NCCLT has reached a definitive agreement with Copper Builders, the developer behind the proposed Hilton Bluffs subdivision, to permanently protect more than 3,200 acres of Sledge Legacy Forest if the subdivision proceeds as currently approved. The agreement involves NCCLT receiving a required 1,200-acre parcel donated by Copper Builders in fee simple, meaning NCCLT will hold full ownership, and purchasing an additional 2,000 acres at a significant discount from fair market value. The total conservation footprint would cover more than 3,200 acres across three tracts in northern New Hanover County.

Yes. NCCLT and Copper Builders have reached a Purchase and Sale Agreement. The agreement is contingent on the Hilton Bluffs subdivision surviving all pending legal appeals and proceeding as currently approved. NCCLT will provide updates as the process moves forward.

No. NCCLT is not taking a position on whether the Hilton Bluffs subdivision should be approved. NCCLT does not advocate for or against development applications. Land use determination is the county’s domain. Our role is conservation. This agreement is about permanently protecting more than 3,200 acres of Sledge Legacy Forest—regardless of how one feels about the development. The agreement is conditioned on the development proceeding as approved, but that is a legal contingency, not an endorsement.

Conservation happens where the land is, and protecting more than 3,200 acres of Sledge Legacy Forest requires working with the landowner. In this case, that means the developer who holds the contract on the property. The alternative to this agreement is more than 3,200 acres with no permanent protection. NCCLT evaluated the situation and concluded that protecting the land was more important than avoiding potential controversy. That is what land conservation organizations do sometimes to protect really important land.

1. The agreement is conditioned on the subdivision proceeding as currently approved. If the Board of Adjustment or a court blocks the development, the current agreement would not move forward.
2. NCCLT has had this property as a conservation priority for many years with no success. However, if this conservation opportunity is not realized, NCCLT would remain interested in the permanent conservation of Sledge Legacy Forest if another opportunity would arise.

Sledge Legacy Forest is part of one of the last large, undeveloped tracts in the county and represents more than 2% of the county’s total land area. The property has significant wetlands—tidal and freshwater wetland habitats that forms a critical part of the region’s hydrological system and provides essential stormwater buffering, water quality protection, and wildlife habitat. The conservation area also includes direct access to the Northeast Cape Fear River and features longleaf pine habitat in ecologically notable stands. In a county that is among the fastest-growing on the North Carolina coast, permanently conserving land at this scale is extraordinary.

Wetlands can and do lose protection. Federal and state wetland regulations have weakened significantly in recent years, and statutory protections can change. Beyond regulatory risk, the timber value on this property is substantial—without a conservation instrument in place, nothing legally prevents logging or other exploitation of the wetland areas. Permanent conservation through a land trust is the only mechanism that ensures this land remains intact in perpetuity, regardless of regulatory changes or future ownership.

The conservation area spans more than 3,200 acres across three tracts in northern New Hanover County, encompassing thousands of acres of wetlands with upland areas. Plans envision basic public infrastructure (parking, a trail network, and access points to the Northeast Cape Fear River) developed in phases as funding is secured. NCCLT is actively working to structure a stewardship fund to support long-term management. Specific timelines and facility details will be developed as the agreement is finalized.

Public access is a core commitment of both NCCLT and the developer. The developer has committed to creating a fund to support ongoing public access improvements such as a parking lot, a trail network, and river access and help defray on-going management expenses. Infrastructure will be developed in phases after the property is conveyed to NCCLT.

NCCLT will manage the property. The developer has agreed to fund a stewardship endowment to support ongoing management and public access improvements. The County assumes no ongoing financial obligation for the property. NCCLT is accredited, experienced, and resourced to manage conservation land for the long term.

NCCLT is actively identifying funding sources, including conservation grants like the NC Land and Water Fund programs and wetland conservation programs, private donations, and other nonprofit funding mechanisms. NCCLT will share more on specific funding sources as they are confirmed.

We understand why people feel that way, and we take that concern seriously. But the honest answer is this: if the subdivision proceeds as approved, 1,200 acres will be placed in the care of some entity and NCCLT will ensure that property is fully protected. With this agreement, 2,000 additional acres of Sledge Legacy Forest will be permanently protected. NCCLT chose to ensure it is protected. NCCLT’s interest is conservation. The developer’s interest is development. Those interests happen to align on one point: protecting the land outside the development footprint. That alignment does not make NCCLT the developer’s partner. This makes NCCLT an organization doing its job and seeking to fulfill its mission of saving lands we love.

NCCLT is not involved in the legal proceedings and does not have a position on the merits of the arguments being made by SELC or any other party. NCCLT’s role is conservation, not land use litigation. We will leave the legal arguments to the attorneys and the Board of Adjustment. Conserving the 2,000 acres also removes 2,000 homes of development potential that the current underlying zoning would otherwise permit.

Traffic impacts are a legitimate community concern that deserves a serious response from the developer and from New Hanover County. That is not NCCLT’s lane. Our expertise is conservation, and our role in this project is protecting the land. Traffic planning and road access decisions are the responsibility of the developer and the county, not NCCLT.

We are keenly aware of the feelings of those who have been opposed to development on this property, and we understand. There are people who have supported NCCLT for years who are also involved in efforts to stop this development. We have had—or will have—personal conversations with many of these individuals. Our position has not changed: NCCLT is not endorsing the development. We are protecting the land. If this development proceeds, we believe the right thing to do is to make sure as much of this forest as possible is permanently protected. We hope our supporters will give us the chance to explain that directly.

That is a risk we understand and have accepted. If the Board of Adjustment blocks the subdivision, NCCLT’s current agreement to protect 3,200 acres will not move forward.

NCCLT has been protecting and managing conservation land in eastern North Carolina since 1992. We have protected more than 91,000 acres across 31 counties. We have a track record of creating and managing public nature preserves at scale. NCCLT has had this property as a conservation priority for many years and has previously explored conservation opportunities on the tract multiple times. We are accredited, locally rooted, and experienced in exactly the kind of wetland-heavy, large-acreage conservation that this property requires. There is no organization better positioned to do this right. NCCLT’s board of directors has been fully briefed on this agreement and is fully supportive of protecting this ecologically critical property.

NCCLT has played a major role in several Wilmington area projects including conservation of the Topsail Beach South End, Masonboro Island, Hutaff Island, Brunswick Nature Park. and Airlie Gardens. NCCLT manages the Stanley Rehder Carnivorous Plant Garden in partnership with the City and is under contract with New Hanover County to purchase 60 acres on Independence Boulevard to establish a nature park.

Projects elsewhere resulting in public access properties include Latham-Whitehurst Nature Park in Craven County, Brice’s Creek Nature Preserve in New Bern, and Springer’s Point Preserve on Ocracoke Island. NCCLT has acquired and transferred thousands of acres to the NC Wildlife Resources Commission and the NC State Park system. Overall, NCCLT has protected more than 91,000 acres across the North Carolina coastal plain and has deep experience managing wetland and upland conservation properties.