Forest land near SC coast to be protected. It’s a nesting site for rare birds
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More than 8,000 acres of woodlands that attract rare birds near South Carolina’s coast will be protected from development under a $34.2 million conservation deal that will eventually put the property in state ownership, brokers of the transaction announced Wednesday.
The Conservation Fund, a national land protection organization, bought the property in Georgetown County and will sell it to the S.C. Forestry Commission for use as a state forest. The commission has been active in recent years in increasing the number of state forests, recreational areas that allow timber harvesting but where wildlife also is protected.
Located in the Carver’s Bay region of western Georgetown County, the land is near the Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge. Creeks flowing off the property feed to the Black River and are upstream from Black River State Park, a new recreational area and nature preserve that has been the focus of regional environmental protection efforts in recent years.
The Conservation Fund purchased the land from Forest Investment Associates, a timber management group, the fund’s Jason Johnson said. The property will continue as a “working forest,’’ meaning timber will be harvested, but the work will be done in a sustainable way, the fund said. Much of the property contains loblolly pines, as well as wetlands and creeks.
“Every year, we lose one million acres of working forests to fragmentation and development,” according to a statement from Johnson, South Carolina state director for The Conservation Fund. “”The Carvers Bay forest is one of the nation’s most productive working forests. When the land went up for sale, we stepped in to ensure that it will continue to support wildlife habitat, clean water, recreation, and economic opportunities for local communities — now, and for generations to come.”
The property isn’t far from the state’s developing coast, and in this case was under consideration by a developer for purchase, Johnson said. The Carver’s Bay area is near Plantersville, roughly between Conway and Georgetown and west of Pawleys Island.
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A major benefit of preventing development on the land is the presence of swallow-tailed kites, considered endangered in South Carolina. The Carvers Bay forest has multiple nesting sites for the kites, birds of prey recognizable for their long, black and white wings, and their forked tails. They sometimes can be seen soaring in the skies above South Carolina’s coast.
Four kite nests are currently part of a research project by the American Bird Conservancy, the Conservation Fund said. An official with the bird conservancy said it had equipped four of the kites with transmitters. While kites nest in trees, Johnson said the birds also will benefit from timber cutting because they forage for food in open areas. Kites prey on insects, according to the Florida Natural Areas Inventory.
In addition to swallow-tailed kites, the land being protected is also an important nesting site for migratory birds, including prothonotory warblers, indigo buntings and Acadian flycatchers, the release said.
Russell Hubright, a spokesman for the state Forestry Commission, praised the preservation effort, saying his agency is working to expand the number of state forests it operates as part of a statewide effort to preserve open land. For years, South Carolina had three primary state forests: Manchester near Sumter at 31,599 acres; Harbison near Columbia at 2,177 acres; and Sand Hills in the Pee Dee region near Florence, at 46,339 acres.
But it has in recent years added state forest land in the mountains near Pickens and in the Lowcountry west of Georgetown. The state also is moving to develop at least three other state forests. They would be in Dorchester, Jasper and Richland counties. The Richland property is about 5,000 acres near Congaree National Park and is being preserved as part of the Scout Motors economic development project.
“There are several other projects in the hopper that haven’t been announced,’’ Forestry Commission spokesman Doug Wood said in an email. “It’s too early to provide any info about those right now, but suffice it to say we’re always looking for new lands to conserve or acreage to add to our existing state forest system.’’
Until the Carvers Bay land is sold to the Forestry Commission, the Conservation Fund said it will work to provide public recreational access to the Carver’s Bay property. Existing hunting leases will continue for now.
The Conservation Fund said other groups involved in acquiring the land for protection included the Malone Family Land Foundation and the Richard King Mellon Foundation.
This story was originally published July 24, 2025 at 7:07 AM.
