(Statewide) September 6, 2006 - Conservation efforts in South Carolina made a leap forward this week with the purchase of 39,000 acres of land in Marion and Hampton counties.

The State of South Carolina, The Conservation Fund and The Nature Conservancy made the purchase from International Paper.

The closing brings the total amount of land protected during Governor Sanford's administration to nearly 78,000-acres - more than any previous administration in our state's history.

DNR utilized $10 million from the SC Conservation Bank and approximately $20 million from the Heritage Trust bond bill legislation to acquire a majority interest in the property. The remaining interest will be purchased when additional federal funds become available, next spring.

Earlier this year, Governor Mark Sanford signed into law the Conservation Bond Act allowing the South Carolina Heritage Trust to borrow about $32 million for forest acquisition across the state.

"Protecting large contiguous tracts of working forests like the Woodbury and Hamilton Ridge properties offers the best opportunity to conserve these forest ecosystems for the future," says Marvin Davant, executive director of the South Carolina Conservation Bank.

Posted 9:57pm by Chantelle Janelle