Almost 600 Acres Along the Newport River Permanently Protected!

Carteret County, NC – The Coastal Land Trust is thrilled to announce the protection of an additional 593 acres of land along the Newport River. Purchased from Weyerhaeuser Company in November, the property was subsequently transferred to North Carolina Coastal Federation (Coastal Federation) for long-term management and restoration. The property hosts estuarine marsh, managed loblolly pine forest, and bottomland hardwoods along 4+ miles of the Newport River and its tributaries. The property lies within the Newport River and Black Creek Natural Heritage Area, deemed of Very High ecological significance by the N.C. Natural Heritage Program.

This spectacular property lies adjacent to the Coastal Federation’s 215-acre McCotter Preserve, upstream from the Coastal Land Trust’s 530-acre Newport River Marsh Preserve, and close to the Croatan National Forest. This is the second phase of a conservation partnership between the Coastal Land Trust, the Coastal Federation, and the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station – Cherry Point to protect and restore land along the Newport River. The first phase, completed in 2023, protected 1,436 acres located just downstream from this newest conservation project.

Learn more about Phase I by clicking here.

Harrison Marks, Executive Director of the Coastal Land Trust, expressed “this conservation success and our partnership with the Coastal Federation have been critical steps forward in connecting existing conservation lands and continuing our efforts to restore significant natural habitats.”

The revised 2021 N.C. Oyster Restoration and Protection Plan (Oyster Plan) ranks the Newport River as one of the most economically valuable and environmentally endangered oyster-growing estuaries in the state. Stormwater run-off is recognized as the largest source of coastal water quality impairment. The Coastal Federation plans to restore the natural hydrology and vegetation on portions of each protected property.

“Our close partnership with the Coastal Land Trust has provided important new opportunities for coastal restoration and conservation in North Carolina. By protecting and restoring these ecologically rich lands along the Newport River, we’re not just preserving habitat, we’re also improving the downstream water quality and fisheries of the Newport River for generations to come.” said Braxton Davis, Executive Director of the North Carolina Coastal Federation.

According to David Allen, retired N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission wildlife biologist, the estuarine marshes along the Newport River near this property likely host important habitat for many species of greatest conservation need as identified in the 2015 North Carolina Wildlife Action Plan. These include diamondback terrapin, Little Blue Heron, Glossy Ibis, Snowy Egret, Tricolored Heron, and American Oystercatcher. Additionally, the combined 2,029 acres of property holds strategic military importance, lying within a military transit route between the U.S. Marine Corps New River Air Station and the Piney Island Bombing Target (BT-11), Helicopter Turf Routes in Carteret County, and a flight holding pattern for the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in Havelock. Carmen Lombardo, Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff for Government and External Relations, Marine Corps Installations East-Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune commented, “Conservation partnerships and projects like this one are important for both coastal resiliency and military training. We were pleased to provide Department of Defense funds toward both projects.”

Funding for this acquisition came from N.C. Land and Water Fund, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service North American Wetlands Conservation Act Grant Program, Department of Defense Readiness and Environmental Integration Program, and U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities Enviva Forest Conservation Fund.  

About the North Carolina Coastal Federation
The North Carolina Coastal Federation is a nonprofit membership organization that has worked since 1982 to keep the coast of North Carolina a great place to live, work, and play. Through a variety of programs and partnerships, the Federation works with people from all walks of life for clean coastal waters, thriving salt marshes and oysters, and a coast that is free of marine debris. To learn more, please visit www.nccoast.org.

Photo credit: Scott Pohlman