Rhodes Pond to Become State-owned Game Land

RALEIGH, N.C. (April 11, 2005) — Rhodes Pond, a popular destination for outdoors-lovers in Cumberland County, will remain open to the public in perpetuity.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, working with the Sandhills Area Land Trust, is acquiring the 461-acre pond for conservation and recreation uses. Funding and administration for the purchase came from the state Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

The multi-agency deal calls for the Wildlife Commission to manage the property. The Commission currently owns or manages more than 2 million acres of public land statewide. Wib Owen, the Commission’s section manager for land management, said that upon transfer of the tract to the Wildlife Commission, the area will be open immediately to fishing and wildlife viewing. Commission game land staff will begin the process of evaluating the property for inclusion into the Game Land program and possible hunting opportunities in the future.

Fishing and boating will remain primary recreational uses of the site, located off U.S. 301 near the Harnett County line. Bird-watchers and casual visitors will also find plenty of natural splendor.
Rhodes Pond dates to the 1740s, when the Black River was first dammed. It was the site of an 1865 Civil War skirmish preceding the nearby Battle of Averasboro, one of the last battles of the war. The black-water pond also boasts natural history. The N.C. Natural Heritage Program has designated the site a regionally significant natural area because of its bounty of plants and wildlife — cypresses, game fish, river frogs and little blue herons (both state-listed species of special concern) and rare anhinga birds, as well as egrets and herons.

Operated as a fishing camp since the mid-1960s, Rhodes Pond was sold by the Honeycutt family last December. The $375,000 purchase price came from the N.C. Ecosystem Enhancement Program, which buys natural lands for conservation to replace other lands lost or damaged by highway construction. The program is a partnership between the state DOT and DENR.

The Sandhills Area Land Trust will hold a dedication ceremony at Rhodes Pond on Saturday, April 16, from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Lunch, fishing demonstrations and a pontoon-boat tour of the property are part of the day’s events. For ticket costs and other information, contact the organization at (910) 695-4323, or log onto sandhillslandtrust.org.

Return to Top

Return to News/Press Releases

NC Wildlife Home