The Seabrook Island Green Space Conservancy is a member of the Johns Island Task Force, a group that promotes an open exchange of views between local organizations and regional authorities about land use issues.
There was a discussion at the March 2 Task Force meeting of the Lowcountry Land Trust proposal to protect three properties, two on Johns Island and one on Rte 17, and the need to educate residents about these properties. These properties are the Sea Islands Small Farmers Cooperative (SISFC) on the Savannah Highway, Ravenswood on Chisolm Road, and Oakville/Burden Creek on River Road, just north of the Airport.
The Lowcountry Land Trust is a conservation organization that works with landowners and governments throughout the Lowcountry to conserve the natural landscape and protect wildlife habitat, water quality, and historic resources.
The SISFC property merits protection because of its historic and cultural significance, and it provides important recreational opportunities to the surrounding community, including access to the Wallace River for crabbing and fishing. The two properties on Johns Island possess a variety of valuable environmental types including woodlands, wetlands, open fields, and a large freshwater pond on the Ravenswood property. At a time when numerous developments are either underway or planned for Johns Island, conservation easements on these properties will help safeguard the island’s biodiversity, wildlife habitat, and overall environmental health, which are essential functions for ensuring sustainability and quality of life for the surrounding community.
For further information about these three properties, click here.
March 15 is the deadline to hear from constituents with your views about these projects. The SISFC will be presenting these projects to the Greenbelt Advisory Board Subcommittees the next day. To learn more about this initiative or to voice your opinion, you can email the following:
- For all three projects, contact the Charleston county Greenbelt Program care of Eric Davis at EDavis@charlestoncounty.org.
- For the Sea Islands Small Farmers Cooperative and Ravenswood projects to the SC Conservation Bank, contact them in care of Amber Larck at Amber.Larck@sccbank.sc.gov. Note that the Oakville/Burden Creek project has already received SC Conservation Bank funding.
You can also contact Natalie Olson of the Lowcountry Land Trust at nolson@lowcountrylandtrust.org.
-Submitted by Seabrook Island Green Space Conservancy