Coastal Land Trust completes purchase of ‘The Point’

The North Carolina Coastal Land Trust has purchased the expanse of land at the south end of Topsail Island known as ‘The Point.’

“This landmark conservation victory follows an ambitious, yearlong fundraising effort and culminated with the purchase of the property,” on Tuesday, the Coastal Land Trust announced.

“This is a once-in-a-generation victory for conservation on the coast,” Harrison Marks, the trust’s executive director, said in the release. “We are deeply grateful to the partners, donors, and volunteers who made this possible.”

After launching a fundraising campaign in March 2024, the Coastal Land Trust raised nearly $8 million, including more than $1.6 million in contributions from nearly 800 donors, and through several major public funding sources.

One acre of the site, which includes a parking area managed by Topsail Beach, was sold to the town as part of the transaction.

The nearly 150-acre tract was on and off the market for decades, but attempts from prospective buyers, including Topsail Beach, which wanted to keep the land free from development, never panned out.

Efforts to keep the land development free gained traction after the CEO of a Raleigh-based software company and his wife initiated talks with the town to rezone a portion of the property to allow the couple to build a family compound, complete with about a half-dozen homes, a private marina, pool and beach and sound accesses.

Their proposal was met with fierce opposition from area property owners, regular vacationers to the town, and environmentalists who’ve enjoyed walking the shores of the land that has accreted as New Topsail Inlet migrates south.

The tract stretches from the ocean to Banks Channel and includes expansive dunes, estuarine wetlands, and maritime shrub forest that provide critical habitat for dozens of bird species and loggerhead sea turtles.

“This beautiful and beloved section of Topsail is now protected forever,” Topsail Beach Mayor Frank Braxton said in a release. “We’re thrilled to partner with the Coastal Land Trust to ensure its natural beauty is preserved for future generations.”

The land will be placed in conservation in perpetuity and will be transferredto the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management.

Division Director Tancred Miller announced the purchase during the Coastal Resources Commission’s Wednesday meeting in Dare County.

Miller said Coastal Land Trust will transfer the land at no cost in the next year or so, after which time the property will be managed by the division for “public access and environmental protection.”

“So we’re very grateful for that partnership with Coastal Land Trust. We think it’s a wonderful thing for the state of North Carolina and everyone who visits that area,” Miller said.

Funding for the project has been approved by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation through Walmart’s Acres for America program, the North Carolina Land and Water Fund, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s North American Wetlands Conservation Act and National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant programs.

Coastal Land Trust has secured a bridge loan in order to meet the closing deadline since the organization will not receive grant funds for several more months, according to the release.

“This project is a model for collaborative coastal conservation and an excellent example of the lasting benefits that Acres for America grants can provide to wildlife and communities,” Chris West, Acres for America Program director, said in the release. “This effort will conserve critical habitat for wildlife and offer lasting benefits for current and future generations of North Carolinians to enjoy.”

Until the land is transferred to the state, it will be owned and managed by the trust, which will work with volunteers and partners to protect nesting bird habitat, remove debris, and lead educational beach walks. Partners and volunteers will include Audubon North Carolina and members of Conserve the Point, a grassroots organization.

Additional information on volunteer opportunities is available at www.CoastalLandTrust.org/TopsailBeach or by emailing Topsail@CoastalLandTrust.org.