DORCHESTER COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) – Leaders are designating $1.09 million of Dorchester County Greenbelt funds to the Lowcountry Land Trust, a nonprofit committed to preserving Lowcountry landscapes and waterways for future generations.
Chief conservation officer at Lowcountry Land Trust, David Ray, commends the people of the county for voting for the Greenbelt program and thanks the leaders for their work in designating money to these two projects.
“We live in one of the most rapidly growing areas of the United States, and we also live in a state that is blessed with incredibly beautiful and important natural resources, and we are blessed with government officials who value that, and they value growth, but they also value preserving our quality of life,” Ray says.
The money is to help preserve two tracts of land called the Barry Tract and Young’s Farm. These two vital conservation efforts will help safeguard Dorchester County’s natural and agricultural landscapes for the benefit of the public. Lowcountry Land Trust says these two projects highlight different methods for land conservation.
The Barry Tract is a 67-acre property anticipated to become a Dorchester County public park. There is a significant public benefit through future public lands that will include public access to the Ashley River and trails through woodlands and wetlands. Additionally, the site holds archaeological significance, with artifacts dating back to the early 1700s that contribute to the historical importance of the Ashley River Historic District.
“It’s right off of the National Scenic Byway. That’s the Ashley River Road. The other side of it touches a state scenic river, the Ashley River, and it’s got beautiful forest and wetlands all in between that for people to enjoy, enjoy nature, enjoy the waterfront, etc.,” Ray says.
Young’s Farm is a 225-acre privately owned property and will be protected through a conservation easement, ensuring that it remains privately held. Lowcountry Land Trust says protected private lands will continue to preserve water quality, scenery, and wildlife across property boundaries for the benefit of all. The Young’s Farm land protections will help encourage continued agricultural production on the property, maintain the area’s rural character, and protect the recent county investment in restoring the adjacent Polk Swamp.
“In this case, a family, the Youngs, that own this property and have for quite a while, they wanted to see their farmland protected. They actually leased this property out to a local farmer. It’s part of the way that they make a living and the way that they produce goods that benefit all of us. That property is also on Polk swamp, which the County recently invested money in to restore. The landowners will continue to use it for what they’ve used it for, but there will be public benefits that come from the protection of the property, which include buffering that investment in full swamp. It’ll include wildlife habitat protection, so wildlife fly and walk across property lines, and we all get to share the benefits of that,” Ray says.
Both of the projects are still in the first phases of getting the funding and designations in order to eventually become a park and a conservation farm. Lowcountry Land Trust says the county’s combined more than $1 million dollars is a major investment.
“This place will change for the worse if we don’t continue to do this work and really accelerate it. And so we’re so happy to have the partnership with Dorchester County and the other government agencies and even private foundations and corporations are contributing to these projects, so we’re grateful,” Ray says.
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