Keep South Carolina Wild

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Sun City welcomes wildlife

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SCCL Board Secretary Cynthia Rudolph holds the Community Wildlife Habitat Certification certificate presented by Sara Green, executive director of the S.C. Wildlife Federation. From left are Dianne Abel, Michelle Evans, Terry Graham, Rudolph and Green.

Published Tuesday, September 7, 2021 at 6:30 pm by Carolina Gateway

Community receives national honor
by Melanie Aves

Sun City Carolina Lakes (SCCL), an active adult community in Indian Land, achieved Community Wildlife Habitat Certification this summer from the National Wildlife Federation and the S.C. Wildlife Federation.

The Mums and Poppies Garden Keepers, which spearheaded the certification project, celebrated the honor July 13 at the Lodge in Sun City with a lunchtime event attended by over 100 people. Sara Green, S.C. Wildlife Federation executive director, presented a framed certificate to Cynthia Rudolph, SCCL board secretary, along with a sign for the Carolina Fence Garden.

Carolina Fence Garden at Sun City Carolina Lakes.

The milestone came after two years of education, outreach and advocacy. Homeowners were encouraged to garden and landscape with local wildlife in mind by providing key survival elements – food, water, cover and places to raise their young. Wildlife gardens also emphasize the use of native plants and the elimination of toxic chemicals. More than 200 homes in SCCL earned Gardens for Wildlife certification by the national and state wildlife federations.

“We are so delighted by the community support we’ve received for our project,” said Dianne Abel, community wildlife habitat coordinator for Mums and Poppies. “Certification is a big honor, but it is not permanent. We have to maintain and add to what we’ve accomplished so we can be re-certified each year.”

Judith Quick oversees one of the butterfly pollinator gardens.

Michelle Evans, executive director of the Katawba Land Trust, was a guest speaker at the celebration. She described the land trust’s role in securing a broad easement along the Catawba River that runs the entire length of the SCCL property. This swath of land preserves a habitat for native plants and wildlife that might otherwise be destroyed by development. Lancaster County Councilman Terry Graham, a conservationist and owner of Ivy Place, also spoke at the ceremony. KVLT holds an easement on his property along the Catawba River also.

Photos of the wildlife that share the SCCL natural habitats were on display by naturalist Tom Chriske.
Support from area businesses was recognized. Elaine Mobley, owner of Wild Birds Unlimited, consulted with the group on appropriate bird habitats and donated a wren house for a garden.

Refreshments included tea and homemade cookies from Ann Oswald and the Tailgaters Food Truck offered sloppy joes, baked beans and potato salad.

Additional credit for certification came from the creation of four butterfly and pollinator gardens, the establishment of a certified monarch waystation through Monarch Watch, and the recent construction of a Carolina fence garden.

Club member Peggy Jackson took charge of the raising, tagging and releasing of 75 monarch butterflies this past spring.

In 2020, the total release in the spring and fall was over 200. Jackson has been dubbed “butterfly mama” by her friends. “You never know exactly when each chrysalis will break open,” she said, “but it’s always exciting.”

Peggy Jackson prepares to release her newborn monarch butterflies.

The Schweinitz sunflower, an endangered species, is being re-introduced to local gardens.

Elaine Adkins, owner of Griff’s Greenhouse and Nursery, which was recently added to the S.C. Native Plant Society’s list of native plant nurseries, advised the SCCL group on indigenous plants and raised some hard-to-find native species to provide seeds for local gardeners. As they learned about native plants, the Mums and Poppies group worked to successfully re-introduce the Schweinitz sunflower, an endangered species found only in the Carolina Piedmont, to local gardens.

Mums and Poppies initiated a collection process for filmy plastic and managed to amass 5,000 pounds of it to be recycled in exchange for 10 Trex garden benches to place along trails and gardens. Several other SCCL clubs have joined the recycling effort to earn benches.

Abel said the Mums and Poppies will not be resting on their laurels.

“We’re already planning to create notecards featuring photographs of our garden projects,” she said. “Won’t that be fun?”

Published Tuesday, September 7, 2021 at 6:30 pm by Carolina Gateway

SCWF Hires Director of Education

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The South Carolina Wildlife Federation (SCWF) has hired BeBe Dalton Harrison as the organization’s new Director of Education. Harrison brings a passion for teaching others about the outdoors and our state’s wildlife and natural resources. In this role, Harrison will continue the SCWF’s outstanding education programs, partner with other organizations to lead programs such as Project WILD and Academics Afield, and build support from citizens and groups taking part in our education programs.


BeBe Dalton Harrison, SCWF Director of Education

“We are excited to have BeBe join our team,” said SCWF Executive Director Sara Green. “As SCWF adds new programs to our education lineup, her experience and expertise will draw even more engagement to help support SCWF and increase our impact for wildlife.”

Born in Charleston, Harrison currently resides in Mt. Pleasant. She has worked in natural resources education for more than twenty years, ranging from government agencies, to designing education programs for organizations, to running her own outdoor aquatic education business. Most recently she served as the Director of Outreach and Engagement for MyFishCount through the Angler Action Foundation. Prior to that, she developed custom outdoor education programs for organizations including the national award-winning aquatic education program for the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. “It is such a privilege to join the SCWF team, and I am thrilled to engage with folks all around the state with our education efforts,” says Harrison.

The South Carolina Wildlife Federation is active in promoting sound stewardship of our natural treasures. Through educational and public awareness programs and partnerships, the Federation works to establish policies that sustain, protect, and enhance the natural systems which give life to us all. Special events and online learning opportunities encourage all South Carolinians to connect to nature in their own backyard and across the Palmetto State.

Contact BeBe regarding SCWF Education Programs via email here.

KECK: For Purple Martins’ Majesties

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By Jay Keck, Habitat Education Manager for Chapin Magazine

“Wanna go see the Martins?” That’s a question I loved to hear my dad ask during the summer while growing up on the south side of Lake Murray. It reminds me of all the small things you don’t know are special when you’re young, like taking the folding chairs out to the boat (the only permanent chair on our pontoon boat, which we named “Tin Can,” was my father’s “Captain’s” chair.) It reminds me of mom’s snack mix loaded with nuts and those slightly burnt bits of rice Chex that were lucky enough to soak up some of the butter in which they were cooked. It reminds me of boat-created summer breezes, orange Chek soda, and those unforgettable and unbeatable Lake Murray Sunsets (which are indeed, fyi, totally worthy of capital letters.) And then, of course, I’m reminded of the frenetic bird tornado the Purple Martins create when they congregate each evening at Bomb Island. What a sight! Isn’t it amazing that all those memories were created because of a bird? That is just one example of the power of nature, and our much-needed connection to it.

Photo of Purple Martins at Bomb Island, by Zach Steinhauser

But the Purple Martin isn’t just any bird. It’s a fast flying, insect eating, cavity nesting, transcontinental migrating, purple-fighter-jet of a bird. Visually, the male Purple Martin is a stunning bluish-purple, but you’ll need a good pair of binoculars to pull out the vibrant colors of the bird, which are at their brightest when reflecting the sun’s light. The female and young males are brown, though young males can have purple feathers on their chest and belly. Purple Martins are the largest member of the swallow family here in North America, and measure about 7.5 inches in length, have a 15–16-inch wingspan, and an average weight of 1.97 ounces.

Read more here: https://www.chapinmagazine.com/home/2021/8/3/7d6nxf00r37hr7ak3n4lx2p0v7ifs3

Banner image by Vance Solseth

Conservation Corner: Earth is a living classroom

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by April Rodgers, SCWF member and volunteer

The changing Earth is a living classroom that should compel next the generations to be better stewards of our planet’s natural resources. As a parent, I enjoy sharing knowledge with my children about how our Earth works.

It’s important for the next generation of scientists and engineers — and frankly, all human beings — to recognize how our planet works, and how the actions we take affect our air, our waters, our lands, and our lives. What we do now, and how effective we are in educating today’s students, will have a significant impact on climate challenges now and in the future.

Some climate change impacts are more visible than others. We’ve all seen the sad images of polar bears whose ice-laden habitats are melting away. We see glaciers breaking apart and melting into the warming and acidifying sea. After big hurricanes, we see shorelines erode, bringing water further inland as the tide comes in; threatening wildlife habitat, and affecting recreation and eco-tourism.

Those are important visible and unfortunate symptoms of a changing climate. But symptoms that may not be as easy to spot are having detrimental impacts as well.

It’s no surprise to anyone that air temperatures are getting warmer. Last year, NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) reported that 2019 had the hottest summer on record. 2020 turned out to be even hotter.

We all feel the sauna-like heat when we step outside on a hot summer day and our wallets feel it too, as our power bills jump sharply when air conditioners are cranked up around the clock.

But atmospheric temperatures affect Earth’s water cycle as well, causing changes to clouds and precipitation and increasing water evaporation, resulting in more frequent and stronger storms, including more major hurricanes that contribute to widespread floods and severely impact South Carolina’s diverse ecosystems, personal property, infrastructure, and quality of life. Flooding also has more immediate consequences, including blocking roads and impeding access to emergency services during storms.

Rising air temperatures affect agriculture as well; hotter air increases evaporation from soil, leading to droughts and bare fields — when the rain finally does come, the stronger and more powerful downpours that we see due to increased ocean temperatures wind up creating severe erosion and run-off of nutrient-rich topsoil. This can be disastrous for farmers who count on healthy land for their livelihoods, as well as the communities who depend on those crops.

These changes to our weather patterns and water cycles are a difficult reality that are consequences, at least in part, of human actions. To counter all that we do in our daily lives that accelerates and intensifies climate change, we have to commit ourselves to elect policymakers who will take actions to reduce the pollution that’s contributing to this problem.

Our energy and transportation sectors are the most significant contributors to the rise in greenhouse gas emissions, so we must accelerate our transition to clean energy sources like solar and wind. We must also support efforts to replace traditional vehicles with electric and low emission varieties, as well as modify and improve infrastructure to support the transition.

The increasingly visible signs of climate change turning our surroundings into a living classroom experiment, of sorts, that our children can see, learn from and impact. We need to help them learn to make positive changes to avoid further negative impacts and reverse the damage that has been done.

It’s sad that we are raising the next generation during a time when these detrimental impacts to our waters and lands are so evident, but with the right education and information, hopefully these signs will compel them and us to make different, better choices. With the right actions, we can set policies and practices in place to slow these alarming changes, and allow us to be better stewards of our world’s natural resources moving forward.

April Rodgers is a South Carolina Wildlife Federation member. Visit www.scwf.org for more information.

Banner image by: Kate Levasseur

Published in:

Spartanburg Herald-Journal – https://www.goupstate.com/story/opinion/2021/07/28/south-carolina-wildlife-federation-member-education-climate-change-energy-resources-weather-policy/8067336002/

Greenville News – https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/opinion/2021/08/01/south-carolina-wildlife-federation-member-education-climate-change-energy-resources-weather-policy/5400391001/

We can create jobs and prevent extinctions

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Published in Post & Courier 06/29/21

We can create jobs and prevent extinctions

BY SARA GREEN AND COLLIN O’MARA

FILE/GRACE BEAHM ALFORD/STAFF

A monarch butterfly hangs onto its chrysalis after hatching in the butterfly house at Cypress Gardens in September.

Over the past year or so, South Carolinians have headed for the outdoors in greater numbers than ever before, exploring the Palmetto State from the Lowcountry to Sassafras Mountain. But even those of us who coped with the stress of the pandemic by spending time in nature may not be fully aware of the wildlife crisis quietly unfolding all around us. Scientists estimate that roughly one-third of America’s wildlife species are at an elevated risk of extinction. Here in South Carolina, the Department of Natural Resources has identified about 800 species of wildlife and plants in need of conservation action. The species at risk are found in every habitat and among all major groups of wildlife — from horseshoe crabs to wood storks.

The good news is that Congress is considering a bold, bipartisan bill that would go a long way to addressing the wildlife crisis while creating jobs in every state and bridging the political divide. The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (H.R. 2773) — led by Debbie Dingell, DMich., and Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb. — would direct $1.4 billion of existing federal revenue toward proactive, voluntary, locally led efforts to help fish and wildlife species in decline.

More than 180 representatives from both sides of the aisle cosponsored the bill in the last session.

If passed, the bill would send more than $14 million annually to South Carolina, which would use the money to help the 800 at-risk species by restoring habitat, removing invasive species, addressing wildlife diseases and improving water quality. The bill would also fund wildlife conservation efforts led by tribes, such as the ongoing efforts by the Catawba Indian Nation of South Carolina to restore habitat for the monarch butterfly and reintroduce the federally endangered Schweinitz’s sunflower to their tribal lands.

The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act provides additional funding for federally listed endangered species such as gopher tortoises and red-cockaded woodpeckers. But the main thrust of the bill is intended to prevent wildlife from needing the Endangered Species Act’s federal protections in the first place.

This type of proactive wildlife restoration can make a difference for people and wildlife. The diamondback terrapin was decimated by exploitation for turtle soup in the early 1900s. Threats today now include road mortality, drowning in crab traps and loss of nesting habitat. Coastal residents have a vested interest in restoring robust populations of diamondback terrapins, as they help maintain healthy marshes by feeding on periwinkle snails that can overgraze the marsh. Additionally, healthy marshes protect coastal communities from hurricane storm surges, and provide nursery grounds for shrimp, blue crabs and numerous fish. The diamondback terrapin is just one example of how proactive conservation is good for wildlife, good for taxpayers and good for business by maintaining a healthy ecosystem that feeds us and is crucial to our ecotourism industry.

A terrapin turtle is held by a volunteer as it prepares to be measured, weighed and examined during a Department of Natural Resources survey and tracking project in 2016.

The work funded by the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act will be guided by the state’s Wildlife Action Plan, which outlines the actions needed and describes the science behind these recommendations.

The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act would create high-quality jobs today while protecting our state’s wildlife heritage for tomorrow.

This session, we hope all of South Carolina’s congressional delegation from both sides of the aisle — including Sens. Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott — will champion this groundbreaking bill and help it become the law of the land.

Sara Green is the executive director of the South Carolina Wildlife Federation. Collin O’Mara is the president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation.

Published in Post & Courier 06/29/21

SC State Budget Update 2021

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SCWF Government Relations Manager, Trip King

The House-Senate Conference Committee on H.4100, the state appropriations bill, met on June 17 to finalized the Conference Report on the FY 2021-2022 state budget. The Conference Report was adopted by the General Assembly on Monday, June 21, by a vote of 39-5 in Senate and 108-6 in the House. The bill was ratified and sent to the Governor for his consideration. The state’s fiscal year begins July 1. Two items in the budget of particular interest to SCWF were funding for the newly created Office of Resilience and SC Conservation Bank. SCWF advocated for the establishment of the Office of Resilience, which was created in 2021 after a two year push, and we successfully advocated for adequate first-year funding for the agency and the two resilience accounts within the agency during this session’s budget debate. And, SCWF has always advocated for additional funding for the Conservation Bank and we are thankful that the Legislature significantly increased the Bank’s ability to award land conservation and protection grants in the upcoming year’s budget.

Here is a breakdown in specific funding for those two state agencies:

Office of Resilience

$  2,036,700  Program Administration and Operations

$44,000,000  Resilience Reserve Fund (hazard mitigation, statewide resilience planning, disaster recovery, etc…)

$  6,000,000  Resilience Revolving Loan Fund (voluntary buyout program of repetitively flooded properties)

$       80,000  IT and Furniture

___________

$52,116,700   Total

In addition, $100M in federal funds allocated for current disaster recovery efforts was transferred from the Department of Administration to the OOR which will now administer those programs.

Conservation Bank

$  9,070,134  Agency FY21-22 Baseline (recurring)

$  9,000,000  Non-recurring funds per proviso

$  2,564,400  Other Funds (Carry Forward)

$  2,435,600  Savannah Harbor Expansion Project (Mitigation)

$10,000,000  Other Funds (National Coastal Wetland Conservation Funds)

__________

$33,070,134

By comparison, in the FY 2019-2020 appropriations bill (the last budget passed by the General Assembly since FY 2020-2021 was by continuing resolution) the Conservation Bank’s funding from state revenue was $11,620,319.  For FY 2021-2022 that number, less federal funds, is $20,634,534, which represents a significant increase of recent budgets.

Milkweed for Monarchs Project Update

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By Hannah Nybo, SCWF community outreach intern

With support from people all over South Carolina and deep appreciation for generous donors and volunteers, this year’s native milkweed seed distribution program was a huge success!

Over the past twenty years, there has been a sharp decline in the monarch butterfly population along their normal migration routes from Canada to Mexico. In fact, these important pollinators have dwindled by almost 97 percent! Native milkweed plants, however, are the key to helping these beautiful butterflies continue to thrive in North America.

This year, the SC Wildlife Federation was able to assist in increasing crucial habitat for our fluttering friends by distributing nearly 5,000 milkweed packets throughout the state! Native milkweed seed varieties were purchased in bulk from Ernst Conservation Seeds, then packaged and shipped by interns and generous volunteers. These seed packets were paired with informational cards that we created for recipients to learn how to successfully raise the plants, and how essential the plant is to the monarch species.

South Carolina residents were excited by the opportunity to support the butterflies, and it showed through their participation. The project was advertised just once on social media, and we received 4,000 requests in two months! One recipient, Sherry Lawrence of Sumter, shared that she was “looking forward to new little babies that will turn into beautiful butterflies!” This energized support from those who requested the seeds is part of what made this project so successful! We also asked recipients to consider donating to offset program costs, and many of you did. Thank you!

Because of this project, thousands of migrating monarchs will now have places to lay their eggs and food for their caterpillars before they become butterflies and begin their journey to Central Mexico. Hopefully, we will see an increase in monarchs in the coming years!

Through this program, the SCWF was also able to educate, advocate, and build our network with 4,000 new supporters, and to connect them with the wildlife in their own backyards. Recipients like Pam Sarratt of Anderson are excited to learn about and support the butterflies, and “can’t wait to see monarch butterflies on the flowers” in their own yards. Dozens of requests have already come in for next spring’s distribution, and we are so excited to continue supporting the monarch butterfly!

If you or your company are interested in sponsoring this program in 2022, please contact Angi Fuller Wildt at mail@scwf.org or 803-256-0670, or use the Donate button on our home page.

We would like to send a HUGE THANK YOU to our interns Brantley Bissette & Hannah Nybo for all their work on this program! THANK YOU ALSO to volunteers Barbara & Jimmy Watson for MANY hours dedicated to processing the seed packet requests, as well as volunteers Kathy Resener, Jean Prothro, and Becky Mace. We couldn’t have done this without you all helping us out!

Banner photo: Monarch Butterfly by Teri Carter

KECK: Birds of a Feather

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By Jay Keck, Habitat Education Manager for Chapin Magazine

Bird. Say it out loud. It’s not the most exciting word in our dictionary, but it represents one of the most extraordinary classes of animals inhabiting our amazing planet. Birds are capable of filling our lives with an overwhelming amount of joy, wonder, and beauty. They quite literally shine as brightly as flames when reflecting the sun’s rays, and (figuratively) shine while singing their sweet melodies during our springs and early summers.

Did you know that birds are a direct descendant of a group of dinosaurs that includes the Tyrannosaurus Rex? The next time you see a Great Blue Heron methodically hunting reptiles, birds, fish, or mammals on Lake Murray, a pond, or one of our beautiful rivers, allow your mind to wander and consider its link to the dinosaurs and earth’s rich past.  If that’s not exciting enough, you may one day find yourself witnessing the fastest animal on the planet, a Peregrine Falcon, right here in Chapin, racing at speeds in excess of 240mph towards a raft of coots on the lake. The excitement and beauty also comes in tiny avian packages. The Ruby Throated Hummingbird, whose wings beat at an incredible 53 times per second, and weighs only 5 grams (two pennies), will be energetically and noisily feeding at our sugar water containers in just a month, giving us the opportunity to watch this spectacular bird that travels to the U.S. from its distant wintering grounds in Central America.


Ruby-throated hummingbird, by Cameron Foster

Unfortunately, not everyone is aware of the dazzling and dizzying variety of birds we have in our state, or even in our small community. EBird, a website used by “birders” from around the world to record their sightings, reveals over 400 bird species recorded in SC, and 258 species in Lexington county alone.

Read more here: https://www.chapinmagazine.com/home/2021/3/15/birds-of-a-feather

Legislative Update 2021

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SCWF Government Relations Manager, Trip King

The SC General Assembly convened on January 12 and adjourned on Thursday, May 13. SCWF Government Relations Manager, Trip King, has provided this detailed update on some of the bills we have been following and advocating for this year.

Santee Cooper Reform: Santee Cooper reform bills were filed in both the House and the Senate this year. SCWF, along with other conservation organizations and solar advocates, were successful in having the Senate reform package amended to include language that includes: 1) a stipulation that the utility must utilize a competitive and transparent procurement process for renewable energy resources; 2) a call for a just transition from coal; 3) Santee Cooper agrees to decommission their Winyah coal plant by 2028; 4) Santee Cooper must weigh the benefits, and lower costs, of renewable energy as an alternative to fossil fuel when transitioning from coal; 5) Santee Cooper’s Integrated Resource Plan must be reviewed and approved by the PSC; and 6) Santee Cooper agrees to a goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The Senate bill passed overwhelmingly, and was sent to the House where they amended the bill further. The legislation is now in a conference committee to reconcile the differences in the two versions.

Resilience Bill:  SCWF, along with several other conservation organizations, worked hard last session to secure passage of S.259, a comprehensive resilience bill.  The legislation called for the appointment of a Chief Resilience Office as well as establishing Resilience Reserve Fund to fund statewide resilience planning, hazard mitigation, and disaster recovery efforts, and a State Resilience Revolving Loan Fund to facilitate a voluntary buyout program of repetitively flooded properties.  This year, the goal was to fund the Office of Resilience, including the two trust funds, and name a Chief Resilience Officer.  Thankfully, the Legislature stepped up to the plate and provided roughly $2M to fund the Office of Resilience and between $46M-$50M to fund the two trust funds mentioned above.  The Governor also nominated the current head of the state Disaster Recovery Office, Ben Duncan, as the new Chief Resilience Officer for the state and the Senate confirmed his appointment. Because of slight differences between the House and Senate versions of the budget, the final funding for the Office of Resilience will be determined by a post-session conference committee when budget negotiators meet in June.  This legislation and the funding for an Office of Resilience has been a top priority for SCWF and our advocacy partner, Audubon SC, for a number of years.

Green Space Sales Tax Act:  S.152, sponsored by Senators Tom Davis and Chip Campsen, will allow counties to institute a 1% sale and use tax, subject to a successful county-wide referendum, to be earmarked for the purchase of land preservation procurements and green space enhancements. This legislation was sought to give local governments a significant tool and the financial ability to protect and preserve threatened lands within their borders as a result of burgeoning growth and development. The bill overwhelmingly passed the Senate and will be taken up by the House early next year.  If passed, interested counties could have ballot initiatives ready for consideration by voters in the 2022 general elections.

Solar Property Tax Exemption: This bill would prohibit counties from using the value of installed renewable energy resources, such as solar, as a basis to increase the property tax assessment of a residence. Basically, if you install solar at your residence, the investment you make will not, and cannot, trigger an increase in your property taxes. SCWF and our partner Audubon SC strongly advocated for this measure which was approved by the General Assembly and has been signed by the Governor.

Tegu Lizards and other Invasive Species:  The Legislature passed legislation this year that would put in place strict regulations regarding the possession, ownership and sale of Tegu Lizards as well as approved regulations promulgated by SCDNR that identifies and regulates other non-native and invasive species.

Mining/Landfills: Legislation was introduced this session that would prohibit SC DHEC from issuing permits for solid waste landfills and mining activities within 2 miles of green spaces, parks and other preserved or protected lands. The bill is still pending in the House but we will be advocating in both chambers in 2022 to have this legislation passed and signed by the Governor.

30×30 Land Protection Bill:  This would task state agencies to work together to find ways to preserve 30% of our state’s land by the year 2030. This would add another 3 million acres of protected land (roughly double what is already protected) to our state’s portfolio. Regrettably, S.220, the bill we were advocating for, got sidelined, while some members of the General Assembly and the Governor’s Office considered a larger, more comprehensive effort to accomplish the same goal and seek funding for such an initiative. Hopefully, the summer off-session will allow all the parties to come together and agree on a strategy for 2022.

Conservation Bank: The Conservation Bank has been approved for a higher level of funding than it has seen in recent years. There were difference in the Senate and House approved amounts and this will be resolved when budget conferees meet again in early June.

Senate Bill S.2 – Introduced by Senator Harvey Peeler, President of the State Senate, S.2 would split the current SC Department of Health & Environmental Control (SCDHEC) into two separate entities, spinning off the environmental permitting and oversight functions to a new Environmental Services Agency.  Numerous hearings were held in the Senate on Peeler’s bill but it has not advanced out of the subcommittee stage.  Peeler hopes to continue to reach out to stakeholders over the summer with an additional hearing, and have an amended bill ready for consideration next year.

 

SC State House Photo by Sara Green, SCWF.

WAIT Partners Installing Wood Duck Boxes

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The Brian Knight Insurance Agency donated five wood duck boxes this winter, which were then installed by our Wildlife And Industry Together (W.A.I.T.) partners at Spartanburg Water on one of their reservoirs that did not have any wood duck boxes previously. Over the next several years, these boxes have the potential to produce hundreds of Wood Duck offspring in the area, ensuring this species will continue to thrive in the upstate of SC. Spartanburg Water has been a certified W.A.I.T. site for many years, and we greatly appreciate their love of wildlife, as well as their support of our mission. It always makes us smile when businesses, resources, and the love of wildlife meet to create conservation stories such as this.

As South Carolina becomes increasingly developed, there is less land available for wildlife. Corporate landowners can offset habitat loss by devoting their under-utilized lands to wildlife. This is achieved by matching site employees who are interested in wildlife with community partners to develop habitat plans. The W.A.I.T. program assists corporations, employees, facility neighbors, and other groups who desire to develop environmental projects in partnership with each other. To learn more about the W.A.I.T. program, and how your company can become involved, visit this page on our website.

As South Carolina becomes increasingly developed, there is less land available for wildlife. Corporate landowners can offset habitat loss by devoting their under-utilized lands to wildlife. This is achieved by matching site employees who are interested in wildlife with community partners to develop habitat plans. The W.A.I.T. program assists corporations, employees, facility neighbors, and other groups who desire to develop environmental projects in partnership with each other. To learn more about the W.A.I.T. program, and how your company can become involved, visit this page on our website.