State approves Cove Swamp, Hampstead boat ramp buys

The effort to save the Cove Swamp in Columbus County has succeeded. Today the Council of State approved spending $650,000 toward buying the 441 acres. The land will be added to Lake Waccamaw State Park.

The state is buying the property from the Nature Conservancy. It’s an environmental group that bought the land to keep it from being clear cut by a developer. Private donations and the Town of Lake Waccamaw also helped pay for the purchase.

The Council of State also cleared the way for a public boat ramp in Hampstead. The $2.8 million will buy nearly seven acres of land on Lewis Road along the Intracoastal Waterway. It will be the first public boat ramp between Wrightsville Beach and Surf City. Pender County Commission Chair Jimmy Tate says there are still some issues that need to be worked out with the current owner and the state before the deal is finalized.