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Southern Forests Conservation Project
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The Nature Conservancy and International Paper have undertaken a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to protect ecologically important forests, rivers and streams in 10 southern states. The Nature Conservancy will acquire more than 218,000 acres in the largest private land conservation project in the history of the southern United States. Partners include state governments, federal agencies, the Department of Defense and timber investment entities.
Total Protected Area in South Carolina: 38,949 acres
- Hamilton Ridge: 13,281 acres
- Woodbury: 25,668 acres
Representative Species
- Kentucky warbler
- Louisiana waterthrush
- Rusty blackbird
- Robust redhorse
- Swallow-tailed kite
- Swainson's warbler
Project Partners
- The Nature Conservancy
- The Conservation Fund
- International Paper
- State of South Carolina
South Carolina Forests
The Conservation Fund and The Nature Conservancy are protecting nearly 39,000 acres of forestland in South Carolina. The two parcels, known as the Woodbury and Hamilton Ridge tracts, will serve as working forests and will enhance recreation lands and wildlife habitat across the state.
Hamilton Ridge: 13,281 acres
- Located on Savannah River in Hampton County, South Carolina, just across the border from Georgia, the project complements over 38,000 acres of protected land along the river in Georgia.
- Consists of lower coastal plain habitat with pine uplands with scattered live oaks and bottomlands with some remaining mature hardwoods. A distribution of fields, openings, hardwood drainages and isolated wetlands are scattered throughout the uplands.
- Bordered by over 12,000 acres of state-owned conservation lands, including the Webb Wildlife Center and the Palachucola Widlife Management Area.
- The Webb Wildlife Center is home to 13 active colonies of red-cockaded woodpeckers; it is hoped that with similar management of Hamilton Ridge those colonies may spread onto the property.
- The Hamilton Ridge tract, on the Savannah River, helps protect the water supply for Beaufort and Jasper counties in South Carolina and for the cities of Savannah, Georgia and Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
- With 12 miles of river frontage, the Hamilton Ridge Tract is the largest unprotected property on the Savannah River
- The Hamilton Ridge Tract provides essential habitat for bobwhite quail, white-tailed deer, wild turkey, wood ducks, Mississippi kites, and swallow-tailed kites.
Woodbury: 25,668 acres
- Located at the confluence of the Pee Dee, and Little Pee Dee rivers in Marion County, South Carolina, the Woodbury tract is surrounded on three sides by rivers and serves as a critical migrationcorridor for neotropical birds.
- The project safeguards approximately 27.5 miles of river frontage on the Pee Dee River and the Little Pee Dee River.
- More than half of the forest is wetlands, and a portion of the landscape is covered with stands of longleaf pine forest. As these forests mature, they will serve as important habitat for the redcockaded woodpecker.
- Public management of the property would support ongoing federal recovery efforts for the woodpecker by providing additional foraging and nesting habitat.
- The Pee Dee River has one of the state's two largest known populations of the federally endangered shortnose sturgeon.
- The Woodbury tract, on the Pee Dee River, helps protect the water supply for Myrtle Beach and Georgetown, South Carolina.
- Of historical significance, the Woodbury tract was associated with the Revolutionary War battles of General Francis Marion, including at least one skirmish with Tory loyalists. In addition, Revolutionary War Brigadier General William Woodberry is buried on the property.
- Once transferred to public ownership, the land will be open to the public for outdoor recreational activities.
- Approximately 2,600 acres of the Woodbury property are within the Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge boundaries.
For More Information
The Nature Conservancy in South Carolina
Working with partners, local communities, and people like you, The Nature Conservancy has protected more than 214,000 acres of critical natural habitat in South Carolina.
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