North Carolina Coastal Land Trust Announces Agreement to Protect More Than 3,200 Acres of Sledge Forest in New Hanover County
Conservation Agreement with Hilton Bluffs Developer Would Create One of the Largest Permanently Protected Preserves in New Hanover County History, if Subdivision Proceeds as Approved
The North Carolina Coastal Land Trust (Coastal Land Trust) announced on June 25, 2026 that it has reached a Purchase and Sale Agreement with Copper Builders, the developer behind the proposed Hilton Bluffs subdivision in New Hanover County, to permanently protect more than 3,200 acres of Sledge Forest if the subdivision proceeds as currently approved. The agreement would make the Coastal Land Trust the steward of one of the largest undeveloped tracts remaining in New Hanover County, a landscape of rare ecological significance that both the organization and the developer are committed to conserving in perpetuity.
“This is one of the most significant conservation opportunities in New Hanover County in a generation,” said Harrison Marks, Executive Director of the Coastal Land Trust. “More than 3,200 acres, a landscape larger than Carolina Beach State Park, will be permanently protected in the heart of one of the fastest-growing counties on the North Carolina coast. That is what this agreement means.”
The Coastal Land Trust is not taking a position on whether the Hilton Bluffs subdivision should be approved. Its commitment is straightforward: if the project proceeds as currently approved, the Coastal Land Trust will ensure that more than 3,200 acres are permanently protected, publicly accessible, and managed to the highest conservation standards. The Coastal Land Trust has protected more than 91,000 acres across 31 counties since 1992 and has direct experience stewarding wetland-rich preserves.
The portion of Sledge Forest under contract to Copper Builders spans approximately 4,000 acres in northern New Hanover County along the Northeast Cape Fear River. The property is largely wetlands with extensive tidal and freshwater wetland habitat that forms a critical part of the region’s hydrological system and provides essential stormwater buffering, water quality protection, and wildlife habitat for surrounding communities and the lower Cape Fear River watershed. Upland areas include a notable longleaf pine habitat, stands of mature bottomland hardwood, and 8.5 miles of direct waterfront along the Northeast Cape Fear River.
The Purchase and Sale Agreement has two parts. First, the Coastal Land Trust will receive a 1,200-acre parcel donated by Copper Builders in fee simple, meaning outright ownership, at no cost, as part of the subdivision’s requirements. Second, NCCLT will purchase approximately 2,000 additional acres through a bargain sale, with the developer contributing a substantial share of the land value. As part of the agreement, the developer will fund a multimillion-dollar stewardship endowment for NCCLT to support infrastructure and ongoing conservation efforts. Together, this structure protects more than 3,200 acres permanently and provides dedicated funding for the forest’s long-term stewardship.
The development where active construction would occur is confined to approximately 600 acres in the southeast corner of the property, consisting of upland areas that have been previously timbered. The approved subdivision plan utilizes density transfer, a standard New Hanover County zoning approach that concentrates development on this upland portion while permanently conserving the surrounding wetlands. Clustering density is an approach that conservation and land-use planners recommend and advocate as the best way to balance growth with protection.
“Sledge Forest is one of the most ecologically significant properties in the county,” said Kenneth Lingerfelt, Director of Land Protection for the Coastal Land Trust. “What we are committing to protect here is irreplaceable: thousands of acres of wetlands, riparian buffers along the Northeast Cape Fear River, and upland habitat, including longleaf pine. Permanent conservation of land at this scale has benefits that last for generations.”
The Coastal Land Trust recognizes that the Hilton Bluffs subdivision is the subject of ongoing legal proceedings before the New Hanover County Board of Adjustment, with hearings expected in July 2026. The organization has not taken a position on the merits of those proceedings and will not do so. The Coastal Land Trust’s role is conservation, not land use determination, which is the domain of the County. The Coastal Land Trust is committed to permanent protection of important lands, in this instance, more than 3,200 acres, which include the vast majority of the ecologically sensitive wetlands and uplands outside the active development area.
Both the Coastal Land Trust and the developer are committed to making the conserved property publicly accessible. Longer-term plans envision basic public infrastructure, including parking, a trail network, and river access facilities along the Northeast Cape Fear River.
