Salmon Creek Property Transferred to State for New Natural Area
RALEIGH, N.C. – In January 2017, the Salmon Creek property in Bertie County, including an important archaeological site, was listed for sale as a prime waterfront development by a Raleigh real estate broker. The North Carolina Coastal Land Trust recently conveyed the land to the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation, which will manage the site as the new Salmon Creek State Natural Area. The move ensures permanent protection of its significant natural, historic, archaeological and cultural resources.
The property is the subject of archaeological research by The First Colony Foundation. Native Algonkin and English artifacts indicative of settlement by the Roanoke colonists have been found on the site. Some researchers theorize the artifacts could provide evidence that survivors from The Lost Colony relocated to the area in the late 1580s.
At nearly 1,000 acres, the property features 3½ miles of beautiful frontage along Salmon Creek, floodplain forests of cypress-gum swamp and bottomland hardwood forest. It also contains tidal freshwater marsh recognized as ecologically significant by the N.C. Natural Heritage Program.
“We are thrilled to have saved this property to make it available to the people of North Carolina, and we appreciate the public’s outpouring of support for conserving this area,” said Camilla Herlevich, executive director of the N.C. Coastal Land Trust.
The property was transferred to the state thanks to funds awarded by the Clean Water Management Trust Fund, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, N.C. Attorney General’s Environmental Enhancement Grant Fund, N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, the Enviva Forest Conservation Fund and the U.S. Department of Defense.
“The Salmon Creek property stands out due to its rich cultural history, truly pristine ecosystems and unique archaeological resources, ” said Susi Hamilton, secretary of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. “We are grateful for the tireless work of the N.C. Coastal Land Trust and all of the partners in funding this project. We look forward to offering this new state natural area in Bertie County, a beautiful part of our state currently underserved by our state parks system.”
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Learn even more about this project:
The land is saved:
https://coastallandtrust.org/sitexnews
SALMON CREEK and Site X – Where Natural and Cultural History Converge:
https://coastallandtrust.org/sitex
Land Page with Photo Gallery:
https://coastallandtrust.org/lands/salmon-creek-natural-area
About North Carolina Coastal Land Trust
North Carolina Coastal Land Trust has conserved more than 72,000 acres of land with scenic, recreational, historic and/or ecological value in eastern North Carolina. They enrich the coastal communities of our state through conservation of natural areas and working landscapes, education, and the promotion of good land stewardship. The Coastal Land Trust has offices in Wilmington, New Bern and Elizabeth City.
About North Carolina State Parks
North Carolina State Parks manages more than 232,000 acres of iconic landscape within North Carolina’s state parks, state recreation areas and state natural areas. It administers the N.C Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, including its local grants program, as well as a state trails program, North Carolina Natural and Scenic Rivers and more, all with a mission dedicated to conservation, recreation and education. The state parks system welcomes more than 18 million visitors annually.
About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state’s natural and cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational and economic future of North Carolina. NCDNCR’s mission is to improve the quality of life in our state by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history, libraries and nature in North Carolina by stimulating learning, inspiring creativity, preserving the state’s history, conserving the state’s natural heritage, encouraging recreation and cultural tourism, and promoting economic development.
NCDNCR includes 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, two science museums, three aquariums and Jennette’s Pier, 39 state parks and recreation areas, the N.C. Zoo, the nation’s first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, State Preservation Office and the Office of State Archaeology, along with the Division of Land and Water Stewardship. For more information, please call (919) 807-7300 or visit www.ncdcr.gov
