DURHAM --- The Nature Conservancy  announced that it has purchased property on the Black River that is home to the oldest trees east of the Rockies, bald cypress dating to Roman times.

Duke Energy, in conjunction with an agreement with the Cape Fear Conservation and Preservation Fund, provided $225,000 for the project, which the Conservancy is matching with dollars from private donors.

“These trees are one of North Carolina’s and the country’s natural treasures,” said Conservancy Executive Director Katherine Skinner. “We have protected more than 16,000 acres on the Black River. But these trees are the centerpiece of that work.”

The 319-acre tract is in Bladen County. It includes the oldest known stand of bald cypress trees in the world, called the Three Sisters. The bald cypress live in the wet swamps along the river. The new acquisition also includes nice upland forests farther away from the river.

“We’re committed to protecting and enhancing the natural resources that future generations will depend on,” said Stephen De May, Duke Energy’s North Carolina president. “We value the work The Nature Conservancy is doing to preserve these historic trees so that our citizens can enjoy them for many years to come.”

University of Arkansas Professor Dr. David Stahle discovered the old trees in the late 1980s when he was doing climate research. Tree rings are a good way to study past climate because they are sensitive to rain and temperature. Tree rings usually grow wider in warm, wet years and thinner in cold, dry years. One of the bald cypress dates to 364 A.D., making it the tenth oldest species of tree on Earth. Stahle has revisited the area and done more research recently. He says it is likely that there are even older trees on the newly acquired property and elsewhere along the river.

The Black River flows 60 miles through Sampson, Pender, and Bladen Counties before emptying into the Cape Fear 14 miles above Wilmington. The Conservancy has protected land along the Black River in all three counties and will continue to protect unique natural properties as they become available.