Policy

Explore Our Legislative Priorities

• Sharing Our South Carolina Conservation Ethic

  2026 is the final year of the two-year state legislative session for the 126th General Assembly. It is also an election year for every member of the S.C. House, Governor, Congressional House members and one of our U.S. Senators. As a result, TNC-SC has an opportunity to engage both sitting and prospective legislators and elected officials with an encouraging message about how conservation benefits Palmetto State residents and businesses. In 2026, we will:

  • Promote protection and restoration projects, as well as the science that underpins them, through direct legislative engagement.
  • Demonstrate how conservation is compatible with working lands, recreation, development, resilience and prosperous communities.
• Enhancing Conservation Policy and Finance Mechanisms

  The 2026 legislative session brings opportunities to improve incentives that encourage landowners to consider voluntary long-term land protection in exchange for realized value through tax credits. Modest adjustments to these programs have the potential to unlock additional acres for conservation along South Carolina’s scenic rivers and in areas highly susceptible to conversion from working forests or agricultural use. In 2026, we will:

  • Partner with the S.C. Land Trust Network to improve the S.C. Scenic Rivers Act. Program improvements will further secure key river corridors and expand opportunities for land protection by enhancing incentives to landowners through an improved tax credit.
  • Advance legislation to improve the S.C. Conservation Easement Tax Credit (H.3409). Adjusting the tax credit to track more closely with inflation and current property values will incentivize and encourage private land protection statewide.
• Investing in Statewide Conservation Funding and Partnerships

  TNC deeply values the partnership and expertise of our state natural resource agencies. We are proud to work side-by-side with them in our Lowcountry pine forests and salt marshes, on the fire line of controlled burns in the Piedmont, along the streams of the Southern Blue Ridge and in the halls of the State House. In the coming year, we endeavor to partner with them in support of Governor McMaster’s Legacy for Landscapes initiative to increase the pace and scale of land protection statewide. We will continue to support funding for the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, S.C. Conservation Bank, S.C. Office of Resilience and the S.C. Forestry Commission, as well as for enhanced investments in land protection, forest management, habitat restoration and coastal stabilization across the state budget. In 2026, we will:

  • Capitalize on the Governor’s Legacy for Landscapes initiative to advance relevant policy measures and funding requests, in conjunction with state agency partners and other conservation organizations.
  • Support the S.C. Conservation Bank, creating a shared appreciation for the valuable role it plays in conserving critical landscapes statewide, at a fraction of the normal cost of land protection.
  • Champion the SC Land Trust Network as a trusted resource for elected officials to seek information and insight on policy questions and connect with local land trusts.
  • Support expansion of conservation technical assistance resources available to South Carolina agricultural producers in partnership with the SC Association of Conservation Districts and the SC Department of Natural Resources.
• Encouraging Natural and Nature-Based Approaches to Natural Resource Challenges

  TNC-SC is committed to advancing a science- and nature-based approach to resource management and the alleviation of challenges impacting people and communities across the state. Surface water availability, repeated flooding, coastal inundation and erosion, sedimentation and wildfire are all threats that can be addressed at least in part by maintaining and restoring natural systems and processes. In 2026, we will:

  • Continue to track the WaterSC process, led by the S.C. Department of Environmental Services, and the draft State Water Plan. We will provide information and resources to state legislators, including Senate Agriculture and Natural Resource Committee members and Surface Water Study Committee members.
  • Partner with the S.C. Office of Resilience, S.C. Department of Natural Resources, hunting and fishing organizations and others to consider the future of state wetlands protection. We will seek a better understanding of present obstacles in discussion with the agriculture, business and economic-development communities, working in good faith toward realistic, effective solutions to secure wetlands for flood defense, habitat protection and water quality.
  • Connect legislators and staff with opportunities to appreciate policy and budget impacts by engaging live and in person with conservation and restoration work, such as prescribed burns, aquatic connectivity and land protection. This will be accomplished through field visits organized alongside state and federal agency partners, local land trusts and other groups.

Download a Copy

• 2026 Legislative Priorities

  Download a copy to support your discussions, committee work and budget planning. Contact information for our Director of Government Relations is included.

• Immediate and Lasting Impact for South Carolina Communities

  South Carolina residents care about preserving their lands and waters and the places they call home. Land conservation helps improve water quality and supply, boosts resilience against storms and provides habitat for diverse species. Protecting land also has economic benefits, such as supporting agriculture and forestry, enhancing local tourism and creating more opportunities for people to get outdoors and connect with nature. Investing in land conservation today ensures a healthier, more resilient environment and quality of life for all who call our state home.

• Why The Nature Conservancy Advocates for Nature

  Our mission is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends.

  We see an exciting future for nature. A future filled with opportunities and possibilities. A future where nature beats the odds. Where a better tomorrow exists thanks to forests, salt marshes and streams. Coral reefs and mountain ranges. Animals great and small. Our human communities. By collaborating across boundaries, borders and divides, we can manifest this reality because together, we find a way.