COASTLINES LINES VOLUME 24 // ISSUE 1 // Spring 2024
JANICE ALLEN SHARES PLANS FOR HER 2024 RETIREMENT
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wenty-six years of dedicated work is no small feat. Since 1997, Janice Allen, Director of Land Protection, has been a driving force behind the Coastal Land Trust’s mission to safeguard priority natural, scenic, and historic areas along the coastal plain of North Carolina. Under her leadership, the land protection team has achieved remarkable milestones, permanently preserving tens of thousands of acres up and down the NC Coast. Janice’s legacy is etched in the success of transformative projects, such as: 1. More than 4,700 acres protected along the Waccamaw River in Columbus County. This project boasts 10 miles of riverfront, the expansion of Lake Waccamaw State Park, and more than 1,000 acres added to existing game lands. ALLEN, continued on page 4
Janice in her element! The new Director of Land Protection will have some big boots to fill.
CoastalLandTrust.org
A relaxing creek view at Craven County’s next public nature park.
CREATING A NEW
NATURE PARK
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he Coastal Land Trust officially transferred our 172-acre Brice’s Creek Nature Preserve in New Bern to Craven County in December. This marked the beginning of a transformative project set to enhance public access to nature in the rapidly developing area south of New Bern. The preserve boasts a mature mixed pine-hardwood forest in the uplands and a diverse range of wetlands, making it a valuable addition to Craven County’s natural treasures. The property, once slated for future development, was acquired at less than fair market value by the Coastal Land Trust, showcasing the generosity of Ken Kirkman of Overlook Holdings, LLC. The three-phase acquisition, totaling more than $1.5M, was made possible through funding from various sources including the North Carolina Land and Water Fund, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, White River Marine Group, and North Carolina Community Foundation’s Richard Chapman Cleve Fund held by the Craven
County Community Foundation. Janice Allen, Director of Land Protection, expressed her excitement stating, “I think this gift of land from Coastal Land Trust is quite a present to the citizens of Craven County. Coastal Land Trust did what it does best – conserve special parcels of land. Now Craven County Recreation and Parks is going to do what it does best and create a wonderful new public park on this special land.” With construction beginning this year, Brice’s Creek Nature Park is poised to emerge as a beacon of natural beauty, providing a serene escape for locals and visitors alike. Billy Wilkes, Director of Craven County Recreation and Parks, is thrilled about the prospects of the new nature park, expressing, “There is considerable local interest in opening this park, and we are already on it. We received a $500,000 grant from the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund to BRICE’S CREEK, continued on page 2
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