By Gareth McGrath
Staff Writer
gareth.mcgrath@starnewsonline.com



Bolivia | A large swath of undeveloped land along Town Creek and adjacent to the fast-growing N.C. 133 corridor is now in county hands.

The land was bought by the N.C. Coastal Land Trust last year with a $2 million grant from the state Clean Water Management Trust Fund; the Brunswick County Commissioners accepted the property from the Land Trust this week.

County officials said they intend to preserve the largely pristine property in its natural state and use the 911-acre tract, formerly owned by International Paper, as an environmental education area.

“It is a real opportunity because years from now there might not be many areas like that left,” said County Attorney Huey Marshall, referring to Brunswick’s rapid growth.

The county’s plans for the site include walking trails, four observation platforms, a 200-spot parking area, a dock along Town Creek and a gazebo. Current human influences on the property are largely limited to deer stands, power lines and a few dirt roads.

But Mr. Marshall said the availability of funds, particularly the county’s success in winning grants, would determine how quickly the site is developed.

As part of Brunswick’s agreement with the Land Trust, the site near Daws Creek Road can only be used for passive uses.

But the old pine plantation won’t be completely off limits to timbering. Bruce Watkins, a conservation specialist with the Land Trust, said the nonprofit group would harvest loblolly pines outside a 300-foot buffer area along Town Creek.

He said that allowing the pines to grow unchecked would result in brush so thick that even wildlife couldn’t walk through it.
“If you don’t allow us to thin them out, then you can’t even use the property,” Mr. Watkins said.

Revenue from the timber sales would be used for maintenance of the park or the purchase of additional land in the Town Creek watershed. The removal of the loblollies – favored by timber companies because they grow very quickly – also should allow the regeneration of the area’s natural flora, including hardwoods and longleaf pines.

Mr. Watkins said the property – which offers tremendous water-quality protection, recreational and wildlife opportunities – is an important piece in the Land Trust’s goal of protecting 10,000 acres along Town Creek.

“It’s got everything you’re looking for, including 300 acres of bluffs overlooking the creek,” he said.

Gareth McGrath: 343-2384
gareth.mcgrath@starnewsonline.com