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 The North Carolina Coastal Reserve Program, within the Division of Coastal Management, was authorized by the NC General
Assembly in 1989 to protect unique coastal sites. The program includes the North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve,
 part of the National Estuarine Research Reserve system, which the Division manages in partnership with the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under the Coastal Zone Management Act.
The North Carolina Coastal Reserve is comprised of ten sites. Four of these are designated as the North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve. It includes Currituck Banks, Rachel Carson, Masonboro Island, and Zeke’s Island sites. Other
sites in the NC Coastal Reserve Program are Kitty Hawk Woods, Emily and Richardson Preyer Buckridge, Buxton Woods, Permuda Island, Bald Head Woods, and Bird Island.
The Coastal Reserves operate as living laboratories for research, education and management.
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