CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) – Of the 18 applications submitted to Charleston County for next year’s green belt projects, 12 have been declared rural projects, and from those 12 there is a wide variety of options for how the lands will be used.

“We rely on our partners to develop these projects and approach us for funding,” says Eric Davis, Director of Green Belt Programs.

Davis reminds people that greenbelt project funding comes from taxpayer-voted first and second halfpenny sales taxes and matches from groups like Edisto and Lowcountry Land Trusts.

“There are about eight different types of greenspace identified in this plan, and some of those in this cycle will include passive greenspace for parks, conservation easements in rural areas, and even water access areas on both Johns Island and the U.S. Ravenel,” Davis says.

The distribution and type of consecration projects vary from year to year. Lowcountry Land Trust Chief Conservation Officer David Ray says there are priority lists, but there’s no real pressure on rural projects over urban ones. Instead, applicants decide which areas have the requirements to apply for green belt money to advance their process.

“It just so happens that in this particular example the vast majority of projects are rural in nature. There are many places, so in terms of size, rural areas are much larger to choose from. There is also a lot of protected land in rural areas, and we are trying to protect some of the important places that remain,” says Ray.

The twelve identified rural projects that the district finance committee recommended to the district council for approval are:

• Toogoodoo Boat Landing expansion
• Carolina Seafood – Highway 17
• Caw Caw addition
• Store Creek Park
• Grayson Oak
• Farm in McClellanville
• Russell Creek Farm
• Fairfield Plantation II
• Oscar Place
• Scrambler’s Knob Horse Farm
• Harmony Public Road
• Main Road Park

These projects range from expanding parking at boat docks to preserving farmland and serving as an educational visiting destination for schools.

“I think the diversity of project types depends both on different conservation priorities and, again, the opportunities that arise. I think one of the great things about this diversity is that there are very few different ideas or drivers behind why people get involved in conservation, and because we and our partners can do that, we can do so much.” Ray says there are different types of projects happening that involve many different people.

Protecting land, whether urban or rural, often has benefits that extend beyond the landscape, Ray notes. For example, protecting clean water upstream is good for all areas downstream, and protecting farmland secures access to local foods and land for the wildlife that roam the area.

“I don’t draw a sharp distinction between the two, because many people who live within the urban growth boundary, for example, will very easily and directly benefit from what will be protected just outside the urban growth boundary. in rural areas,” says Ray.

For the Toogoodoo Boat Landing, the Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission will receive $950,900 to purchase 1 acre of land, expand the park area and ensure ADA compliance.

The Lowcountry Land Trust is seeking $715,500 to purchase 14.7 acres at Carolina Seafood in McClellanville. The land is a green gateway to the town of McClellanville along North and South Pinckney Streets. LLT’s acquisition and preservation of this property will passively preserve the park.

LLT is also requesting $2,101,500 to purchase 35.2 acres off of Savannah Highway in Ravenel to expand the larger Caw Caw Interpretive Center.

Edisto Island Open Land Trust is seeking $250,000 to purchase 1.7 acres of land located on Edisto Island off Point of Pines Road and adjacent to Store Creek. The project adjoins two historic structures as well as a reconstruction-era church as a pocket park for passive public use, including environmental interpretation, educational programming, scientific research, and low-impact water access via an existing semi-deepwater dock.

LLT is applying for $2,912,500 to purchase 94.4 acres off Humbert and Main Roads on Johns Island. This is the Grayson Oaks farm for crops and livestock. LLT would retain ownership of the property but lease the land to a local farmer who could incorporate public access through field trips and farm tours.

Similarly, LLT is seeking $26,250 to purchase a conversational easement on 5.4 acres of land located between Graham Farm Road and Pinckney Street in McClellanville. The property is currently used for agricultural purposes by the landowner in hopes of securing a new lease with a local farmer and preserving the property as farmland.

The Edisto Island Open Land Trust is also applying for $160,000 in rural greenbelt funds to purchase a conversation easement on 57.6 acres of Russell Creek Drive on Edisto Island. The property provides critical habitat for a variety of threatened and endangered coastal wildlife species. The preservation of this property will connect nine adjacent conservation easements, creating a connected wildlife corridor.

LLT is seeking $317,800 to purchase a conversational easement on 254 acres off Hwy 17 in McClellanville overlooking the South Santee River. The project is an extension of the 480-acre Fairfield Plantation conservation easement held by the Lowcountry Land Trust and funded in 2013 by the Greenbelt Program. The property is currently managed for timber production, wildlife habitat, and private outdoor recreation.

LLT is also seeking $314,875 to purchase a conversational easement on 49.8 acres off River Road on Johns Island. The property consists of 12.5 acres of upland forest, 3.4 acres of forested wetland, 23 acres of agricultural land, and a large freshwater pond with a small, forested island. If purchased, it will be protected for these uses.

Finally, the S.C. Farm Bureau Land Trust is seeking $213,500 to purchase a conversational easement on 58 acres off River Road on Johns Island. The land is used for riding, training and riding and consists of 26 acres of pasture, 15 acres of wetland along Abbapoola Creek and 15 acres of native forest. If purchased, the property will be preserved for these purposes.

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