
TOPSAIL BEACH — After less than a year of fundraising to save an ecologically vulnerable area in a Pender County beach town, a nonprofit has garnered nearly $8 million to see it through.
READ MORE: Coastal Land Trust launches $8M fundraising effort to purchase The Point in Topsail
North Carolina Coastal Land Trust announced this week it met its goal to purchase and protect roughly 150 acres of the south end of Topsail Island, referred to as “The Point” by locals.
The Point has been a beloved spot for decades, welcoming people to stroll along its shores that border the Atlantic Ocean, New Topsail Inlet and Banks Channel. It consists of estuarine wetlands and a maritime shrub forest with a diverse array of coastal wildlife, including loggerhead sea turtles, Wilson’s Plovers and Willets.
Nancy Thomason said at last week’s commissioners meeting she watched the area ebb and flow for years: “It has had more acres, it has had fewer acres, and it’s going to be like that. It’s fragile. And to see it developed and take the risks that it messes up the fragile ecology down there just wasn’t acceptable.”
Throughout multiple years, development has threatened The Point, most recently by Raleigh tech founder Todd Olson, who wanted to purchase the property and turn 20 acres of it into a family compound. The land is zoned conservation and the Olsons wanted to rezone the area they planned to build on, with plans to conserve the rest of the land. The planning board denied the request but commissioners have ultimate decision-making power.
Before it went before commissioners in December 2023, the Olsons withdrew their zoning request and pulled their offer to buy the land from three families — the McCullens, McLeods, and Oppegaards. They cited mounting pushback from residents and being at an impasse after going through multiple meetings with town leaders, who requested a conservation easement be put on the undeveloped portion of the property. The Olsons signed a letter of intent with the North Carolina Coastal Land Trust to conserve at least 80% of the land, but still faced myriad conditional requests.
They wrote to PCD at the time of their rezoning withdrawal they were not granted requests for one-on-one meetings with commissioners, while locals, some from the 501(c)3 nonprofit, Conserve the Point, were able to secure face-to-face time.
Efforts have been made over the years by conservationists and nonprofits attempting to save the 2.5-mile portion of undisturbed sand, dune and ocean. Conserve the Point vowed to launch a campaign to keep it protected in the midst of the Olsons’ attempt to buy the acreage. The nonprofit engaged with Coastal Land Trust to help make the goal a reality.
Tuesday in Topsail Beach’s first town meeting this year, Thomason said Commissioner John Gunner was the first person they approached, thinking he would be “the easiest” official to engage with about their plans.
“But that was not true,” she said with a laugh, noting Gunner asked the right questions. “John kept saying: ‘But can you guarantee that the land trust can come through and do this?'”
She lauded the fact the fundraising effort was achieved quicker than it is to “have a baby.” Coastal Land Trust had until March 2025 to secure $8 million to purchase the land and announced at the end of March last year its $500,000 down payment.
“It’s amazing that in eight months, this town has coalesced around an idea and thrown its support behind it. And that is very, very admirable,” William Snyder told commissioners during public comment Tuesday.
Coastal Land Trust secured the bulk of money from a multitude of grants:
- $3.15 million from the North Carolina Land and Water Fund
- $500,000 from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
- $1.9 million from two grants from two different programs administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
However, it also had more than 760 individual donors contribute $1.5 million to its campaign.
“The private fundraising was made possible in this short timeframe because of the dedication of a team of people who were committed to seeing the preservation of the south end and the generosity of individuals who understood this once-in a-lifetime opportunity to preserve this natural treasure,” Coastal Land Trust Executive Director Harrison Marks told Port City Daily.
The land trust also secured $800,000 from the sale of a parking lot and adjacent land to the Town of Topsail Beach. The town received a $350,000 CAMA Public Access grant to purchase it, which also comes with a match.
“We would be responsible for an additional $450,000 to complete the acquisition,” Topsail Town Manager Doug Shipley said, adding it’s undetermined what will be done currently with the additional acreage.
Due diligence will be overseen in the coming months, to include placing The Point in permanent conservation protection. As money from the grants will take a few months to come through due to the process, Coastal Land Trust will use a bridge loan to close on the property.
“Once all the grant funding is received, the bridge loan will be paid off and the remaining property will be transferred to the State of North Carolina to be managed by the Division of Coastal Management,” Marks said.
The land trust has secured 25,000 acres and 50 properties to turn over to government entities, according to Marks. As recently as last year, it gave 2,900 acres in Hyde County to the North Carolina Wildlife Commission. Before that, the trust turned over Brunswick County Nature Park to the county and continues to work with volunteers on trails in the park.
Conserve the Point co-founder Roy Costa also spoke during public comment at last week’s commissioners meeting as well.
“Protecting this unique and natural land of the island, which is home to so many threatened and endangered species of birds, plants, and sea turtles, is an incredible conservation gift to give to our children, grandchildren, and future generations,” he said.
[Ed. note: The article has been updated to correctly reflect Harrison Marks’ last name; PCD regrets the error.]
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