Enter your e-mail address

The magnificent streams and rivers of Coastal North Carolina have, over thousands of years, transformed the landscape into what we see today. Protecting these waterways is instrumental for the future quality of life for North Carolina residents. These streams and rivers not only provide us with clean water, they also serve as habitat for wildlife and offer prime opportunities for recreation.

Please click here for a map of the Town Creek Initiative.

Anyone who has ever paddled or explored the Town Creek waterway in Brunswick County recognizes that the creek is unmatched in its beauty and opportunities for recreation. The Coastal Land Trust quickly realized that this area was coming under increased development pressure from Wilmington and Brunswick County's population explosion. In 1999 the land trust started pursuing conservation along the creek. Since that time, we have helped protect over 4,100 acres of land along the creek. We were not alone in this ambitious endeavor. Multiple private landowners, International Paper, UNC-Wilmington, the NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund, the Forest Legacy Program, and Brunswick County all lent a hand in making this initiative one of the most successful riparian protection projects in the State.

The Coastal Land Trust is not willing to stop here. We continue to pursue opportunities for conservation along Town Creek. We have also extended our focus area to include the entire Lower Cape Fear River Corridor and have protected over 13,000 acres in the region to date.

Please click here for a map of the NE Cape Fear River Initiative.

The Northeast Cape Fear River lazily flows its way through the majestic inter-coastal plain of southeastern North Carolina. Red-shouldered hawk, shortnose sturgeon, black bear, fox squirrel, and the southern hognose snake all reside within the Northeast Cape Fear River system. Nearby protected areas such as Holly Shelter and Angola Bay Game Lands provide extensive swaths of land that support multiple wildlife and plant habitats.

Strategic protection of lands along the riparian corridor and between existing protected areas can link habitat areas and provide water quality enhancement and protection.

For decades, hunters, fishermen, canoeists, and kayakers have enjoyed all the natural wealth the river and surrounding lands have to offer.

The Coastal Land Trust has protected nearly 4,800 acres within the Northeast Cape Fear River system. In 2006 alone we worked hard to protect 1,720 acres and we are just beginning to realize the opportunities for land conservation in this unique landscape.

Please click here for a map of the Lower Neuse River Initiative.

The Neuse River flows for over 200 miles from just above the cities of Raleigh and Durham in the Piedmont southeastward through Smithfield, Goldsboro, and Kinston until it reaches the tidal waters just upstream of New Bern. At New Bern, the Neuse River broadens and changes from a free-flowing river to an estuary that flows into Pamlico Sound.

The Neuse River was named one of the most threatened rivers in the United States in 1995, 1996, and 1997. The Neuse River Basin also contains one of the fastest growing populations in the country. While a majority of water quality issues originate upstream, the Lower Neuse River ultimately receives the brunt of water quality problems.

The Coastal Land Trust understood that the river needed help if it was to make a comeback. In 1998, the land trust conserved its first tract of land along the lower Neuse. Turkey Quarter Island is a 1,456 acre preserve located in Craven County. Since that landmark acquisition, we have protected over 7,600 acres of land and 20 miles of riparian frontage along the Lower Neuse River.

The Coastal Land Trust will continue to protect riparian areas, farmland, and other unique landscapes along the lower Neuse. We have also spent a significant amount of effort to jumpstart conservation efforts in the mid-reaches of the Neuse River system.