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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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The Nature Conservancy Protects 2,200 Acres With Seven Conservation EasementsProperty in South Lowcountry, ACE Basin and Sewee to Santee Regions Receive Protection Columbia, SC—January 21, 2004—As 2003 came to a close, The Nature Conservancy in South Carolina protected nearly 2,200 acres through the donation of seven conservation easements in the final days of December. Concentrated in the ACE Basin, the South Lowcountry and the Sewee to Santee regions of the state, the easements will ensure the permanent protection of critical habitat, including salt and brackish marshes, bottomland hardwoods and longleaf pine forests. "These conservation easements are representative of the willingness of South Carolina landowners to protect the ecological integrity of their property," said Mark Robertson, South Carolina Chapter director for The Nature Conservancy. "We are grateful for the opportunity to work with each of these families to ensure their future generations will enjoy South Carolina's natural areas." South Lowcountry "We wanted to make sure that our land would never be subdivided for condominiums or other development in the future," said Mrs. Daly, who resides full-time in Savannah. "Working with the Conservancy was such delight. With the easement in place, we are now talking with them about managing the forests and future plantings." Joe Hamilton, ACE Basin and South Lowcountry project director for the Conservancy, explained that there is potential for enhancing the property with prescribed burns and selective timber harvesting. While nearly half of the protected property consists of brackish marsh, the remaining land is a mixture of loblolly pine and mixed hardwoods, providing habitat for white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, migratory and resident songbirds, and wading birds. "The new residents of Palmetto Bluff and those that pass by on the New River can glance southward and be assured that their view has been protected in perpetuity by the owners and stewards of Good Hope," said Hamilton. "That is a lasting gift to those who cherish things natural, wild, free and undeveloped." The Conservancy also received a conservation easement on the 465 acre Woodside Plantation northwest of Garnett, S.C., just three miles from the Savannah River. This property, owned by Alan and Elizabeth Runyan, supports longleaf and loblolly pine forests and scattered hardwoods, an extensive system of pastures, and a four-acre pond. This property provides critical feeding and nesting grounds for resident and migratory songbirds as well as wading birds and the seasonal swallow-tailed and Mississippi kites, favorites of birders. ACE Basin "This is one of South Carolina's most beautiful areas, and we wanted to work with the Conservancy to make sure our property would always be protected," said Randy White of Walterboro. White and his wife, Sara, donated a 231-acre conservation easement on their Dovefield Plantation Swamp property just east of Walterboro. The property's watershed includes Doctor's, Ireland and Ivanhoe creeks, which form the headwaters of the Ashepoo River, one of the three rivers comprising the ACE Basin. The bottomland hardwood swamp provides habitat for game species, including white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, and wood ducks, as well as resident and migratory songbirds. "We enjoy sharing the beauty of this property with others," said White, who often takes friends and visitors on tours of the swamp, particularly in early spring when the butterweeds are in bloom. In Dorchester County, Carl Pierce donated a 293-acre conservation easement on Gable Farm. Historically managed with ecologically compatible timber harvests and prescribed burns, the longleaf pine forest on the property supports three colonies of the federally endangered red-cockaded woodpecker and is enlisted in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Safe Harbor Program. "This property represents one of the South's rapidly disappearing landscapes - the longleaf pine forest," said Hamilton. "While the landowner has done an excellent job of managing the property, he wanted to go a step further and place an easement on the land to ensure its permanent protection for generations to come." To the northwest of Combahee River in Colleton County, a conservation easement was donated on the 588 acre Copper Station Plantation comprised principally of bottomland hardwoods and pine plantations. The property, which drains into the Combahee River, provides prime habitat for white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, resident and migratory songbirds and waterfowl. "The Conservancy will work with the owner to manage the property to protect the quality of water entering the Combahee River to maintain optimum habitat conditions for the numerous fish species in the river system," said Hamilton.
Sewee to Santee Both protected properties contain forested uplands of mostly loblolly pine-mixed hardwood with high- quality freshwater forested wetlands, maritime forest, tidal salt marsh and impoundments associated with Doe Hall Creek and its tributaries. "We are pleased to have worked with the Morrison family to help perpetuate a wonderful tradition of compatible land use, including hunting, fishing, forest management and farming practiced on Doe Hall for more than a century," said Michael Prevost, Sewee to Santee project director for the Conservancy. "These tracts, which remain private property, contribute significantly to the protection of the rural character and biology of the area," said Prevost. "By protecting these tracts, we are also protecting water quality in the Cape Romain Refuge, which has been classified as Outstanding Resource Waters, the highest water quality standard classification by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control."
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