Gov. McMaster to speak on need to protect wild land in South Carolina

Gov. Henry McMaster will speak next week at a land protection conference in Charleston about the significance of saving natural areas in South Carolina.

McMaster, who has increasingly championed land protection during his tenure as governor, is expected at the Lowcountry Land Conservation Symposium, a one-day session that will focus on how various interests can work jointly to save wild land.

McMaster is pushing to conserve roughly half the state from development during the next 25 years. If successful, about 10 million acres will have been protected from sprawl and development.

The May 12 symposium is being hosted by the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, a philanthropic group that focuses on environmental protection. McMaster is to make remarks about midday. Separate sessions are scheduled on land protection efforts in multiple counties, including Horry, Jasper, Charleston, Florence and Marion counties

McMaster’s remarks will occur on the heels of the recent announcement by The Nature Conservancy on the protection of more than 4,600 acres in Horry County near Myrtle Beach.

Sammy Fretwell

The State

803-771-8537

Sammy Fretwell has covered the environment beat for The State since 1995. He writes about an array of issues, including wildlife, climate change, energy, state environmental policy, nuclear waste and coastal development. He has won numerous awards, including Journalist of the Year by the S.C. Press Association in 2017. Fretwell is a University of South Carolina graduate who grew up in Anderson County. Reach him at 803 771 8537. Support my work with a digital subscription