Dorchester County Partners with National, State, and Private Organizations to Conserve and Acquire 1,644 Acre Property in Ridgeville
The Beech Hill Tract, a 1,644-acre property on Old Beech Hill Road between Edisto River Wildlife Management Area and Givhan’s Ferry in Dorchester County, is now acquired by the Open Space Institute, a nonprofit conservation organization active throughout the eastern United States, through County’s Greenbelt, state, and private funding. Dorchester County contributed up to $4,125,000 in Greenbelt funds towards this property, which is the largest property acquisition that the county has used Greenbelt funds for.
“The acquisition of the Beech Hill Tract protects over a thousand acres from the development and provides a valuable opportunity for public access in the County,” said Dorchester County Council Chairman David Chinnis. “By leveraging our Greenbelt funds, the County continues to preserve green spaces and the character of rural parts of our county.”
The property will be transferred to the South Carolina Forestry Commission (SCFC) and will become a State Forest, managed and operated by the SCFC. The property will be open to the public with recreational opportunities, such as wildlife viewing, hunting, hiking, and biking.
“We couldn’t be more excited to add this property to our state forest system,” State Forester Scott Phillips said. “This forested landscape represents a renewable resource that provides a multitude of benefits, including clean water, scenic beauty, wildlife habitat and outdoor recreation. This is another win for our state, its residents and wildlife as we continue working with our partners to ramp up efforts to conserve working forests.”
Open Space Institute (OSI) partnered in this project to utilize funds from the County, South Carolina Forestry Commission, and South Carolina Conservation Bank to secure the property. The South Carolina Forestry Commission (SCFC) pledged up to $4,500,000 and SC Conservation Bank pledged $3,100,000, which combined with the county's Greenbelt funding, provided $11,725,000 towards the purchase of the property.
“We’re thrilled to partner with SCFC, the South Carolina Conservation Bank, and Dorchester County to protect this critically threatened property, and we’re equally thrilled to give SCFC a foothold in this special part of the state,” said Nate Berry, chief land protection officer for OSI. “We’re confident this will be the first of many SCFC projects in the ACE Basin and the south Lowcounty focus regions.”
Dorchester County continues to pursue opportunities for land preservation in the county by utilizing its Greenbelt funds; these funds come from the County’s penny sales tax program. Projects that fall under the Greenbelt include purchasing property for conservation and conservation easements, creating passive and active greenspace, protecting natural resources, protecting agricultural or heritage landscapes, and protecting scenic corridors.
For media inquiries, please contact Erin Pomrenke, Dorchester County Public Information Officer, at epomrenke@dorchestercountysc.gov.
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