Beaufort County Open Land Trust Inc

THE BEAUFORT COUNTY OPEN LAND TRUST PROTECTS SIGNIFICANT ECOLOGICAL AND CULTURAL PLACES THAT DEFINE THE NATURAL LANDSCAPE WHILE CONTRIBUTING TO THE HEALTH AND SPIRIT OF THE EXTRAORDINARY LOWCOUNTRY REGION.

LAND PROTECTION AND STEWARDSHIPIN 2021, THE OPEN LAND TRUST PROTECTED FIVE NEW PROPERTIES ACROSS OUR REGION WHICH AMOUNTED TO 10% OF OUR TOTAL ACRES PROTECTED TO DATE THAT PROTECTED WORKING FORESTS, CRITICAL HABITAT, WATER QUALITY IN THE PORT ROYAL AND ST. HELENA SOUNDS AND PRIME AGRICULTURAL LAND. IN ADDITION TO 5 NEW PROPERTIES, THE OLT ALSO ACCEPTED AN EASEMENT TRANSFER FROM THE NATURE CONSERVANCY TOTALING 518.47 ACRES ON LADY'S ISLAND.COMBAHEE SCOTT IS A 209 ACRE PROPERTY IN COLLETON COUNTY THAT PROTECTS A WORKING FOREST AND THREE-QUARTERS OF A MILE ALONG COMBAHEE RIVER FOREVER. THE PROPERTY INCLUDES A 94.3 ACRE PRESERVE AREA RUNNING THE LENGTH OF THE RIVER BOUNDARY THAT WILL PROTECT THE ADJACENT WETLANDS AND BOTTOMLAND HARDWOOD FOREST: NO ACTIVITY-RESIDENTIAL, FORESTRY OR OTHERWISE-WILL OCCUR IN THE PRESERVE AREA. THE JOHNSON COOPER TRACT IS 128 ACRES IN HAMPTON COUNTY THAT SUPPORTS LONGLEAF AND SLASH PINE AND IS IMPORTANTLY SITUATED IN THE UPLANDS OF THE PORT ROYAL SOUND WATERSHED. THE STRAHAN TIMBER TRACT TOTALS 282 ACRES IN HAMPTON COUNTY AND PROTECTS LONGLEAF PINE, WILD BLUEBERRY FIELDS AND IS PART OF A LARGE CONSERVATION NEIGHBORHOOD CONSISTING OF OVER 3,000 PROTECTED ACRES. THE OAK POINT CONSERVATION EASEMENT PROTECTS 2,067 ACRES IN BEAUFORT COUNTY. OAK POINT LIES ON THE WIMBEE RIVER IN THE ST. HELENA SOUND AND SUCCESSFULLY ADDS TO LAND PROTECTED FOREVER IN THE ACE BASIN, BENEFITS LOCAL MILITARY READINESS, AND WATER QUALITY THAT DRAINS INTO THE ST. HELENA SOUND. THE ST. HELENA COMMUNITY FARM CONSERVATION EASEMENT PROTECTS 88 ACRES OF PRIME FARMLAND ON ST. HELENA ISLAND IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.BOATSWAIN POND CREEK TRACT WAS PURCHASED IN FEE TO PROTECT 23.4 ACRES IN BEAUFORT COUNTY AS PART OF OUR INITIATIVE TO PROTECT MORE LAND AND SCENIC VISTAS ON COOSAW ISLAND. THIS LAND WILL HAVE FUTURE RECREATIONAL POTENTIAL AS PUBLIC LAND, ALLOWING ALL TO ENJOY EXPANSIVE VIEWS OF COASTAL SALT MARSHES, HISTORIC COTTON FIELDS, AND THE ST. HELENA SOUND FOREVER. THE HOLLY HALL CONSERVATION EASEMENT TRANSFER PROTECTS 518.47 ACRES ON LADY'S ISLAND IN BEAUFORT COUNTY THAT PROTECTS A WORKING FOREST, OPEN SPACE, AGRICULTURAL LAND, AND OVER 4 MILES OF RIVER FRONTAGE ON THE MORGAN RIVER, POINT CREEK AND ROCK SPRINGS CREEK. ALL OLT PROPERTIES WERE MONITORED AT LEAST ONCE DURING THE YEAR TO ENSURE THAT THE CONSERVATION VALUES OF THE PROPERTIES ARE BEING UPHELD AS PER THE RESTRICTIONS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE CONSERVATION EASEMENTS. OLT'S DIRECTOR OF STEWARDSHIP ALSO SERVES AS A RESOURCE TO LANDOWNERS TO ASSIST IN THE BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES OF THEIR PROPERTIES.

BEAUFORT COUNTY'S RURAL & CRITICAL LANDS PRESERVATION PROGRAM OLT CONTINUED PROVIDING LAND ACQUISITION CONSULTING SERVICES FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY'S RURAL AND CRITICAL LAND PRESERVATION PROGRAM FOR THE 13TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR. PROTECTED ACREAGE FOR THE PROGRAM NOW TOTALS 27,547 ACRES. THE RURAL AND CRITICAL PRESERVATION PROGRAM IS NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED AS A MODEL FOR LOCALLY FUNDED BALLOT MEASURE PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT LAND CONSERVATION AND IS USED TO LEVERAGE FEDERAL AND STATE FUNDING SOURCES.