North Carolina Coastal Land Trust and The Enviva Forest Conservation Fund Protect Six Tracts of Land Along the Chowan River, North Carolina

Six adjoining tracts along the Chowan River in Bertie County, North Carolina are now permanently protected thanks in part to a grant made by the Enviva Forest Conservation Fund. As a recipient of the grant, The North Carolina Coastal Land Trust secured the 421-acre easement, which consists primarily of mature cypress gum swamp, located along more than 1.7 miles of Chowan River frontage. The property is classified as having high ecological significance and lies within the Colerain/Cow Island Swamp and Slopes Significant Natural Heritage Area and is part of the 32,570-acre Chowan Swamp Game Lands.

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View of the Chowan River Tracts recently transferred to North Carolina near Keel Creek (Photo by Tom Earnhardt)

“The Coastal Land Trust is ever thankful for the vision and partnership of 6 adjoining landowners in Bertie County that were willing to come together to sell portions of their beautiful floodplain forest along the Chowan River for conservation. This type of collaboration with multiple landowners to put pieces of land together for a single sale has never happened before in our 30 year history of land conservation! We are thrilled it all came together to forever conserve such a special place on our coast,” said Janice Allen, Director of Land Protection at the North Carolina Coastal Land Trust.

Currently, the site hosts a habitat for numerous migratory bird and bat species, including the federally threatened Northern Long-Eared Bat, and many others listed on the “Species of Greatest Conservation Need” (SGCN) by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. SGCN species believed to be inhabiting this tract include the Prothonotary Warbler, Anhinga, Spotted Turtle, Snowy Egret, American Woodcock, Rafinesque’s Big-Eared Bat as well as the Southeastern bat.

“The permanent protection of this tract along the Chowan River will not only protect significant cypress gum swamp, but it will also serve as a key wildlife corridor. This beautiful tract of land will benefit and protect a suite of high conservation value species as a result of being located within the Colerain/Cow Island Swamp and Slopes Significant Natural Heritage Area,” said Teal Edelen, Program Officer at the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities.