How a highway project near Columbia helps hunters near Laurens
More than 1,800 acres of forests, fields and wetlands between Columbia and Spartanburg will be made available to the public to offset the environmental impacts of a new freeway project in the capital city.
The land in southern Laurens County will be used to expand the Belfast Wildlife Management Area in a part of the state where public hunting grounds are limited, said Patrick Moore, an official with the Open Space Institute, which helped broker the deal. The land will be open for public hunting, as well as recreational uses, such as bird-watching and hiking, Moore said.
The Open Space Institute acquired the land in 2018 and 2019 from local landowners for about $5.3 million and recently sold the property to the state at the same price. The S.C. Department of Natural Resources is to manage the property, according to plans.
DNR officials haven’t announce when the additional 1,841 acres will be opened. The property is off S.C. 560 northwest of Columbia near the Laurens-Newberry county line.
Moore said the acquisition is significant because it saves eight ponds, extensive forests and swamps that are full of wildlife. Much of the land has been used for hunting in the past, but was owned privately and not available to the public, Moore said.
The property is being protected to compensate for wetlands that will be lost when the S.C. Department of Transportation develops the Carolina Crossroads project, an effort to improve 14 miles of freeway on Interstates 20, 26 and 126. The work is an effort to fix “Malfunction Junction,’’ the I-26 interchange notorious for what many consider a poor design that imperils motorists and leads to accidents.
State officials are expected to formally announce this week the expansion of the Belfast wildlife area.
In a statement provided by the Open Space Institute, DNR director Robert Boyles said the land will be available for both hunting and other uses by the public.
“The addition of these properties will provide for permanent, public recreational hunting opportunities in the near future. As an agency, we strive to build a conservation ethic in the citizens of South Carolina and there is no better way to do that than by providing them public lands to hike, hunt, fish and enjoy wildlife watching.”
This story was originally published September 7, 2021 at 10:14 AM.
