A family in South Carolina that has owned 37 acres for over 115 years has donated the land for conservation.
According to local business outlet SCBIZ, Lowcountry Land Trust, a nonprofit that aims to protect the area's waterways and lands, placed the donated property on Johns Island under a conservation easement that will ensure the plot remains undeveloped.
Conservation easements — or legal agreements that set permanent limits on how landowners can use land — are among the best ways to preserve natural spaces. And land donations are a tool that many have used to protect nature for future generations.
One family in New Hampshire donated 455 acres, while a Maine resident offered up 326 acres of land.
According to Lowcountry Land Trust, 13 of the acres donated by the family in South Carolina contain forested wetlands and agricultural soil.
Agricultural soil is essential for growing crops and raising livestock that keep communities fed and local economies strong. As conservation easements allow for natural activities, such as farming and hunting, local farmers could use this soil to grow more crops.
Forested wetlands are vital ecosystems that improve water quality by trapping sediments and pollutants. This helps maintain the health of nearby waterways, making these wetlands important for watershed management. Additionally, they provide a natural barrier against flooding by absorbing excess water and slowing runoff.
With this donation, 8% of Johns Island is now protected, according to SCBIZ. This land is set to help reinforce Charleston County's Urban Growth Boundary, a zoning tool designed to limit urban sprawl. As of now, 80% of the island remains outside this boundary.
"Lowcountry Land Trust is honored to have been entrusted with the perpetual protection of this special family land," Sam Seawell, the community lands director at Lowcountry Land Trust, stated in a release.
"The owner's foresight and conservation of the property helps maintain the rural landscape of Johns Island, an undertaking that is seemingly hard, yet possible, to achieve."
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