The future for the unprotected natural lands in the county 

 looks bleak. Unless steps are taken immediately to insure their 

 protection, the last remnants of the once great forests of the 

 county will disappear forever. Along with the demise of the 

 natural areas, species diversity will undoubtedly decrease. 

 Mammals, birds, and other animals which depend on large tracts of 

 relatively undisturbed forests will be replaced by other, more 

 widespread species which are adapted to open farmland and other 

 disturbed habitats. 



CONCLUSION 



Washington County has undergone vast land use changes in its 

 recent past. The opening up of the vast swamp forests and pocosins 

 to agriculture has had a profound effect on all aspects of the 

 county's development: economical, sociological, as well as en- 

 vironmental. Despite these large-scale changes, there remain 

 several tracts of land in the county which contain remnant 

 ecosystems representative of the forested wetlands which once 

 dominated the landscape. These remaining natural areas are 

 described in the following report. The future for these sites 

 is not bright. It is hoped that this report will generate some 

 interest and enthusiasm, not only within the scientific com- 

 munity but also among the residents of Washington County, so that 

 these priceless remnants of our natural heritage can be saved and 

 future generations will have the opportunity to see the closest 

 approximation of the original Washington County landscape. 



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