TOPSAIL BEACH — The North Carolina Coastal Land Trust closed on the purchase of the South End of Topsail Beach. This permanently protects 150 acres of shoreline, once privately owned, from future development.
READ MORE: Coastal Land Trust launches $8M fundraising effort to purchase The Point in Topsail
Known as “The Point,” previously owned by the McCullen, McLeod, and Oppegaard families, it remained one of the last undeveloped tracts on North Carolina’s barrier islands. It’s been a two-year-or-more battle to conserve its 150 acres, including a yearlong fundraising effort with support from area residents and Topsail Beach commissioners.
The Coastal Land Trust raised nearly $8 million for its purchase, including using public funds, as well as $1.6 million in private donations from around 800 people.
“This is a once-in-a-generation victory for conservation on the coast,” Harrison Marks, executive director of the Coastal Land Trust, said. “We are deeply grateful to the partners, donors, and volunteers who made this possible.”
Throughout the 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 in Topsail Beach.
The Olsons attempted to work with the town to get to a vote, but eventually pulled their rezoning request and decided against purchasing the property altogether, noting pushback from residents and an impasse reached with elected officials.
“This beautiful and beloved section of Topsail is now protected forever,” 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 Town of Topsail Beach purchased a 1-acre section of the site, including the existing parking area and surrounding land, for $800,000. The town received a $350,000 CAMA Public Access grant to purchase it, which also comes with a match.
The Coastal Land Trust will own and manage the property for up to a year, as it repays a loan it had to secure for the purchase, since approved grant-funding will take several more months to come through.
The grants include:
- $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
After a year, the nonprofit will turn The Point over to the State of North Carolina to be managed by the Division of Coastal Management.
The Point borders the Atlantic Ocean, New Topsail Inlet and Banks Channel. It consists of estuarine wetlands and a maritime shrub forest with a diverse array of castal wildlife, including loggerhead sea turtles, Wilson’s Plovers and Willets.
Coastal Land Trust volunteers and partners, such as Audubon North Carolina and from Topsail residents’ Conserve the Point, will work to protect nesting bird habitat, remove debris, and lead educational beach walks.
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