[Camden County]: The North Carolina Coastal Land Trust (Coastal Land Trust) recently transferred its 303.5-acre Pasquotank River Preserve in Camden County to the State of North Carolina to be managed by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC). Camden County is largely agricultural, yet because of its proximity to the Tidewater area of Virginia, it is experiencing rapid population growth and burgeoning residential subdivision development. Located near several residential subdivisions, the Preserve lies along 1.7 miles of the Pasquotank River, a blackwater system within the Pasquotank River basin – a part of the Albemarle-Pamlico Estuarine System, the second largest estuarine system in the United States.
The Coastal Land Trust purchased the property in March 2008 with funding provided by a North Carolina Clean Water Management Trust Fund (now the North Carolina Land and Water Fund) grant. For the past seven years, the Coastal Land Trust has monitored the property to ensure it retained its natural, scenic, and open space values.
In addition to its significant fish and wildlife conservation values, the Coastal Land Trust was keen on protecting the property’s extensive forested riparian buffer and exceptional bottomland hardwood forest from commercial logging and major soil-disturbing activities. The Pasquotank River Preserve lies within a North Carolina State Ecosystem Enhancement Program’s Targeted Local Watershed and is considered to be a wetland of exceptional significance by the North Carolina Division of Coastal Management. The Preserve is also located adjacent to the Whitehall Shores Hardwood Forest State Significant Natural Heritage Area and southeast of the Shipyard Landing Natural Area, also a State Significant Natural Heritage Area.
“We’re proud to see the Pasquotank River Preserve become part of North Carolina’s public conservation lands,” said Harrison Marks, Executive Director of the Coastal Land Trust. “This transfer ensures lasting protection for vital wetlands, wildlife habitat, and water quality in the Pasquotank River basin.”
“The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission is grateful to the North Carolina Coastal Land Trust for the donation of the Pasquotank River tract, which expands our North River Game Land in Camden County by just over 300 acres. This property protects important wildlife habitat beneficial to game species and for species of concern like the prothonotary and black-throated green warblers, and provides an opportunity to the public for hunting, fishing, and other wildlife-associated recreation,” expresses Crystal Cockman, Land Acquisition Specialist, Land and Water Access, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. “Thanks also to the NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund which helped provide funds for North Carolina Coastal Land Trust to acquire the tract originally. This is a great addition to our game land program.”
With the State’s recent acquisition of a neighboring property (managed by NCWRC), this transfer of the Pasquotank River Preserve to the State will facilitate long-term coordinated conservation management of both properties.
About the North Carolina Coastal Land Trust
The North Carolina Coastal Land Trust enriches North Carolina through conservation of natural areas and working lands, education, and the promotion of good land stewardship in our coastal communities. Founded in 1992, the Coastal Land Trust has protected more than 91,000 acres of places with scenic, recreational, historic, and/or ecological value. www.CoastalLandTrust.org.
About the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
The mission of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission is to conserve North Carolina’s wildlife resources and their habitats and provide programs and opportunities that allow hunters, anglers, boaters, and other outdoor enthusiasts to enjoy wildlife-associated recreation. Established by the North Carolina General Assembly in 1947, the Wildlife Resources Commission now owns nearly 550,000 acres and manages over 2M acres of land for wildlife and public hunting, fishing and wildlife observation. www.ncwildlife.gov.
Photos thanks to Brian Rubino
