Conservation group buys 3rd Jasper County property totaling 5,000 acres. What’s it for?
A newly purchased 929-acre tract of land in Jasper County near the Coosawhatchie River will be preserved for public use and protect essential wildlife in the area, growing an already existing conservation assemblage to more than 5,000 acres in less than a year.
The land was purchased by the Open Space Institute’s southeast office, which says it intends to transfer the property to the S.C. Department of Natural Resources to develop the necessary infrastructure needed at the property “as funding come available.”
The most recently purchased tract contains mature productive wetlands, adding to the institute’s acquisitions of the 3,800-acre “Slater” for $16 million and 336-acre “Slater Duck Ponds” parcels, the former being one of the largest land conservation agreements in South Carolina history. This third purchase expands the gopher tortoise habitat established at the Slater property, which has one of the largest colonies of gopher tortoises in the eastern United States. It also has a habitat conducive for the possible reintroduction of the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker, a federally endangered species.
“The Slater acquisitions prove that despite mounting development pressure, large-scale conservation for nature and the public is both achievable and critically important,” Nate Berry, OSI’s Southeast Office director, said in a county news release. “Each of the three Slater tracts are amazing on their own. Together they are remarkable.”
In addition to the conservation aspect, the property is open for public use providing opportunities for hunting, fishing, birding, hiking, and cycling located in a central spot about a 30-minute drive from Beaufort, Hilton Head Island, and Savannah.
“At over 5,000 acres and $20 million, the Slater project represents a new and transformative era of investment in Jasper County,” Jasper County Administrator Andrew Fulghum said in the release.
“This outstanding conservation victory was made possible by OSI’s visionary leadership, and we are grateful. What’s equally exciting is that Slater builds on the County’s 2021 Conservation Finance Feasibility Study and sets the stage for a larger, collaborative conservation investment effort for our region.”
Protection of the two properties, both located near the Coosawhatchie River, comes as Jasper and Beaufort counties are facing immense growth and development pressures.
This story was originally published April 8, 2022 at 11:00 AM with the headline "Conservation group buys 3rd Jasper County property totaling 5,000 acres. What’s it for?."
