DURHAM, N.C. – A new agreement between 91 and the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will preserve some of Duke Forest’s most significant natural areas for the education and enjoyment of generations to come.

The agreement enrolls 1,220 acres of the Forest in the Registry of Natural Heritage Areas.

Landowners who place their land in the Registry of Natural Heritage Areas are making a voluntary, nonbinding commitment with the state to preserve their land for the perpetuation of natural processes, natural communities and rare species populations.

Couch Mountain, Bald Mountain, Blackwood Mountain and Stony Creek Spring are among the Forest’s natural features now enrolled on the register. Slopes along the Eno River and New Hope Creek also are registered, as are the Forest’s rare Piedmont meadow flats, among other sites.

DEHR Secretary Bill Ross presented the university with a certificate recognizing the registry agreement at the Duke Forest Annual Meeting, Thursday, Oct. 14 at Couch Farm. About 60 members of the Duke and Nicholas School communities, neighboring landowners and representatives from environmental conservation organizations attended the recognition ceremony.

“This registry agreement gives formal recognition for something Duke has been doing for many years,” said Judson Edeburn, Duke Forest resource manager. “And it further demonstrates our commitment to good stewardship of our most significant natural areas.”

The Duke Forest Teaching and Research Laboratory comprises 7,025 acres of land in Durham, Orange and Alamance counties. It is administered by the Nicholas School.

The Forest has been managed to provide a diverse array of research and teaching opportunities since its establishment in 1931. Active management, including the harvesting of timber stands, and passive management, in the form of reserving areas for observation of natural processes, have been equally important in enhancing the Forest’s academic and natural values, Edeburn said

“Registering these significant natural areas with the Natural Heritage Program underscores their importance not only for the biological diversity they contain, but also for the long-term research opportunities they provide,” he said. “This helps ensure our ability to meet the forest’s academic mission.”

Enrolling the acres in the registry will preserve some of Duke Forest’s most scenic and ecologically significant areas for the enjoyment and education of future generations, said Linda Pearsall, program head of the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program. “We hope that other colleges and universities will follow the example Duke sets,” she said.