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The Nature Conservancy in South Carolina Home Page Contact Ways of Giving SC Update Where's Mark Places We Protect Science and Stewardship Wildlife Preserved Events Press Releases |
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Lowcountry Forest Conservation Partnership Launches Major Initiative With Doris Duke Charitable FoundationSeven groups focused on restoring and protecting native forests and their associated habitats in coastal South Carolina have received a $4 million grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Charleston, SC – An alliance of conservation organizations has joined with Clemson University and the Joseph W. Jones Ecological Research Center to form the Lowcountry Forest Conservation Partnership, a strategic alliance that will work to protect biological diversity across 2.9 million acres of coastal forest in the South Carolina Lowcountry. Selected as the seventh focus site in the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation’s $56 million national Protecting Places Conservation Initiative, the South Carolina Partnership will receive a $4 million grant over the course of three years. The seven partner organizations are Clemson University, The Conservation Fund, Ducks Unlimited, Inc., the South Carolina Coastal Conservation League, the Joseph W. Jones Ecological Research Center, the Lowcountry Open Land Trust and The Nature Conservancy. The Partnership was awarded the grant after a competitive process in which letters of intent were accepted from groups in nine ecologically important regions in the United States. An advisory panel of distinguished conservation scientists and practitioners narrowed the group from 27 applicants to four, who were invited to submit full proposals. The partnership was selected out of the four finalists. The bulk of the grant, $2.3 million, will be used to establish a revolving fund to protect the most ecologically significant land, with a goal of preserving at least 60,000 acres. The remaining funds will provide operational support to the partner organizations for activities in five strategic areas that address biological diversity:
The partners will tackle the different strategies, which will include protecting critical core sites, promoting urban development patterns that minimize forest fragmentation, implementing ecologically compatible forestry practices on private lands, and restoring and maintaining two key ecological processes – fire and hydrology. “It gives me great pleasure to announce that the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation is funding the Lowcountry Forest Conservation Partnership to sustain biological diversity in the coastal forests of South Carolina,” said Joan E. Spero, president of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. “The partnership provides unique and varied strategies for the people of the region to protect their most precious natural resources.” Mark Robertson, executive director of the South Carolina Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, said, “We are incredibly pleased to have an organization such as the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation recognize the need for protecting the fragile ecosystems of the Lowcountry and support this innovative partnership in its conservation efforts. “Due to the high ecological value of our coastal forest ecosystems and the severity of the threats to them, these conservation partners rallied around a common goal of protecting the biodiversity of the region. Each partner brings a unique perspective and role to the effort. We made a compelling case for protecting this natural resource. The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation agreed and chose to generously support this endeavor,” said Robertson. The mission of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation is to improve the quality of peoples’ lives by nurturing the arts, protecting and restoring the environment, seeking cures for diseases, and helping to protect children from abuse and neglect. Contacts for the organizations:
Dana Beach, danabeach@scccl.org (843) 723-8035, ext. 15 The Conservation Fund Clemson University Ducks Unlimited Joseph W. Jones Ecological Research Center Lowcountry Open Land Trust The Nature Conservancy Doris Duke Charitable Foundation |
