Majestic oaks, wildlife habitat protected in deal to save part of SC sea island
A conservation group that preserves wild land in coastal South Carolina has secured protection of 84 acres on Wadmalaw Island, a lush area of farms, forests and swamps near rapidly developing Charleston.
The Lowcountry Land Trust struck a deal with the owners of H&H Farm to ensure their land will not be developed, the trust said in a news release. The property, being saved through a conservation easement, contains a corridor of oaks, an open pond, farm fields, woodlands and habitat for rare sandhill cranes, the land trust release said.
Conservation easements typically allow landowners to keep their property if they agree not to develop it. In this case, the property owners donated the easement, the land trust said.
Wadmalaw Island is a scenic land formation in an area facing increasing development pressures. It is just west of Seabrook and Kiawah islands, major destinations for vacationers.
But through efforts to preserve Wadmalaw’s character, about one-third of the island has already been protected. The H&H Farm deal adds to that 9,000 acres already preserved on the 26,600 acre island.
“This property expands the growing landscape of permanently protected land on Wadmalaw Island, safeguarding it from future development,’’ the Lowcountry Land Trust’s Natalie Olsen said. “Donating a conservation easement is a way for landowners to guarantee lasting protection of their land’s beauty and character, regardless of what the future brings.”
