The North Carolina Coastal Land Trust has secured the final $1 million to buy the undeveloped southern tip of Topsail Island.
According to the Coastal Review, Executive Director Harrison Marks said he anticipates closing on the nearly 150-acre tract known as “The Point” by April.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service awarded the $1 million grant to the North Carolina Division of Coastal Management, in partnership with the Coastal Land Trust and others, to go toward the land purchase.
The nonprofit has received more than $1.5 million in private donations.
Michele Rivest, vice president of the grassroots organization Conserve the Point, told the publication that the pending purchase of the land, which will result in its permanent conservation, is, “A dream come true.”
Conserve the Point initially formed nearly two decades ago after the property’s long-time owners put it on the market in 2005. It was around that same time the Coastal Land Trust tried to buy roughly 45 acres of the property, but a deal fell flat. The land has been routinely on and off the market since then.
