11 May
Thx, happily aboard! RT @chiwilderness #FF newest members of the Chicago Wilderness alliance: @GDDonnelley, @willconserve, @WaukeganPrkDist
Lowcountry Land Conservation Partnership
In the Lowcountry of South Carolina, the land conservation community has a long history of partnerships that have resulted in the permanent preservation of hundreds of thousands of acres of natural land. To build upon this success, with five other conservation organizations, we form a partnership to carry out focused, regional land protection projects that no single organization could successfully engage in alone.
The Lowcountry is located along South Carolina’s coast and is internationally known for its natural beauty and unique cultural heritage. Miles of white beaches, diverse ecosystems of pine and hardwood forests, Spanish moss-draped oaks, and tidal marshes make the region distinctive. The appealing patchwork of coastal towns, former plantations, fishing villages and historic districts, along with a mild climate and proximity to East Coast urban centers, have made the area a target for real estate developers. Unplanned or poorly-planned development threatens some of the region’s most important natural assets, including clean water, abundant fisheries, and popular game species. Though development pressures have abated recently, they are likely to resume once the economy rebounds.
Our partnership is responsive to the broader needs of rural areas within the Lowcountry. Therefore, we also work with community economic development interests to develop sustainable, appropriately-scaled rural economies in concert with natural land preservation.
Partners
Our partners are Coastal Conservation League, Ducks Unlimited - South Carolina, Lowcountry Open Land Trust, Southern Environmental Law Center, and The Nature Conservancy - South Carolina Chapter. We also work closely with a number of community and economic development groups to pilot community projects that advance the intimate connection between people and the land.
To learn more about this initiative, please contact John Sands - Director, Lowcountry Program at (843) 651-3793 or jsands@gddf.org.
Activities
The partners meet quarterly to develop strategies to protect specific lands and pursue related projects of statewide importance:
- Wetlands are of significant concern in this coastal region; our work has led to the refinement of regulations and processes that protect them and mitigate future degradation.
- Our rural community pilot programs connect citizens and civic leaders to build healthy rural communities in two important areas: the South Lowcountry, stretching from Yemassee to the Savannah River; and the Francis Marion National Forest area northeast of Charleston.
- We helped launch the Rural Resource Coalition SC, a broad collaboration that advocates for rural communities issues at the state level.