EVENTS AND CONSERVATION EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES VIA ZOOM TECHNOLOGY, SOME OF WHICH ARE HIGHLIGHTED BELOW: - THE COASTAL LAND TRUSTS ANNUAL FLYTRAP FROLIC (LIVESTREAM EDITION)FOR AN ONLINE ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION EVENT HELD IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE NC SCIENCE FESTIVAL - TWENTY-FOUR (24) WEEKLY LITTLE LUNCH LECTURES OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND ACCESSIBLE VIA ZOOM FEATURING BIOLOGISTS SPEAKING ON DIVERSE RESEARCH TOPICS AND TOPICS PERTINENT TO NORTH CAROLINA COASTAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION, SUCH AS, NORTH CAROLINAS COAST A BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOT, FIRE AND FLYTRAPS, SEA TURTLES AND MASONBORO ISLAND, TALKIN TURKEY, NC LAND OF WATER, LITTLE RIVER AND WATERWAY TALES (FEATURING A NORTH CAROLINA AUTHOR AND PHOTOGRAPHER), THE COASTAL LAND TRUSTS CROATAN INITIATIVE, LONGLEAF PINE RESTORATION IN NC, NESTING SHORE BIRDS, NATIVE PLANTS, DIAMONDBACK TERRAPIN AND NC SALT MARSHES; UNC-WILMINGTON PLASTIC OCEAN PROJECT, SHORE SPARROWS, AND NCS CORE SOUND AND INNER ISLANDS, AMONG OTHERS - THE FIRST COASTAL LAND TRUST SOLSTICE STROLL, AVIRTUAL FUNDRAISER HIGHLIGHTING AND TOURING RECENTLY PURCHASED PROPERTIES -NORTH CAROLINA COASTAL LAND TRUSTS VIRTUAL ANNUAL CELEBRATION AND FUNDRAISER ADDITIONALLY, NORTH CAROLINA COASTAL LAND TRUST PREPARED AND DISTRIBUTED REGULAR PRESS RELEASES ABOUT ITS PROJECTS AND ACQUISITIONS TO THE COMMUNITY; REGULARLY MAINTAINED AND UPDATED ITS WEBSITE ABOUT EVENTS AND OTHER NEWS; AND ENGAGED CONSTITUENTS VIA SOCIAL MEDIA, WEEKLY ENEWSLETTERS, AND QUARTERLY PRINT NEWSLETTERS. THE COASTAL LAND TRUST ALSO SHARED A GUEST BLOG, A SERIES OF 21 ESSAYS FROM NATURE, WRITTEN BY NORTH CAROLINA NATURALIST AND PHOTOGRAPHER TOM EARNHARDT, ON ITS WEBSITE.

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