SCDNR officials take steps to buy over 400 acres in Horry County to protect at-risk species

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources is taking steps to buy more than 400 acres of land in Horry County for a nature preserve, which would protect rare and at-risk species, including the Venus’ flytrap.

The price tag for the 418 acres is about $600,000, DNR spokesman David Lucas said. Land preservation company Open Space Institute Land Trust based in New York is selling the property, according to The Post and Courier who first reported the land sale.

The S.C. Joint Bond Review Committee, a panel of legislators who approve big projects, decided to investigate the potential purchase of the land.

If the state buys the land in the northwestern part of the county, it would become part of the 568-acre Cartwheel Bay Heritage Preserve, which is nearby.

Lucas said the department will look into obtaining and an environmental assessment and appraisal, which could take up to a year.

“These deals take time, with lots of steps before final approval,” he told the newspaper. “It’s a very careful, deliberative process.”

This story was originally published December 8, 2021 at 2:22 PM.