Unprecedented Year of Conservation Across South Carolina

More Than 53,000 Acres of Land Protected

<<click here to view the 2006 map>>

COLUMBIA, SC (FEBRUARY 2, 2007) — The Nature Conservancy, an international nonprofit conservation organization protecting more than 118 million acres of land worldwide, announces a record-breaking year of land conservation throughout South Carolina in 2006.

Last year, the Conservancy’s South Carolina chapter and its partners completed 16 projects, ensuring protection of 53,137 acres across the state. This includes a landmark acquisition of more than 39,000 acres of working forestland, recreation lands and wildlife habitat from International Paper, property known as Woodbury and Hamilton Ridge tracts in the Savannah, Great Pee Dee and Little Pee Dee River areas. The Nature Conservancy, The Conservation Fund and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources worked together to acquire these lands for long-term stewardship by the public. The purchase represents the largest conservation acquisition by the state in its history.

“I want to congratulate the Nature Conservancy for what has truly been a banner year in terms of preserving South Carolina's quality of life,” said Governor Mark Sanford. “The Nature Conservancy, the Conservation Fund, DNR and others are working to ensure South Carolina’s natural beauty continues to be protected for many years to come, and thus part of our state's competitive advantage in global race for jobs and investments."

Other milestones the Conservancy reached this year include TNC’s first conservation easement in Oconee County; the purchase of more than 500 acres at Forty-Acre Rock -- a 50-percent increase in protected lands there; additions to the Francis Beidler Forest at Four Hole Swamp; a new preserve on the Waccamaw River; and over 10,000 acres of protection along the Savannah River. Further, the Conservancy has increased its landholdings in the ACE Basin and the Francis Marion National Forest, including a 100-acre tract on the Old Georgetown Road across from the historic St. James Santee Church.

The 2006 conservation successes come at a critical time for the Palmetto State. The 40th largest in the nation and the 10th fastest growing, South Carolina has one of the highest rural-to-urban land conversion rates of all 50 states. Further compounding the problem, South Carolina is expected to gain one million new residents, largely in coastal areas, in the next 20 years. When combined with land and forest fragmentation from corporate timberland sell-off, these conditions threaten to extensively alter and destroy the state’s natural resources and landscapes.

“Last year was a true victory for conservation throughout South Carolina,” said Mark Robertson, executive director of The Nature Conservancy-South Carolina. “In conjunction with more than 14 other significant projects and the actions of private landowners, the International Paper land deal was the linchpin in our efforts to accelerate conservation throughout the state. We made great inroads toward protecting South Carolina’s way of life and natural heritage in 2006.”

The Nature Conservancy has worked in South Carolina since 1969 to protect and preserve the state’s most important natural resources. With the support of more than 9,500 members and the guidance of a volunteer board of recognized business and conservation leaders from around the state, the Conservancy has helped safeguard more than 287,000 acres of natural areas throughout South Carolina. The organization works to save priority landscapes, waterways and coastal areas; stop looming threats to these landscapes, including non-native invasive species, fire suppression and alteration of waterways; and protect, steward and restore the health of these places so they last into the future.

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