North Carolina Coastal Land Trust Announces Plans to Purchase Flossie Bryan Tract, Establishing a New Permanent Nature Preserve in Wilmington
60-Acre Independence Boulevard Property to Be Conserved in Perpetuity, Honoring Original Owner’s Wish for Natural Green Space
The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners has authorized staff (at their March 16, 2026 meeting) to negotiate a Purchase and Sale Agreement with the Coastal Land Trust for the approximately 60-acre Flossie Bryan tract at 3990 Independence Blvd. The agreement will return to the Board for final approval before the transaction is finalized. The Coastal Land Trust plans to acquire the property for $3 million and convert it into a publicly accessible nature preserve, permanently honoring the conservation legacy of its original owner.
Flossie Bryan, a longtime Wilmington resident and licensed practical nurse who dedicated more than three decades to serving patients at James Walker Memorial Hospital, willed the property to New Hanover County with a clear wish: that it be preserved as a natural, undeveloped space for public benefit. The Coastal Land Trust’s proposal is expressly designed to fulfill that intent.
“Flossie Bryan left an extraordinary gift to this community, and we take that trust seriously,” said Harrison Marks, Executive Director of the Coastal Land Trust. “This property sits in the middle of one of the fastest-growing residential corridors in New Hanover County. Protecting it permanently as a nature preserve means generations of Wilmington residents will have access to irreplaceable green space, right where they live. We are grateful to the Board of Commissioners for their partnership on this property, and for their vision and foresight in securing full ownership of the property in 2025, which created the opportunity to ensure its long-term conservation.”
Following yesterday’s action by the Board of Commissioners, the Coastal Land Trust will work with County staff to finalize a Purchase and Sale Agreement, with closing proposed to occur on or before December 31, 2027, subject to securing the necessary funding. The organization plans to open the preserve to the public in phases, with an early priority of establishing a parking area and natural trail system accessible to the public. Longer-term plans include a future environmental education facility on the site.
The Flossie Bryan tract holds significant ecological value. The property features 7.3 acres of existing mature longleaf pine forest, among the few remaining unprotected longleaf pine savanna habitats in New Hanover County, along with more than 20 acres slated for longleaf pine ecosystem restoration. Longleaf pine forests, which once dominated the southeastern United States, have declined to roughly 3% of their historical range. The tract also includes natural freshwater wetlands and headwater tributaries of Barnards Creek, which provide critical stormwater management and water quality benefits for surrounding neighborhoods and the lower Cape Fear River watershed.
The restored preserve will feature native longleaf pine habitat managed to support native understory vegetation, native pollinators, and planned educational gardens—all central to the Coastal Land Trust’s environmental education programming. Trails will be largely unpaved, designed for nature-first recreation and outdoor learning, with ADA-accessible areas incorporated in some areas. Flossie Bryan’s legacy will be permanently recognized on the site, whether through the preserve’s name, the primary trail, or the future education center.
“The Flossie Bryan tract offers a rare opportunity to protect and restore one of the most ecologically important habitat types in our region, in the county with the highest population density along the North Carolina coastal plain,” said Kenneth Lingerfelt, Director of Land Protection for the Coastal Land Trust. “Conserving this property means protecting water quality in the Barnards Creek watershed and ensuring that this irreplaceable longleaf pine habitat is never lost.”
The Coastal Land Trust is uniquely positioned to steward this property. As a nonprofit conservation organization, the Land Trust is eligible for conservation grants not available to government entities, a critical advantage in funding acquisition and long-term land management. The organization has a well-established record of creating and managing public nature preserves across eastern North Carolina, including Brunswick Nature Park, the Latham-Whitehurst Nature Park in Craven County, Brice’s Creek Nature Preserve in New Bern, and Springer’s Point Preserve on Ocracoke Island. The Coastal Land Trust also manages the Stanley Rehder Carnivorous Plant Garden in Wilmington in partnership with the City.
Located on Independence Boulevard, one of the most rapidly developing residential corridors in New Hanover County, the property addresses a growing community need for accessible green space in a densely populated urban area. The Coastal Land Trust is committed to ensuring permanent public use, long-term conservation of the green space, and recognition of Flossie Bryan’s legacy in the Purchase and Sale Agreement. The Coastal Land Trust intends to launch a public and private fundraising campaign to secure the $3 million needed to close.
Community members interested in supporting the Flossie Bryan Nature Preserve or learning more about the plans for this project are encouraged to speak with Executive Director Harrison Marks at Harrison@CoastalLandTrust.org or (910) 726-3049.
