OVER 1,000 ACRES CONSERVED AS BRIDGE FOR A 10,000 ACRE LANDSCAPE
Unique Places to Save placed a state-held conservation easement on over 1,000 acres of the exceptionally-ranked Boiling Spring Lakes Wetland Complex Natural Area. The project conserves the headwaters of Orton Creek, a tributary of the Cape Fear River, as well as a mosaic of globally rare plant communities that provide habitat for numerous species.
This large-scale conservation project nestled between two large conservation properties along the North Carolina coast creates a synergy of ecological benefits. For example, conserved and connected wildlife corridors allow genetic mixing of populations and improve species ability to adapt to changing climate through access to variable habitats and microtopography.
Conservation within a larger network also enables better management of these communities to reach their highest ecological value. Conservation of this property will support adjacent conservation land managers in their efforts to use large-scale land management techniques such as prescribed burning.
This project was made possible by a landowner coordination and a $3.68M grant from the NC Land and Water Fund (NCLWF). The NC Land and Water Fund was established in 1996 and awards grants to protect land for natural, historical and cultural benefit, limit encroachment on military installations, restore degraded streams, and develop and improve stormwater treatment technology.
