Facts about Bird Island, the state's newest Coastal Reserve

Location: Southwest Brunswick County, adjacent to Sunset Beach

Acreage preserved: Nearly 1,300 acres, including 147 acres of upland and 1,150 acres of marsh and wetlands

Purchase price: $4.2 million

Purchased from: The Price family of Greensboro

Funding sources: N.C. Clean Water Management Trust Fund ($2.75 million); N.C. Natural Heritage Trust Fund ($750,00); N.C. Department of Transportation ($720,320)

Conservation value: The Natural Heritage Program recognizes Bird Island as a natural area of regional significance. Seabeach amaranth, a state and federally listed threatened species, is found on the island. The endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle and the threatened loggerhead turtle nest in the area. Several state and federally listed birds use the Bird Island habitats for nesting or feeding. These include the threatened piping plover, the endangered wood stork and the black skimmer, which is a state species of special concern.

Acquisition will ensure preservation of upland areas and the large wetland complex behind the island. The island was subject to significant development pressures; Brunswick County is one of the fastest-growing counties on the coast. There was one previous proposal to develop a subdivision on the island, but the owners were unable to obtain permits to bridge Mad Inlet to provide road access to the island from Sunset Beach. Since then, Mad Inlet has closed.

Although state regulations strictly control development of coastal wetlands, some filling and shading of wetlands is allowed when necessary for shoreline stabilization or dock construction associated with upland development. As a result, residential development of Bird Island also would have led to impacts on the adjacent wetlands. Acquisition ensures that more than 1,000 acres of wetlands will remain undisturbed.

Acquisition also will protect 1.2 miles of ocean shoreline and 1.5 miles of shoreline on the sound side of the island. Preservation of the shoreline will help prevent further degradation of surrounding waters. Other waters in the area have been closed to shellfishing as runoff from upland development has contributed to high bacteria levels and low dissolved oxygen in adjoining waters.

The portion of Bird Island now in state hands is adjacent to acreage owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The corps owns 29 acres in North Carolina and the entire portion of Bird Island in South Carolina.

Management Plans: The N.C. Coastal Reserve Program within the Division of Coastal Management will manage Bird Island for research, education and traditional recreational uses. A local management plan will be developed in the coming months with input from local leaders and citizens.

About the Coastal Reserve Program: The General Assembly created the Coastal Reserve Program in 1989 to preserve natural areas for education, research and recreation. Coastal Management administers the program, which has preserved 40,000 acres at 10 sites along the coast.