News
Originally introduced in February of 2023, the Working Agricultural Lands Protection Act recently received final approval by the General Assembly and has now been signed into law by the Governor at a ceremonial bill signing event at Cottle Farms in Hopkins, SC and attended by many supporters of the bill.
We share our state with wild creatures who inspire wonder. Maybe you have paddled through the Sparkleberry Swamp and seen the vivid yellow of a Prothonotary warbler, or hiked in the forest when a white-tailed deer has scampered ahead of you, or quietly waited in your tree stand when a Barred owl has flown by. Experiences like this make us feel a deep and powerful connection to the Earth, to the ancient rhythms of nature. We feel humbled to be a tiny part of it, and the urge to protect it grows stronger with each new encounter.
SCWF is proud to support S. 96, the South Carolina Boating Safety and Education bill which will make South Carolina's waterways safer. This legislation will require boaters born on or after July 1, 2007 to receive a boating safety certificate by completing a boating safety course administered or approved by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) before operating a boat with a 10-horsepower engine or greater.
Senator Lindsey Graham has signed onto a bipartisan wildlife conservation bill, the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, that will dedicate $1.4 billion annually to locally-led efforts to help at-risk wildlife species nationwide.
Senator Hembree of North Myrtle Beach has introduced a bill (S.581) which would designate the Venus Flytrap as South Carolina’s Official State Carnivorous Plant. SCWF spoke in support of this bill at a recent sub-committee meeting, where it passed unanimously out , and will next be heard by the Senate Family & Veterans' Services Committee.
This bill would reinstate the initial funding source for the South Carolina Conservation Bank and significantly increase this agency’s ability to conserve private land. The Bank is the single most important tool the state has to ensure South Carolina’s most iconic and precious natural resources are preserved and protected for future generations.
Published in Post & Courier - A massive 9,000-acre development planned for the Cainhoy peninsula, wedged between Daniel Island and the Francis Marion National Forest, is ground zero for the threats that the species faces: development, climate change and politics.
Published in Post & Courier - Reviewing several new large developments in the Charleston area, I have become convinced that it is far past time for developers to shift development practices in order to achieve new sustainable development in light of higher flooding potentials and large losses of valuable ecosystem elements.
For 91 years, SCWF has offered many ways for you to connect with nature, learn new skills, and take action in your community. We hope you will join us in the coming year to increase our impact for wildlife together. Please consider a donation now to help us continue our mission to conserve and restore South Carolina’s wildlife and wildlife habitat through education and advocacy.
The U.S. House of Representatives has voted to pass the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, a bill to prevent wildlife extinctions by funding locally-led conservation efforts. If it becomes law, South Carolina will receive $14 million each year to help hundreds of species in need, including bobwhite quail, gopher tortoises, black rails and loggerhead sea turtles.
The General Assembly, 124th Session, adjourned sine die at 5:00 pm on May 12 thus concluding their work in the second year of a two-year session. All in all, the 2022 Legislative Session proved to be beneficial to our state’s wildlife, particularly shore birds, and good to conservation and land protection initiatives some of which are highlighted below.
