Lowcountry ‘donut hole’ protected from development in scenic corridor
.jpg "This is part of 664 acres protected in the Lowcountry along the Beaufort-Jasper county line. The property, known as the Garnett Tract, has been protected under a plan to offset the environmental impacts of the Riverport industrial project.")
Conservationists are praising the protection of 664 acres of Lowcountry property they consider a key in the larger land preservation effort of South Carolina’s coastal plain.
The Lowcountry Land Trust says saving the property on the Jasper-Hampton county line fills a gap, or “donut hole,’’ that existed in the mosaic of land already preserved from development in the area. Called the Garnett Tract, the preserved land is along S.C. 119 and U.S. 321.
As protected lands go, the 664 acres aren’t particularly special. They are not known to contain endangered species or unusual features -- but the acreage is surrounded by preserved land. Among the protected areas are the state Department of Natural Resources’ Palachuchola Wildlife Management Area and the agency’s Webb Wildlife Center.
The Garnett property is being protected to offset the environmental impacts of development elsewhere, in this case the sprawling Riverport industrial project. Forests will be planted and wetlands upgraded on the 664 acres, the land trust said.
“In addition to protecting and enhancing critical wetlands, several areas of the property will be restored from loblolly pine stands to longleaf pine, a high-priority native habitat essential to the region’s biodiversity,’’ a land trust news release said.
Because the land is part of the offset agreement, or mitigation for Riverport, there was no acquisition cost to the land trust or the public, said Kate Parks Schaefer, the Lowcountry Land Trust’s chief conservation officer. Riverport is an expansive, developing industrial site in a once forested area along I-95 and the lower Savannah River.
Garnett SC Holdings LLC owns the property that is being saved through a conservation easement. Land involved in such agreements is protected from development but often remains privately owned and does not always include public access.
“It was donated as required in order to obtain permits to fill wetlands at the development site,’’ a land trust fact sheet says, referring to Riverport. At one point, that project drew concerns from environmentalists and some wildlife agencies because of its impacts on wetlands and wildlife near the Savannah River National Wildlife Refuge..
Property protection agreements in the Lowcountry are considered vital by conservationists to preserving the landscape that defines South Carolina. As South Carolina grows, many areas are falling under increasing development pressure, including areas in Hampton and Jasper counties near I-95. The Lowcountry, for instance, is targeted for a natural gas pipeline that some people say will lead to disruption of the area.
The Lowcountry of South Carolina is a vast section of the coastal plain, roughly from the Georgetown area to the Savannah River at the Georgia state line near Beaufort and Hilton Head Island. It includes part of the ACE Basin, a widely known nature preserve.
This story was originally published January 20, 2026 at 4:18 PM.
