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Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Dorchester County purchase could bring SC state forest count to 7
A 1,644-acre forest tract in Dorchester County, known as Beech Hill, is to be preserved as a South Carolina state forest. (Photo provided by Brown Land + Plantation Advisors) The number of state forests in South Carolina could jump from five to seven. A land conservation group bought a 1,644-acre forest tract in the Lowcountry with plans to transfer it to the state Forestry Commission for management. Harbison State Forest in Richland County Manchester State Forest in Clarendon and Sumter counties Poe Creek State Forest in Oconee and Pickens counties Sand Hills State Forest in Chesterfield and Darlington counties Wee Tee State Forest in Williamsburg and Georgetown counties Source: SC Forestry Commission Thursday's announcement from Dorchester County follows a 2,700-acre purchase in Jasper County two weeks ago by the Nature Conservancy that was expected to become the first new state forest in 20 years. The Open Space Institute closed last week on its $11.35 million purchase of land called Beech Hill in Dorchester County, located between the Edisto River Wildlife Management Area and Givhans Ferry State Park, about 12 miles west of the fast-growing town of Summerville. The organization, in a statement, described the property as 'unusually high and dry for the Lowcountry,' putting it in higher demand for potential development as growth moves northwest out of Charleston. According to the Open Space Institute, it will be open to the public with for hunting, hiking and biking. 'This forested landscape represents a renewable resource that provides a multitude of benefits, including clean water, scenic beauty, wildlife habitat and outdoor recreation,' State Forester Scott Phillips said in a statement. 'This is another win for our state, its residents, and wildlife as we continue working with our partners to ramp up efforts to conserve working forests.' The land was previously used by WestRock to grow trees for its now-shuttered North Charleston paper mill. The purchase includes funding from the Forestry Commission and the South Carolina Conservation Bank, as well as Dorchester County, which will contribute $4.1 million from its Greenbelt Program. County voters approved a 1-cent local sales tax for conservation in 2022. Management of South Carolina's protected forests is funded through timber sales on the properties, according to the Forestry Commission's website. A quarter of revenue earned from the new forest will go to the Dorchester County School District, according to information provided by the Open Space Institute. The Nature Conservancy bought the Jasper County property, known as Chelsea Plantation, for $32 million. Originally nearly 6,000 acres, other parts of the tract had already been sold to home builders. Jasper County property could become SC's first new state forest in 20 years 'Developing Chelsea would have ushered in a new era of expansion in an already fast-growing region,' executive director Dale Threatt-Taylor said in a statement. 'We weren't willing to leave it to chance.' The timeline for transferring that property to the state is still being discussed. Before these two announcements, the last time land opened to the public as a new, protected state forest was in 2004, when the Forestry Commission acquired 12,000-acre Wee Tee State Forest in Williamsburg and Georgetown counties. Conservation groups helped purchase land to add to the forest in 2023, bringing its total to 18,000 acres.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Two South Carolina state agencies working on land buys in Florence, Horry counties valued at $12M
HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — A pair of state agencies are working on conservation deals that would protect vast swaths of wetlands and other vulnerable ecosystems from invasive developments. Documents included in Wednesday's Joint Bond Review Committee show involvement by the state Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism on a 111.2-acre project abutting Waties Island and a nearly 4,600-acre acquisition that's part of Snow's Island in Florence County — with a combined purchase price of more than $12 million. The New York-based Open Space Institute in February said it secured 115 acres on and around Waties Island, South Carolina's last pristine barrier island that spans 22 miles from Myrtle Beach to the North Carolina border. 'The project was established as a donation, however, due to the availability of federal funds to reimburse the state for its initial contribution, the property will now be purchased,' the agenda says. 'The property is one of the last remaining undeveloped and unprotected barrier islands of this size in the southeastern United States.' Locking up the land would protect 'key ecological services afford by this open space to the larger built environment around it,' state officials said. Open Space Institute is offering the land for $2 million, which would be paid for using National American Wetlands Conservation Grant Act funds. Just before Christmas, Gov. Henry McMaster visited Snow's Island in Florence County to celebrate a landmark land preservation deal totaling 7,600 acres. A full project estimate shows $1.5 million from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and $8.5 million from the federal Forest Service. * * * Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Officials move to safeguard one of state's greatest assets from looming threat: 'Significant ... value'
The biggest conservation effort in Florence County, South Carolina, is officially underway. The newly protected 7,600 acres of land lies at the confluence of the Lynches and Great Pee Dee Rivers and is composed of the marshy Snow's Island and a neighboring timber tract, which together are known as the Snow's Island Assemblage. "Snow's Island is one of South Carolina's greatest natural assets, with significant environmental, cultural, and historic value," Governor Henry McMaster said in a statement with the Open Space Institute. The intersectional significance of Snow's Island makes it an important landmark in Florence County. The land was once the site of General Francis Marion's camp during the Revolutionary War. General Marion was nicknamed "Swamp Fox" for his sneaky and effective tactics in the United States' war for independence from the British. Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Definitely Only in some areas No way I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. The 5,000-acre forested wetlands where General Marion and his troops stayed is a National Historic Landmark, though much of the inland island's forest has been timbered. For this reason, the Open Space Institute acquired Snow's Island and the adjacent timber tract to begin efforts for conservation in collaboration with Florence County, the South Carolina Office of Resilience, the Darla Moore Foundation, and the Knobloch Family Foundation. As of December 2024, the Snow's Island Assemblage is protected land. Through this project, conservationists will protect an important piece of American history and preserve the habitats of species like the swallow-tailed kite and the spotted turtle. Protecting wildlife is important to avoid imbalances in the ecosystem, which often have unexpected consequences. The conservation of the Snow's Island Assemblage will also impact flood mitigation in the Lynches and Great Pee Dee Rivers. Since 2018, the Pee Dee has experienced flood emergencies, and the protection of this land will protect surrounding communities through efforts to redirect floodwater. "The protection of Snow's Island Assemblage protects historic land, wildlife, and miles of riverfront for the enjoyment of generations to come. I am proud of our state and this partnership, which has come together to protect one of our state's greatest natural assets," McMaster said in a WMBF News story. While McMaster did help this effort to happen, he has a somewhat complicated history of supporting positive local environmental projects and solar development while working against broader ones to combat climate change, including support for the U.S. pulling out of the Paris climate accord to reduce pollution. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
