05/29/2008

Associated Press

The North Carolina Coastal Land Trust plans to buy 23 acres at the southern tip of Masonboro Island to protect the land from development.

The Star-News of Wilmington reported Thursday the tract is the largest privately held land left on the island about five miles southeast of Wilmington.

Most of the nearly 5,000-acre island is part of the state-run National Estuarine Research Reserve.

Camilla Herlevich with the land trust says each purchase helps with the preservation of the undeveloped land.

Wilmington attorney Bill Raney says the purchase of Susan McMillan's land would be one of the largest transfers in recent times.

The state property office says the purchase would cost $85,000. The low price stems from the lack of infrastructure on the land, making it hard to get permission to build there.

___

Information from: The Star-News, http://starnewsonline.com