What sets these 

 woods apart 



BY KATHY HART 



There's an old adage: "You can't see the 

 forest for the trees." 



In the case of North Carolina's maritime 

 forests, that adage can be taken literally. 



As you ride along N.C. 12 through Buxton 

 or N.C. 58 past Bogue Banks, you see the 

 gnarled branches of live oaks or the berry- 

 laden limbs of yaupons along the side of 

 the road. 



But the branches of the oaks and yaupons 

 rarely give you a glimpse of the forest 

 beyond. And they certainly don't give you a 

 clue to the importance of these maritime 

 woodlands. 



Oceanfront forests are special. 



Their flora can grow where no trees and 

 shrubs have grown before. They are specif- 

 ically adapted to tolerate salt spray, strong 

 winds and the poor soils of the barrier islands. 



Despite this inhospitable environment, 

 maritime forests provide barrier islands with 

 special benefits. They anchor shifting sands; 



accumulate, store and protect fresh water; 

 and add soil through decomposition of plants. 



Today, North Carolina's barrier islands 

 support diminishing numbers of acres of 

 maritime trees and shrubs. 



The larger forests are at Buxton, Kitty 

 Hawk, Nags Head and the Smith Island 

 Complex (Bald Head, Middle and Bluff 

 islands). Smaller wooded tracts can be 

 found on Currituck Banks, Ocracoke, Ports- 

 mouth Island, Shackleford Banks, Bogue 

 Island, Topsail Island, Bear Island and 

 Carolina/Kure Beach. 



Portions of these wooded tracts are 

 protected. 



Nearly 300 acres of Nags Head Woods 

 are owned by the N.C. Nature Conservancy. 

 Another 260 acres are owned by the town 

 of Nags Head to protect its groundwater 

 supply. 



The Cape Hatteras National Seashore 

 manages 1 ,000 acres of the 3,000-acre 

 Buxton Woods tract. The N.C. Division of 

 Coastal Management recently bought 

 another 328 acres as part of its Coastal 

 Reserve Program. 



The Cape Lookout National Seashore 

 maintains the woodlands on Portsmouth 

 and Shackleford Banks. 



And the state owns a 256-acre maritime 

 forest on Bogue Banks, the Theodore 

 Roosevelt State Natural Area, and the forests 

 on Bear and Bluff islands. 



Photo by Scott Taylor 



