Southern Forests Project: North Carolina

Chowan River, Cypress Tree © TNC/M. Godfrey, M. Daniels

total area: 76,563 acres

roanoke river 22,009
upper tar river 20,749
juniper creek 18,341
chowan river 15,464

river and stream miles protected: 300

representative species:
red-cockaded woodpecker
neotropical songbirds
bald cypress
black bear
freshwater mussels

project partners:
The Nature Conservancy
International Paper
NC Wildlife Resources Commission
NC Division of Parks & Recreation
NC Department of Cultural Resources
Clean Water Management Trust Fund
Natural Heritage Trust Fund
Parks & Recreation Trust Fund
Tar River Land Conservancy

This once-in-a-lifetime chance will result in the largest private conservation project in the history of the southern
U.S. Partners include state governments, federal agencies, the Department of Defense and timber investment entities.

The Project: North Carolina

In March 2006, The Nature Conservancy, International Paper and The Conservation Fund announced an agreement to protect nearly 220,000 acres of forestland across 10 states. This was the single largest private land conservation sale in the history of the South, and one of the largest in the nation.

In North Carolina, this project spans 11 counties and encompasses 76,563 acres in four distinct landscapes: the Roanoke, Upper Tar and Chowan Rivers in northeastern North Carolina, and Juniper Creek in the state’s far southeastern tip.

Lands protected through this monumental effort will largely be open to the citizens of North Carolina for recreational use. Nearly 80 percent of this project will be transferred to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, adding tens of thousands of acres to the state’s Game Land program and opening these lands and waters to hunting, fishing, hiking and boating.

Roanoke River (22,009 acres)

The lower Roanoke River stretches for 137 miles across the North Carolina Coastal Plain, supporting the largest and least disturbed bottomland hardwood forest ecosystem on the Atlantic Slope. The Conservancy has helped protect more than 65,000 acres along the Roanoke. The additional acres protected through this project will benefit hunters, hikers and birdwatchers, and will protect water quality that is essential for anglers and paddlers as well.

Upper Tar River (20,749 acres)

The Upper Tar River watershed encompasses more than 2,200
square miles. The Upper Tar has exceptional biological richness in its aquatic communities, including a number of freshwater mussels, as well as more than 60 species of freshwater fish. The vast majority of the tracts protected in this project will eventually be added to Shocco Creek Game Land and to Medoc Mountain State Park, ensuring public access while at the same time preserving high water quality.

Juniper Creek (18,341 acres)
Juniper Creek drains the Green Swamp as it flows into the
Waccamaw River. This region is at the heart of a rich assembly of plant life and also provides excellent wildlife habitat. Juniper
Creek provides the most important natural corridor between the
Conservancy’s Green Swamp Preserve and the Waccamaw River. The entirety of the Juniper Creek lands protected in this project will be added to the state’s Game Land program, providing a range of recreational opportunities.

Chowan River (15,464 acres)
The Chowan River is surrounded by one of the most extensive swamp forests in the state, and supports black bear and river otters, neotropical migrants such as the prothonotary warbler and raptors like the bald eagle. Protected lands will be added to the Chowan Swamp Game Land, making them available to the citizens of North Carolina for hunting, fishing, paddling and other recreational uses.

View maps or a slideshow of the project areas in North Carolina.