SCDNR News Release

Archived Article - please check for current information.

#05-235 November 7, 2005

Conservation Bank Awards $8.25 Million To Protect 4,095 Acres In South Carolina

At its Oct. 20 meeting, the S.C. Conservation Bank Board approved $8.25 million to fund conservation easements and fee simple purchases, protecting 4,095 acres of land for agriculture, wildlife habitat, recreation, education and other conservation projects.

Members of the S.C. Conservation Bank Board identified the approved projects as significant lands that, if conserved, would improve the quality of life in South Carolina, provide enhanced public access and protect valuable wildlife habitat and agricultural lands. More information on the S.C. Conservation Bank is available on the Web at http://SCCBank.SC.Gov or call (803) 734-3986 in Columbia.

"Funding approved by the Conservation Bank Board totaled $8.25 million and adds another 4,095 acres, bringing the total number of acres conserved by the Bank to 33,077," said Marvin Davant, S.C. Conservation Bank executive director. "The board funded 17 proposals in 13 counties, located in every area of the state. The protection of this diversity of ecosystems represents a partnership between government and a large number of private entities."

Projects approved by the Conservation Bank Board include:

$692,430 to purchase 41 acres of the Chinquapin Greenway in Spartanburg County, an urban park that will be home to a portion of the Palmetto Trail in the Upstate. The tract also has historical significance in that it was the location of Spartanburg's first water system in the 1880s.
$140,000 to acquire the Gregory W. Alexander Tract in Cherokee County, totaling 40.75 Acres. The tract will adjoin public lands in North Carolina and South Carolina, with a portion of matching funds coming from the S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism.
Phase II of the Ashley River Plantation District Project in Charleston and Dorchester Counties. The Conservation Bank Board approved $2 million to purchase 12,280 acres.
$114,200 to protect 10.91 acres of the Blythe-Goodwin-Hagood House in Greenville County. The property is located on Scenic Highway 11 and US Highway 25, with the house on the property currently in the process of being qualified for the National Register of Historical Places. Cherokee Bypass has raised $280,000 of matching funds for the purchase and restoration of the house and to use it as a cultural education and welcome center.
$2 Million for 271 acres of Phase II of the Cleveland-Wilson Farms properties in Greenville County.
$47,000 to purchase 93.53 acres of Fall Creek, a tributary of the Chattooga River in Oconee County. The property, a private in-holding in the Sumter National Forest, is located near Scenic Highway 11. Landowners Donald K. and Bettina B. George, are donating 75 percent of the lands appraised fair market value.
$135,000 to purchase 50 acres in Greenville and Pickens counties located on the South Saluda River and Scenic Highway 11. Greenville and Pickens counties have agreed to provide matching funds to purchase the land and provide public fishing access.
$475,000 for a conservation easement on the Edward W. Hickson Tract, 318 acres located between Georgetown and Hemingway.
$296,000 for the purchase of conservation easements on about 272 acres of farmland owned by multiple families in Horry and Marion counties. This is a cooperative project with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service, also contributing matching funds.
$300,000 to purchase 20 acres on eight barrier islands in Beaufort County. The islands, adjacent to Hunting Island State Park, range in size from .4 acres to 11 acres. Matching dollars are also being provided by Beaufort County bond funds and The Trust for Public Land. Plans are for the property to be donated to the S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism and become part of Hunting Island State Park.
$750,000 to purchase a conservation easement on Palmetto Bluff, 772 acres in Beaufort County. The tract protects the headwaters of the Okatie and New Rivers watershed, with plans for Bluffton Trail to be built through the property. Federal funds and Beaufort County bond funds will also be used on the project.
The Conservation Bank Board also gave tentative approval of $1 million for the purchase of 2,477 acres in the Lancaster County area known as Forty Acre Rock. Final approval is expected at the board's next meeting in June 2006.

The S.C. Conservation Bank is funded through a portion of the state documentary stamp tax. The Conservation Bank has operated its administration this fiscal year entirely from interest income from these funds reserving all of its stamp revenues for land conservation.

The S.C. Conservation Bank Board meets twice a year to consider proposals. The next meeting of the Board is scheduled for June 20, 2006, in Columbia. Application deadlines are March 31 and July 31 of each year.

More information on the S.C. Conservation Bank is available on the Web at http://SCCBank.SC.Gov or call (803) 734-3986 in Columbia.

- Written by G. Michael Willis -

** Archived Article - please check for current information. **

#05-235 November 7, 2005

Conservation Bank Awards $8.25 Million To Protect 4,095 Acres In South Carolina

Archived Article - please check for current information.