A beautiful tract of land outside of Cofield, in historic Hertford County, has been permanently protected by its owner, who donated an agricultural conservation easement agreement to North Carolina Coastal Land Trust. The 205-acre property features cultivated farm fields, two shallow waterfowl impoundments, a heron rookery, and a wide, scenic, buffer of old-growth cypress swamp forest, along Wiccacon Creek, a tributary of the Chowan River. The protection of this scenic property enhances water quality along Wiccacon Creek, protects viable and productive farmland, and ensures that the mature cypress forest along the Creek will never be logged. The land surrounds an historic home built by Dr. R. P. Thomas in 1886, which is on the National Historic Registry. The historic home, small doctor’s office (built in 1855) and outbuildings were carved out of the Agricultural Easement.

Under the terms of the agreement between the owner and the Coastal Land Trust, the land can never be developed into a subdivision nor used for commercial or industrial purposes. Mrs. Maxine Britt, the owner of Britt Farm, made a gift of the Agricultural Easement; that is, she “gave up” all the development rights in the farm for herself and for future owners, too. Mrs. Britt said, “I am delighted to know that the beautiful cypress swamp forest on my property along Wiccacon Creek will be permanently protected and I am pleased to have found a conservation partner to assist me in permanently preserving my farm.”

“Saving farmland has been a priority for the Coastal Land Trust here in the northeastern part of the state, where agriculture plays such a vital role in our economy and our daily lives,” said Lee Leidy, Northeast Director and Attorney for the Coastal Land Trust. “Even so, Mrs. Britt’s farm stood out as truly remarkable. It’s unusual for one tract of land to have such a rich variety of conservation and historic resources. So we are very grateful that Mrs. Britt chose to work with us on this project.”

In addition to Britt Farm, the Coastal Land Trust completed three other agricultural easement projects in December, including Poplar Grove Plantation near Wilmington, which is open to the public, Jackson Farm near Fayetteville, which has a Guest House available for those who wish to enjoy the country, and three farming tracts outside of Elizabeth City in Pasquotank County.

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The North Carolina Coastal Land Trust works with landowners throughout the state’s coastal plain to save the lands you love at the coast, for the benefit of all North Carolinians. Since 1992, the Trust has helped save more than 45,000 acres of land in 22 coastal counties of the state. The Coastal Land Trust has offices in Edenton, Wilmington and New Bern. If you would like more information on North Carolina Coastal Land Trust please contact Lee Leidy in the Coastal Land Trust’s Edenton office (252)449-8289 or visitwww.coastallandtrust.org.