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Management Recommendations: 



We feel that the Emerald Isle Woods and the adjacent sea 

 oats dunes - together comprising a complete ocean to sound 

 transect of approximately 500 acres - is worthy of preservation. 

 The total extent of maritime forest on the North Carolina coast 

 (and especially Bogue Banks) is rapidly decreasing due to human 

 development and the Emerald Isle Woods is an excellent example 

 of maritime forest. It has a very high plant and animal species 

 diversity and possibly the largest trees and greatest structural 

 diversity of any maritime forest in North Carolina. It certainly 

 has a great deal of esthetic appeal, especially in the areas where 

 relict beach ridges 40 feet and higher alternate with swale ponds. 

 This area also supports several species that are endangered, 

 threatened, or of special concern. 



Any degree of human development is inconsistent with the 

 ecological values of the Emerald Isle Woods area. Development 

 would result in the canopy being broken, and thus the forest is 

 no longer a forest. Wide roadways running perpendicular to the 

 beach would channel in salt spray and drying winds. Development 

 would require the filling in of the swale ponds and development 

 would involve some degree of bulldozing of the forested relict 

 dunes. H abitat for many species would be lost, and this would 

 be especially true for the rarer species. 



Of course, development pressure on this area is high, 

 especially on the area south of the road. However, development 

 pressure would be less on the approximately 200 acres that are 

 north of the road. This area is further from the ocean, has 

 the highest relict ridges, has the most swale ponds, and it abuts 

 marshes rather than deep water. Tlius development might not proceed 

 here for 3 or 4 years. 



The preservation of the 200 acres north of the road would not 

 be as desirable as the preservation of the entire 500 acres, but 

 it would save the best-developed area of forest, a large number of 

 species, and the most prominent area of relict beach ridges and 

 swales. 



If the entire 500 acres were acquired for preservation, then 

 steps v/ould have to be taken to protect the dune areas, as from 



