Black skimmers 



Island. The research collected since 1992 

 by Hill and Buerger shows that the north 

 end, south end and beach areas of 

 Masonboro recover from human impact 

 because of the erasing effects of over- 

 wash and winds. The middle areas of the 

 island and marshes don't fare as well. 

 Marsh grass dies, trash is dropped and 

 land is eroded. 



These findings haven't limited the 

 public's access to the island yet. "I think 

 the thing to bear in mind is we really 

 need more data," Taggart says. "So you 

 don't jump to any management conclu- 

 sions based on that." 



Yet the fear of altering Masonboro 

 inspires its friends to action. 



McPhaul reminds us to bring out 

 what we take in. "Those kind of simple 

 ideas are really important," she says. 



Now that the island belongs almost 

 entirely to the state, she sees the society's 

 role as providing education. "We need to 

 be very gentle with our use of it," she 

 says. "The society can educate people 

 who are apt to be going there." 



Volunteers from the society 

 sometimes pick up trash or set up 

 regulatory signs. According to Taggart, 



surfers who cherish the island's waves 

 often organize cleanup crews. Society 

 members work with researchers to mark 

 turtle nesting sites or create educational 

 programs about how the island should 

 be treated. The society also helps the 

 Division of Coastal Management with 

 the often tricky, always long process of 

 acquisition. 



The research reserve now owns 91 

 percent of Masonboro uplands. Almost 

 half of these were purchased from 

 willing sellers, or in some cases con- 

 demnation was declared. "The intent is 

 to get the entire island so it will all be 

 protected," says Taggart. 



To get the last 9 percent may be a 

 struggle. Some of the land is owned by 

 the society, which plans to turn it over 

 to the state. Other property is in private 

 ownership. 



"Sometimes it's hard to tell who 

 owns the land," Taggart says. "There's 

 often a very complex chain of title." In 

 some cases, landowners are long dead, 

 and heirs are difficult to find. In other 

 cases, owners do not want to relinquish 

 their land. 



Think about it; it's easy to under- 



stand why someone wouldn't want to 

 give up Masonboro Island property. 

 Imagine owning a part of something so 

 undeveloped, so beautiful. 



Most folks, though, love Mason- 

 boro Island for what it has to offer, 

 and they want it to be in the hands of 

 Taggart and the Division of Coastal 

 Management. They understand that this 

 way it would belong to everyone. 



"It's been here," says McPhaul. 

 "It'll be here. It's just how we take care 

 of it that decides what will be left." □ 



From Currituck to Calabash: 

 Living with North Carolina's Barrier 

 Islands, by Orrin H. Pilkey Jr., William 

 J. Neal and Orrin H. Pilkey Sr., and 

 Exploring the North Carolina National 

 Estuarine Research Reserve, by John 

 Taggart and Kathryn Henderson, were 

 valuable sources for this story. For 

 more information about the Society 

 for Masonboro Island, call Marian 

 McPhaul at 910/256-5777. Groups can 

 visit Masonboro Island on educational 

 cruises sponsored by Carolina Ocean 

 Study Programs. For more information, 

 call 910/458-7302. 



COASTWATCH 9 



