• Cooperative effort among Wildlife Commission, IP and Nature Conservancy increases game lands in Columbus, elsewhere.

By JEFFERSON WEAVER
Staff Writer

Nearly20,000 acres of hardwoods near the Green Swamp will be available for hunters, hikers, anglers and others next year.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission announced last week that a portion of a $12 million grant will be used to finalize the purchase of the Juniper Creek forest between the Green Swamp and the Waccamaw River. The land was previously farmed in trees by International Paper Co., and was only open to hunting through private lease agreements.

The state and the Nature Conservancy announced plans to purchase the properties earlier this year.

The 18,624 acre tract is home to deer, bear, feral hogs, turkeys, and small game, and its waterways are prime habitats not just for gamefish such as bass, catfish and bream but to rare species including the pygmy sunfish and an endangered mussel, the Waccamaw spike.

The Juniper Creek tract is located in Columbus and Brunswick counties, and is contiguous to the extant Columbus County Gamelands.

Among the additional tracts secured under the grant are a bald eagle roosting area at Jordan Lake, 1,659 acres of waterfowl habitat in Richmond County, and a critical habitat connector, better known as a “bear highway,” in Onslow County.

The bear highway provides a greenspace buffer between urban development and high population bear habitats.

Funding came through a Natural Heritage Trust Fund Grant. Since 1990, North Carolina has added more than 80,000 acres for the Game Lands program using $137 million from the trust.

The fund provides supplemental funding to select state agencies to preserve natural areas. It is supported by a portion of real estate deed transfer taxes and by a portion of the fees for personalized license plates.

The Nature Conservancy of North Carolina helped evaluate the property and secure the funding.

The N.C. Gamelands Program preserves natural areas across the state for hunting, fishing, and other recreational uses.

Gamelands are open to the public during posted times. While hunters, boaters and fishermen are required to have a permit, other activities on most gamelands are free.

For more information and maps of N.C. Gamelands, go to www.ncwildlife.org.