Conservation Archives - Page 5 of 5 - South Carolina Wildlife Federation

Legislative Update

Posted on June 7, 2023May 13, 2025 by admin

SCWF continuously works with state legislators and policymakers to protect precious wildlife habitats and ensure that sound scientific data is used to make decisions that affect wildlife. Below is an update on several issues and bills that we’ve been tracking this session. Our Government Relations Manager, Trip King, represents the SCWF, as well as our conservation partner, Audubon South Carolina (ASC) at the State House.

If you haven’t had a chance, please check out our new state advocacy page on our website here. This page is updated daily during the Session to help you stay informed on the latest status of the bills that SCWF is monitoring in the SC Legislature.

The South Carolina General Assembly adjourned promptly at 5:00 pm on Thursday May 11, 2023. Normally, the constitutionally mandated adjournment of the Legislature on the second Thursday in May is accompanied by a sine die resolution which stipulates what business the House and Senate can take up when they return, usually two weeks after adjournment, to accept and approve conference committee reports and consider vetoes issued by the Governor. This year, the Legislature did not pass a sine die resolution but instead returned to Columbia on Tuesday, May 16, upon the call of the Governor, an agreement that was worked out weeks ago between the Legislative leadership and the Governor. This is an unusual circumstance which was precipitated by a lingering abortion bill that was passed by the Senate but not taken up by the House during the regular session. Because the Legislature will be reconvening at the call of the Governor, the state constitution allows the House and Senate to take up any matters they wish including bills that were still pending when they adjourned at the constitutionally prescribed date and time.

Since neither chamber agreed with the other on a state budget, House and Senate conferees will also meet during the next several weeks to iron out the differences between the Senate and House versions of the state appropriations bill and, once they find agreement, a conference committee report will be presented to each chamber for a final vote on the state budget.

As of June 6, both the House and Senate have met (the House on May 16 and May 23; the Senate on May 16 and May 23) and have passed several bills that were carried over from the regular session which concluded May 11. While House and Senate negotiators on the Budget Conference Committee have also met several times since the regular session adjournment, as of this date, they have yet to reach a compromise on the state appropriations bill and it is unclear when they might find agreement. Both the House and the Senate passed a Continuing Resolution that would fund state government functions after July 1, the beginning on the state’s fiscal year, should conferees be unable to reach an agreement on the FY 2023-2024 spending bill and have it pass both chambers of the General Assembly by midnight June 30.

Conservation Funding in the State Budget

South Carolina Office of Resilience (SCOR) – SCWF supported SCOR’s budget request for $200M to be used for disaster relief, mitigation and statewide resilience planning and implementation because these measures protect and enhance critical wetland habitat for wildlife. The House version of the budget included this amount, but the Senate only included a placeholder amount of $1.00. House-Senate budget committee conferees must now agree on funding SCOR’s non-recurring budget request between the $1.00 and $200M mark.

SC Conservation Bank – The Bank’s baseline recurring annual budget was increased by both the House and the Senate to $12,094,515, a $3M increase from 2022. The House gave the Bank an additional $18M in non-recurring funds for their grants program while the Senate upped that amount to $25M. SCWF has advocated for $25M in the Senate version of the budget and we are hopeful the House-Senate budget conference committee report will reflect that higher amount. This agency 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.

Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) – House and Senate appropriators were generous in supporting SCDNR’s budget request which included significant funding for deferred maintenance on our state’s fish hatcheries, maintenance for Marine Resources facilities, waterfowl impoundment infrastructure maintenance, state water planning initiative, and maintenance on public recreational properties. Additionally, for the second year in a row, the Legislature has agreed to provide $20M to DNR for habitat protection and unspecified land conservation acquisitions. SCWF supported the Department of Natural Resources overall budget request and advocated strongly for the additional funding for habitat protection and land conservation acquisitions.

Department of Park, Recreation and Tourism (PRT) – The House earmarked $25M for state parks development, upgrades, and maintenance while the Senate recommended only $11.75M for this line item in the budget. SCWF and many of our conservation partners support the higher spending level recommended by the House which will include some funding for the new Black River State Park being established on segments of the Black River between Kingstree and St. Andrews. This is an exciting new project that holds great promise for wildlife habitat and outdoor recreation.

SC Forestry Commission (SCFC) – For many years, SCWF has supported the budget requests of the SCFC. This agency does a tremendous job of managing our state’s forests and protecting our citizens and doing so with severely limited resources, aging equipment, and staff shortages. For the last several years, SCFC has made significant priority funding requests for staff recruitment and retention and for modernized firefighting equipment. SCWF has supported those requests and has advocated to House and Senate appropriators by letter and in-person with our support for these critically needed funds. The Senate version of the budget is more advantageous to SCFC and more in-line with their original request. SCWF supports the Senate budget recommendations pending before the House-Senate budget conference committee.

Some Priority Bills and Legislation of Interest to SCWF (not all inclusive)

S.280 and H.3786 (SC Conservation Enhancement Act) – Both S.280, and its House companion bill, H.3786 would re-instate the deed recording fee funding mechanism to the Conservation Bank that was the primary source of funding for the Bank from its inception in 2004 until its re-authorization in 2018 when this dedicated stream of funding was dropped in favor of an annual appropriation from the General Assembly. S.280 was introduced in the Senate by Senators Campsen and Davis on 1/10/23 and was referred to the Senate Finance Committee. H.3786 was introduced by Rep. Lowe, and others, in the House on 1/24/23 and was referred to the House Ways and Means Committee. The House bill received a favorable report by the Ways and Means Committee on March 30, and was placed on the House calendar. On March 4, the House voted 93 to 20 in favor of the bill and it was sent to the Senate where it was referred to the Senate Finance Committee. Unfortunately, despite much widespread support, Finance Committee Chairman Peeler never scheduled a subcommittee or full committee hearing on either version of the Conservation Enhancement Act before the end of the legislative session. Both bills remain in the Senate Finance Committee and will be carried over into the 2024 session.

Passage of the Conservation Enhancement Act was a priority for SCWF and the SC Conservation Coalition in 2023. Restoration of a portion of the deed stamp fee would have provided considerably more funding to the Bank than the current appropriations from the General Assembly. The additional funding that the deed stamp provides would give the Bank the ability to fund considerably more projects in the ensuing years. We are hopeful that one of these bills will be given a favorable hearing in early 2024 by the Senate Finance Committee and subsequently be approved by the Senate and, if needed, be sent back to the House for a second vote.

Image Credits from L to R: Pawleys Island by Carl Beard; Table Rock by Julie Wyatt; Hunting Island by Teresa Kopec.

H.3951 (Working Agricultural Lands Protection Act) – This legislation, introduced by Rep. Patrick Haddon from Greenville, would create the Working Agricultural Lands Preservation Program and Fund that would be housed within the SC Conservation Bank. The Program and Fund would be funded by a line-item appropriation separate from those annual funds appropriated to the Conservation Bank. The purpose of the Program and Fund is to facilitate the use of conservation easements on working farmlands to permanently protect farmland properties using a selection criterion slightly different from the criteria used by the Bank for its normal grants program.

H.3951 passed through the legislative process in the House and was approved by a vote of 104-2 on March 29th. The bill was sent to the Senate where it was referred to the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. Senator Campsen had an amendment attached to the bill during the committee process which basically included the language of S.280, the Conservation Enhancement Act to re-instate the deed stamp funding mechanism to the Conservation Bank. H.3951, as amended, passed out of the Committee, and was placed on the Senate calendar. Senator Peeler, Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, objected strongly to this effort to bypass the Senate Finance Committee where the House and Senate versions of the Conservation Enhancement Act had previously been referred. As a result of his objection, the Working Agricultural Lands Protection Act, as amended, was recommitted to the Senate Finance Committee where it remained when the Legislature adjourned.

SCWF and our legislative partner, Audubon South Carolina, along with Upstate Forever and the SC Farm Bureau strongly supported the original Working Agricultural Lands Protection Act as passed by the House and actively worked to shepherd the bill through the legislative process. Had the Conservation Enhancement Act language not been added to H.3951 as an amendment, the bill would have likely sailed through the Senate and would have become law this year. Our efforts to have the amendment stripped from the bill on Senate floor and the original farmland bill taken up by the Senate failed, so we will have to wait until the 2024 session to right the ship and get this important piece of legislation enacted into law.

H.3868 (Women in Hunting and Fishing Awareness Day) – This legislation introduced by Rep. Heather Bauer of Columbia designates the third Saturday in November as Women in Hunting and Fishing Awareness Day. The bill passed both legislative chambers overwhelmingly and SCWF Executive Director Sara Green testified in support of the bill in both the House and Senate committees of jurisdiction. The bill was signed by the Governor on May 16.

S.96 (Boater Safety and Training Legislation) – This legislation sponsored by Sen. Campsen, Davis and McElveen states that anyone born on or after July 1, 2007 must successfully complete a boater safety training program and be in possession of a boater safety certificate in order to operate a vessel powered by an engine of ten horsepower or greater or equivalent to ten horsepower or greater. The bill passed the Senate and was amended in the House. The Senate amended the bill again by stripping out some of the House amendments and sent it back to the House. The House non-concurred in the Senate amendments thus creating a conference committee to iron out the difference between the two versions. The conferees issued a compromise Conference Report which was agreed to by the Senate by a vote of 43-0 but approval was held up in the House on May 11, the last day of session. After much debate in an extended session, the House finally passed the Conference Report by a 97-7 vote when they returned to the Capitol on June 7. The bill will now go to the Governor for his signature and become state law.

Image Credit: Venus Flytrap in Horry County, SC by Austin Jenkins.

S.581 (A Bill to Name the Venus Flytrap as the Official State Carnivorous Plant of the State) This bill passed both the House and the Senate and was signed into law by the Governor on May 8. The bill would bring awareness to the Venus flytrap which is federally designated as an At-Risk Species and the State of South Carolina is just one of two places in the world where the Venus flytrap naturally occurs. SCWF Executive Director Sara Green testified in support of this bill before House and Senate legislative Committees. You can read her remarks here.

H.3121 (Trails Bill) – This bill states that a taxpayer who encumbers his property with a perpetual recreational trail easement and right of way is allowed a one-time income tax credit equal to ten cents for each square foot of the property that is encumbered by the recreational trail easement. If passed, this legislation would help facilitate the continuation of public trails from publicly owned lands through privately owned property. Late in the session, this legislation passed the House and was sent to the Senate where it was referred to the Senate Finance Committee. This exact same bill passed the House overwhelmingly in 2022, but time ran out before the Senate could consider it. Since 2022 was the end of a two-year legislative session, the bill needed to be re-introduced in 2023 and will be consider by the Senate in 2024.

S.281 (SC Public Lands Enhancement Act) – This legislation would capture an amount equal to the annual general fund portion of sales tax revenue derived from sporting goods stores, designated under the 2007 North American Industry Classification System with code 451110, and credit that amount to the Public Lands Enhancement Fund (created by the bill). Funds derived from these sales tax proceeds would be used to create, improve, or restore access to public lands and waters, facilities, natural resources including fish and wildlife populations, or recreational opportunities on parks, forests, wildlife management areas, and heritage preserves that are owned, leased, or managed for public use by an agency of this State. The Bill was sponsored by Sen. Campsen and introduced in the Senate on January 10th where it was referred to the Senate Finance Committee. No further action taken in 2023. Hopefully, this legislation will advance in the 2024 session.

Sunday Hunting on WMAs – The SC Department of Natural Resources promulgated regulations that would allow for Sunday hunting on selected Wildlife Management Areas around the state that are owned or leased by the Department. Committees of jurisdiction in the House and Senate approved these new regulations and they became effective May 26, 2023. Since Sunday hunting was not recommended nor approved for all WMA’s, hunters should check with SCDNR to determine which WMA’s are affected and which are not by the new regulations.

Endangered Pine Barrens Treefrog, photo by Nathan Shepard

H.4047 (Endangered Species Disclosure Prohibition) – This legislation authored and introduced by Rep. Ott states that the Department of Natural Resources may not release records in its possession that contain site-specific information, including but not limited to, unique numeric identifiers of precise geographic locations, telemetry, or other locational data, regarding the occurrence of federal- or state-listed rare, threatened, species in need of management, endangered, or otherwise imperiled plant and animal species on public or private property, except in support of scientific, conservation, or educational purposes. The owner or owners of private property upon which threatened, endangered, or at-risk species occur shall be entitled to records specific to said property upon the request to the department. The bill passed the House on a vote of 97-0 on May 3 and was sent to the Senate where it was referred to the Senate Fish, Game and Forestry Committee. The bill will receive Senate consideration in the 2024 session. SCWF favored this legislation and Sara Green testified in support of the bill before the House Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee prior to the bill’s passage in the House.

S.484 (SC Waterways Protection Act) – Legislation would create the South Carolina Waterways Protection Fund. Funds would be expended from the trust account primarily for the removal of hazardous, abandoned, or unattended vessels, marine debris, or hazards to navigation from the waters of this State. This bill passed the Senate 41-1 and was sent to the House and referred to the House Ways and Means Committee. It will be taken up by the House in the 2024 session.

Senator Graham Backs Bipartisan Bill To Help SC’s At-Risk Wildlife

Posted on May 10, 2023March 10, 2025 by admin

COLUMBIA — 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.

“America’s wildlife are in crisis. This ground-breaking legislation tackles the problem at the scale necessary,” said Sara Green, Executive Director of the South Carolina Wildlife Federation. “We thank Senator Graham for cosponsoring this fiscally responsible effort to help at-risk wildlife with collaborative, conservation measures across every state, territory and Tribal nation.”

The bill would send $15.4 million to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources which the agency will use to implement its wildlife action plan. The plan identifies 825 priority species, including the prothonotary warbler, black bear and northern bobwhite quail.

“This bill is modeled after historic laws passed decades ago that have long helped keep our game and sportfish populations healthy,” said Robert H. Boyles, Jr., Director of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. “Today, most people don’t know that wild turkey or inland striped bass were ever in trouble. Funding from this bill will allow us to do the same kind of work on behalf of South Carolina’s at-risk species like gopher tortoises, wood storks, and loggerhead sea turtles. We wholeheartedly thank Senator Graham for supporting this legislation that will benefit our state’s wildlife and our way of life.”

Loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings, photo by Peggy Lucas.

“Saving the thousands of at-risk wildlife species will require bold, bipartisan leadership,” said Collin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. “We are so grateful to Senator Graham for leading the way on the historic Recovering America’s Wildlife Act. This bill will have an immediate impact – saving species, creating jobs and protecting our way of life in South Carolina and all across the country.”

A similar bill passed the House last session, with support from Representative Jim Clyburn. Senator Graham also cosponsored a Senate version last session. It passed out of committee but never received a floor vote, despite having 47 bipartisan cosponsors.

“Preserving the wildlife and natural resources of South Carolina is crucial not only for the benefit of future generations, but it’s a vital source of local economic growth. Furthermore, by providing important resources, this legislation will support habitat restoration across South Carolina by voluntarily bringing together private and public stakeholders,” said Senator Graham in a press release put out by Senator Heinrich’s office.

Federally recognized tribal nations, including South Carolina’s Catawba Indian Nation, would share $97.5 million annually to fund wildlife conservation efforts in the lands they manage.

“Wildlife conservation is an issue that unites all Americans. We hope Senator Scott and the rest of the South Carolina delegation will join Senator Graham in cosponsoring this commonsense bill and help it get across the finish line,” said Green.

SC Senate Briefing on Land Conservation

Posted on January 26, 2023March 7, 2025 by admin

SCWF Executive Director, Sara Green, had the opportunity to speak on behalf of the SC Conservation Coalition about land conservation at the recent “Conversations with Conservationists” Senate Briefing.

You can find the recording from this event in the State House website’s video archives through the button below – it’s titled “Conversation with Conservationists”:

Recording Link

Here is a transcript of Sara’s remarks:

SCWF’s Sara Green speaking at the Senate Briefing. Photo by Trip King.

Good morning, I thank each of you for being here today. I am Sara Green, Executive Director of the South Carolina Wildlife Federation – the oldest conservation organization in the state just recently having celebrated our 90th year as a trusted voice on conservation issues.

I’m here this morning to ask for your support for the Conservation Enhancement Act – S.280.

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.

From the scenic vistas of the Blue Ridge, rolling piedmont and sandhills, giant towering trees of the coastal plain, productive marshes and expansive beaches – we all know that South Carolina is blessed with an incredible diversity of natural resources that are both beautiful and accessible.

Photo Credits: Inlet Point Marsh on Pawley’s Island by Carl Beard; Lake Jocassee by Ellen Haynes; Reedy River by Adam Roberto.

But this treasure trove of land and water is not immune from destruction or neglect; we must be vigilant to protect these amazing places and the wildlife they sustain. It is our duty to protect, nurture, and safeguard these irreplaceable ecosystems so that they may be enjoyed for generations to come. And South Carolinians from all walks of life have spoken; they want their fishing holes, hiking trails, vista views, lakes and streams protected from unwanted and ever-increasing development.

Originally established by the General Assembly in 2002 and funded in 2004, the SC Conservation Bank has helped preserve more than 300,000 acres of threatened lands in our state since its inception by providing funding for fee simple land purchases and conservation easements. And we’re talking mostly about private land conservation. Since 90% of our state’s land is privately held, the Conservation Bank is uniquely qualified to lead the state in private land conservation because it’s grants process was specifically designed for the protection of private lands. The Bank has financially supported some of the largest conservation easement deals in South Carolina’s history.

The Bank was due to sunset in June 2018. The re-authorization bill which extended the life of the Bank, made it a permanent state agency for the first time ever, and also removed the historically dedicated deed stamp funding for the Bank in favor of an annual appropriations through the legislative state budgeting process.

While we sincerely appreciate the General Assembly’s work to make the Bank a permanent agency, in the course of doing so, the dedicated, reliable funding from the deep stamp was repealed. Last session, the Conservation Enhancement Act was introduced in the House and Senate to reinstate that funding mechanism. That bill was introduced late in the session and ultimately did not pass either body before adjournment.

The Senate version of the bill last year also included language directing revenues from the state sales tax on outdoor recreational equipment to be set aside for use by the Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism, the Forestry Commission and the Department of Natural Resources, to enhance lands owned or managed by those agencies.

This year, these two aspects have been introduced by Senator Campsen and Senator Davis separately – the Public Lands Enhancement Act (S.281) deals with setting aside the tax on outdoor recreational equipment, while the Conservation Enhancement Act focuses on reinstatement of the deed stamp funding. Just yesterday, Representative Phil Lowe, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, introduced a companion bill to the Conservation Enhancement Act and we anticipate early movement in the House on this measure.

Over the years, the General Assembly has been very conservation-minded. Last year, the General Assembly appropriated $40M to DNR for land acquisition, which was incredibly helpful for public lands in our state. And the Conservation Bank received $25M of non-recurring funds to help with private land conservation. We are very appreciative of your leadership in providing such funding and hope you will continue to allocate more financial resources as growth in our state continues to explode.

Also last year, the Green Space Sales Tax bill passed the General Assembly which enabled Counties to approve by referendum an up-to 1% sales tax dedicated to land acquisition for green space, so we greatly thank the legislature for passing that bill as well. Beaufort County has already enacted and passed this measure. Counties that take advantage of this can then leverage their funds with Conservation Bank funds to get more bang for their buck and have a greater impact for their communities.

The SC Conservation Bank has been incredibly effective with the funds available to them so far – The Bank has conserved over 329,000 acres of significant lands statewide at an average price of $527 per acre, while the appraised value of their land conservation grants up to this point is $1.15 billion. That represents a 7 to 1 rate of return on the investment as a ratio of what the Bank expended, as compared to the fair market value of the property.

Passing the Conservation Enhancement Act, S.280, and reinstating the deed stamp funding is the best way to sustain these efforts and significantly increase private land conservation in our beautiful state.

I thank you for your time and consideration. I hope the Senate will advance the Conservation Enhancement Act and other measures that may come up that will promote public and private land conservation, and protect our beautiful state.

Bear Island with Roseate Spoonbills by David Ramage.

GILBERT: We can do better with sustainable development

Posted on December 9, 2022March 7, 2025 by admin

Published December 9th in Post & Courier:
https://www.postandcourier.com/opinion/commentary/commentary-we-can-do-better-with-sustainable-development-in-the-lowcountry-heres-how/article_06cf79c6-771f-11ed-a71c-03364e1187ff.html

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.

Two large recently proposed developments (and likely many more I have not reviewed) have been planned with problematic design standard practices. These practices include attempting to fit unrealistically high numbers of dwellings including placing residential dwellings in the 100-year floodplain (which these days is probably now closer to a 50-year floodplain). In addition, these practices result in destruction of large acreages (approximately 200+ acres at each site) of onsite wetlands that provide wildlife habitat and naturally detain, retain and filter runoff destined for our streams and rivers. They also often result in loss of valuable forested habitat, natural drainage and carbon storage patterns and attempt to control onsite flooding by building large retention ponds in areas with a high-water table.

To achieve sustainable development, avoid future flooding in new developments, loss of important habitats, and harmful discharges to our state waters, we must shift our development strategies in many ways.

We can not continue to fill large acreages of wetlands and replace them with retention ponds especially in areas like the Lowcountry that have a high- water table that is often not adequately considered when sizing retention ponds. We also need to have developments utilize pervious surfaces for roads and driveways, elevate houses for water movement where appropriate, consider using constructed wetlands instead of retention ponds when necessary, leave more large trees and wetlands for carbon sequestration and reject building in our floodplains.

Steve Gilbert, of Charleston, is the Special Project Manager for the South Carolina Wildlife Federation.

Banner photo by Carl Beard.

Environmental groups file lawsuit over proposed Cainhoy Peninsula housing development

Posted on August 22, 2022March 18, 2025 by admin

SCWF and other conservation groups are working to ensure that new housing developments conserve critical wildlife habitat and protect residents from increased flooding. The article below describes our challenging of a permit for the almost 10,000-acre proposed Cainhoy development, near the Francis Marion National Forest, which would destroy nearly 200 acres of wetlands that offer critical protection from flooding by storing flood waters.

“Not only does the planned development put new residents in the direct path of flood waters, but it will also impact the nearby national forest and wildlife,” said Sara Green, Executive Director of the South Carolina Wildlife Federation. “The development will remove critical habitat for animals like the red-cockaded woodpecker on the Cainhoy site and negatively impact the national forest, an invaluable natural resource for all.”

Published 8/18/22 in Charleston Post & Courier

By Shamira McCray smccray@postandcourier.com
Aug 18, 2022

Federal regulators have approved plans for a city-sized development on the Cainhoy Peninsula. Environmental groups say the project will make the area more vulnerable to flooding. File/Staff

CAINHOY — Environmental advocacy groups in South Carolina filed a lawsuit challenging a permit for a proposed 9,000-acre community along Clements Ferry Road they say would make the area more vulnerable to flooding.

The Point Hope project has been approved for as many as 18,000 homes on land that straddles Clements Ferry Road between S.C. Highway 41 and Interstate 526. Permits were authorized by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on May 11.

The lawsuit filed Aug. 17 claims issuance of the Army Corps permit violates the federal Clean Water Act’s prohibition on filling wetlands if there is a less environmentally damaging alternative.

Environmentalists said the project would destroy nearly 200 acres of wetlands needed for floodwater storage, plus place about 45 percent of the planned housing in the floodplain. And more than 45,000 people would be added to the Cainhoy Peninsula beyond Daniel Island, according to a news release from the Southern Environmental Law Center detailing the case.

The center filed the suit in federal court in Charleston on behalf of the Coastal Conservation League, Charleston Waterkeeper and the South Carolina Wildlife Federation.

The Corps referred requests for comments on the lawsuit to the U.S. Department of Justice. A DOJ spokeswoman declined to comment through an email sent on Aug. 18.

Charleston Waterkeeper Director Andrew Wunderley said the developers should be doing everything they can to minimize destroying wetlands that protect residents from floodwaters.

“Damaging hundreds of acres of wetlands is clearly reckless for future occupants of the development,” Wunderley said in the news release.

Several other defendants and issues of concern were also listed in the complaint.

The Environmental Protection Agency is being sued because of its failure to veto the Corps’ permit, the plaintiffs said. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is listed in the complaint because it “unlawfully issued a biological opinion authorizing the extirpation (elimination) of endangered red-cockaded woodpeckers from the property.”

“It’s the biggest poster child for a bad idea with filling a wetlands, housing in a floodplain and endangered species,” said Catherine Wannamaker, a senior attorney for the Southern Environmental Law Center.

In addition, the development is planned on an already-crowded road that has its share of traffic issues, environmentalists said.

Because of its proximity to the Francis Marion National Forest, wildlife there, like the red-cockaded woodpecker, could be impacted by city-sized development.

Red-cockaded woodpeckers nest in live trees and depend on mature pine trees to build their internal nests. The Francis Marion once had the nation’s second-largest naturally increasing population. The animals were listed as endangered in 1970, and about half of the population in the forest here was displaced after Hurricane Hugo in 1989.

Point Hope could further remove critical habitat for animals like the woodpecker and negatively impact the forest, environmentalists said.

The environmental groups say they are not opposed to development occurring on the Point Hope property. Instead, they are advocating for a development plan that is resilient and sustainable, said Jason Crowley, a senior program director for the Coastal Conservation League.

He said environmentalists hope to work with the federal agencies and developers on a resolution that substantially minimizes the impacts to natural resources and avoids putting homes in the floodplain “at the same time that the Army Corps is trying to build a billion-dollar seawall downtown.”

The federal government has 60 days to file an answer to the suit, Wannamaker said.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include Department of Justice confirmation it would not be commenting on the lawsuit.

Published 8/18/22 in Charleston Post & Courier

By Shamira McCray smccray@postandcourier.com – Shamira McCray covers climate change and the environment for the Post and Courier. Follow her on Twitter at @ShamiraTweets.

WAIT Partners Installing Wood Duck Boxes

Posted on May 27, 2021March 7, 2025 by admin

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.

Save Bay Point Island!

Posted on September 21, 2020March 7, 2025 by admin

Update 9/24/20: GREAT NEWS!! The Beaufort County Zoning Board of Appeals voted 5-0 to reject the proposed Bay Point development. Thank you to all who spoke up for the vast amount of wildlife that depend on our barrier islands for their survival!

09/24/20 – Board denies controversial plan to put luxury resort on barrier island – Post and Courier

Bay Point Island, a vulnerable barrier island bordering Port Royal Sound in Beaufort County, is the site of a proposed “ecotourism” development which will include fifty beach bungalows, four spa and wellness centers, several restaurants, and areas for listening to music and watching movies—all to be constructed on the island. A solar field is included in preliminary designs, however it is insufficient to generate the amount of electricity the resort indicates it will use. Ten septic fields are also planned on the small island, along with stormwater ponds – and 33,000 gallons per day will need to be withdrawn from a local aquifer, straining already depleted groundwater resources and exacerbating saltwater intrusion.

SCWF is proud to stand with our partners at the Coastal Conservation League and the Gullah/Geechee Nation to oppose this project.

Development on barrier islands in general is short-sighted, as they are highly erosional. This island is also a nationally-designated “Important Bird Area,” holding up to 8,000 shorebirds at some times. It provides critical habitat for threatened Loggerhead Sea Turtles and adjoins sensitive salt-marsh areas which are a nursery ground for shrimp, crabs, oysters, and many species of bony fish which are important to South Carolina’s seafood industry, as well as being extremely valuable to the culture and livelihood of the Gullah/Geechee Nation.

Bay Point Island, in its natural state, is ecologically essential for its wildlife habitat value, economically valuable to the seafood industry in South Carolina, and culturally significant to the people of the Gullah/Geechee Nation as well as the people of Beaufort.

You can learn more about the proposed development at the Coastal Conservation League’s website here, and see links above and below to sign a petition opposing this project.

How can you help save bay point island?

Please sign the petition linked below – we are hoping to get 35,000 signatures before the Zoning Board of Appeals meeting Thursday!!

sign the petition now!
In addition, you may attend the next meeting of the Beaufort County Zoning Board of Appeals where they will discuss this issue – details below. Also below is a letter from SCWF Executive Director, Sara Green, to the Zoning Board members urging them to deny this application.

Beaufort County Zoning Board of Appeals meeting
September 24, 2020 at 5 pm
Burton Wells County Park Gymnasium
1 Middleton Recreation Drive
Beaufort, SC 29906
MASKS ARE REQUIRED TO ATTEND.
The County will be providing socially-distanced seating and hand sanitizer.

UPDATE 9/23: This meeting will ALSO be live-streamed over Beaufort County’s Facebook Page HERE. Virtual attendees can submit comments using Facebook’s chat feature during the live stream. While attending in person is the best way to ensure your comments are heard, this option provides a way to comment for those who don’t feel they can attend safely.

America’s Conservation Enhancement Act is a Win for Wildlife and Sporting Traditions

Posted on September 17, 2020March 7, 2025 by admin

Contact: Mary Jo Brooks, National Wildlife Federation, brooksm@nwf.org, 303-549-8351
Sep 16, 2020

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The overwhelming bipartisan support in the U.S. Senate for America’s Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Act is a tremendous win for America’s wildlife and sporting traditions. Championed by Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), the bill invests in wetlands, fisheries, Chronic Wasting Disease research, and habitat restoration projects in the Chesapeake Bay and throughout the country. The U.S. House of Representatives should quickly follow suit and pass this important legislation so it can be signed into law.

“It’s no secret that our wildlife populations are stressed with a third of all species at risk of extinction. This act will restore wildlife habitat, encourage partnerships with state and tribal leaders for wildlife and disease management, and promote coexistence with wildlife on working lands,” said Mike Leahy, director of wildlife, hunting, and fishing policy at the National Wildlife Federation. “This is good news for all Americans who enjoy outdoor recreation, particularly our sportsmen and women.”

“At a time when our nation is divided over so many issues, this bill shows once again that Americans come together over concerns about wildlife, public lands, and conservation,” said Jesse Deubel, executive director of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation. “This common-sense bill will help wildlife and fish populations flourish through better management practices, habitat restoration, and disease research.”

Key provisions of the ACE Act include:

Establishing a Chronic Wasting Disease task force to develop an interstate action plan for state and federal cooperation relating to the disease
Commissioning a study by the National Academy of Sciences regarding the pathways and mechanisms of the transmission of Chronic Wasting Disease in the United States;
Reauthorizing the North American Wetlands Conservation Act until 2025;
Encouraging partnerships among public agencies and other interested parties for promoting fish conservation;
Reauthorizing the Chesapeake Bay Program until 2025;
Reauthorizing the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network and the Chesapeake Bay Gateways Grants Assistance Program until 2025;
Reauthorizing the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Act until 2025;
Establishing a program to provide grants to states and Indian tribes to compensate livestock producers for losses due to predation by federally protected species such as wolves or grizzly bears;
Establishing a Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize for technological innovation to reduce human-predator conflict using non-lethal means.

https://www.nwf.org/Latest-News/Press-Releases/2020/09-16-20-ACE-Act

Banner image by Drew Yougedyke

Update on Public Lands

Posted on May 3, 2018March 7, 2025 by admin

A year ago this week, War was declared on America’s lands when President Trump signed Executive Order 13792. This unprecedented action put 26 National Monuments on the chopping block for review and possible reduction in size. The President had already appointed Ryan Zinke as Interior Department Secretary, and he became the point person for carrying out the executive order. Over the past year, Secretary Zinke has expanded the war on numerous fronts through his political appointments, his department re-organization fumbling, his shunning of wildlife management and sound science and his devotion to energy conglomerates and large-scale agriculture.

And we haven’t even mentioned the Secretary’s personal ethical challenges and his oversized ego. Try this on for size: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2018/03/19/6ba3b4e4-2bba-11e8-8ad6-fbc50284fce8_story.html?utm_term=.bfa3c8c3bb31.

The principal “party line” for executing the executive order was that past presidents named these national monuments without public input: an Interior press release justifying the Order stated: “Secretary Zinke and President Trump both strongly believe that local input is a critical component of federal land management.”

And there was more about how important the public is: “The Department of the Interior is the steward of America’s greatest treasures and the manager of one-fifth of our land. Part of being a good steward is being a good neighbor and listening to the American people who we represent,” said Secretary Zinke. “Today’s action, initiating a formal public comment process finally gives a voice to local communities and states when it comes to Antiquities Act monument designations.”

So for 60 days, local communities, outdoor businesses and citizens responded, and at the end of the day there were almost 3 million comments and over 99% opposed changing any of the National Monument boundaries. National Parks and Monuments are often called “America’s Best Idea”, and almost unanimously millions of Americans from across the nation agreed.

Although Zinke and his closest political aides had no doubt intended to make large rollbacks in most if not all of the 26 monuments, the only opening they saw to take action was in Utah where some of that state’s federal and state officials were marching to a different drum than the vast majority (time will tell at the ballot box whether Utah voters were in lockstep with those officials). Large parts of Grand Escalante and Bears Ears Monuments were named for development by Interior, but lawsuits closely followed alleging the executive order and the reductions in Utah are against the law.

And thanks to recent Freedom of Information requests, we now know the real motivation for the ill-fated executive order – internal documents confirm the potential for oil, gas and uranium development within the monument borders was paramount (as if we didn’t intuitively know before!).

Americans want to be a part of these lands that belong to them, and after the beauty and amazing geology of the Utah monuments received glowing reviews in numerous articles last year, thousands more Americans are now vacationing in Utah to see Escalante and Bears Ears.

Meanwhile, the executive order was the first volley in a war that continues on numerous fronts led by Zinke and his newly-appointed Interior officials who are fresh from lobbying and lawyering for fossil fuel, petrochemical and mining interests. Conflict of interest is a forgotten prohibition these days. Meanwhile, a majority of Congress simply provides a nod and a blink during committee hearings when these matters are raised. For more details check out this from the Wilderness Society: https://wilderness.org/zinke-year-one-14-misdeeds-show-why-hes-worst-interior-secretary-ever.

This War pits lots of money and generals against an overwhelming super-majority of citizens. It’s David vs. Goliath, and I believe from the bottom of my heart that David will be victorious.

The good news is Americans now realize they can’t take their own public outdoor experiences for granted any longer. More and more folks in South Carolina and around the nation are seeking out public lands for inspiration, refuge, health and pure enjoyment in U.S. parks, forests, monuments and wildlife refuges. Can you believe that over 2% of the entire US economy is from the out-of-doors? And guess what – that figure is larger than the entire US mining industry and it’s growing by leaps and bounds!

We will continue to keep you posted.

Ben Gregg, SCWF Executive Director

New WAIT Site Certified at Shaw Industries

Posted on November 9, 2016April 28, 2025 by admin

Columbia, S.C. – The South Carolina Wildlife Federation (SCWF) certified Shaw Industries Group, Inc., Plant 8S as a Wildlife And Industry Together (W.A.I.T.) site on June 16th. The W.A.I.T. program recognizes industries who are dedicated to protecting the environment and keep wildlife needs in mind when making their land management decisions. Shaw joins 28 other plants in the state with this distinction.

Shaw Industries Group, Inc., Plant 8S is a nylon and polyester fiber manufacturing facility located in Columbia, South Carolina that has more than 300 employees. The plant’s products are used to make a variety of different types and styles of nylon and polyester carpet. Shaw Industries is the world’s largest carpet manufacturer and a leading floor covering provider. The company manufactures and distributes carpet, custom rugs, hardwood, laminate, resilient, and tile and stone flooring products for residential and commercial applications worldwide. A recognized environmental leader, Shaw takes a holistic approach to sustainability including a keen focus on its 2030 goals related to water, energy, greenhouse gas emissions, waste, safety and designing to Cradle to Cradle protocols.

SCWF acknowledged that Shaw is proudly committed to being good stewards of the environment. The W.A.I.T. certification recognizes that Shaw Plant 8S has taken a leading role in environmental protection, in part by setting aside property around the plant that includes planting food plots for wildlife, creating two butterfly gardens, constructing hawk perches, installing duck and bird boxes and building numerous walking trails for its employees to enjoy the abundance of wildlife along the Saluda River in Lexington County. Associates from all departments are involved in W.A.I.T. projects.

Category: Conservation