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#05-197 September 19, 2005

Bear Island Wildlife Area changes visitation period

In order to provide a quality experience for all user groups as well as minimize disturbance to numerous wildlife species, Bear Island Wildlife Management Area in Colleton County has changed its visitation days to Feb. 1 through Oct. 14. This begins Saturday, Oct. 15 with a closure for upcoming rifle deer season and will extend through the end of waterfowl season.

From Oct. 15 to Jan. 31, the Bear Island Wildlife Management Area (WMA) will be open only for those individuals participating in scheduled hunts for deer, waterfowl and doves.

“Entry of the general public onto Bear Island during the closed period can cause safety problems and unnecessary disturbance to wildlife,” said Dean Harrigal, wildlife biologist and ACE Basin coordinator with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR). “We are trying to ensure that all visitors have a quality outdoors experience, while at the same time meeting our wildlife conservation goals.”

Even during the closure the general public can view the house pond and utilize an observation blind, both just off Bennett’s Point Road.

For more information on Bear Island WMA, call the DNR office at Donnelley WMA near Green Pond at (843) 844-8957.

The Ashepoo-Combahee-Edisto (ACE) Basin of South Carolina is a largely undeveloped landscape consisting of extensive, diverse habitats, such as saltwater and brackish-water marshes, maritime forests, upland pines, and bottomland hardwoods. These ecologically important attributes, coupled with management goals that balance conservation of natural resources with economic development and population growth, have made the ACE Basin the focus of national attention. A number of organizations and local citizens have been instrumental in the conservation of the ACE Basin, including DNR, The Nature Conservancy, Ducks Unlimited, Colleton County, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Through these and other organizations, nearly 10 percent of the upland and wetland habitats in the ACE Basin have been permanently protected by purchase and conservation easements.

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