The Coosawhatchie Heritage Preserve in Jasper and Hampton counties. (Provided/Andrew Busbee)
RIDGELAND — After working for years to preserve the pieces, South Carolina has opened 10,570 acres in the Lowcountry to the public for hiking, kayaking or just enjoying Mother Nature, the state Department of Natural Resources announced this week.
The $50 million Coosawhatchie Heritage Preserve and Wildlife Management Area — which spans Jasper and Hampton counties — opened Sept. 1, becoming the state’s 78th heritage preserve.
Already one of the largest properties owned by the natural resources agency, the preserve is still growing. A 1,992-acre chunk of land should soon be added.
About $40 million of the price for the land came from various state funds, including the Conservation Bank and Heritage Trust fund. An additional $9.5 million came from a federal program to protect forests, and $50,000 was from conservation group The Nature Conservancy, according to the natural resources department.
For years, conservation groups have been buying pieces of property to then sell to the state to manage. The Open Space Institute bought the first 3,800 acres in 2021.
A map of the Coosawhatchie Heritage Preserve and Wildlife Management Area. (Provided by S.C. Department of Natural Resources)
“We thought we’d hit a home run,” Nate Berry, the group’s chief land protection officer, said about that initial purchase. “But soon thereafter, the partners came together, and in shorter order we were able to protect” far more.
The excitement around the first piece of land persuaded neighboring landowners to conserve and sell their own property, said Open Space Institute spokeswoman Michelle Sinkler.
The conservation groups agreed to hold onto the land and sell it piecemeal to the state as money became available.
The opening over Labor Day weekend followed state officials giving the go-ahead last month to buy a 1,600-acre chunk.
Once the purchase on an adjacent piece of land is finished, the preserve will be almost 12,600 acres. Open Space Institute is in the process of transferring that land to the state, Sinkler said.
A handful of other wildlife management areas are larger than the new preserve, including Jocassee Gorges Wilderness Area in the Upstate, which is more than 40,000 acres, and Woodbury Wildlife Management Area in Marion County, which is about 25,000 acres.
But the large Coosawhatchie property stands out because it is increasingly rare to find such a large piece of undeveloped land in the fast-growing counties along the coast, said natural resources spokesman Stephen Fastenau.
Protecting the land was important because “rare, charismatic species” live there, said David Bishop, The Nature Conservancy’s coastal and Midlands conservation director.
That includes the Eastern diamondback rattlesnake and nonvenomous Florida pine snake, which are high priorities for conservation in the state.
The land is also home to more than 150 gopher tortoises, which are in danger of becoming extinct in the state. The tortoises are considered particularly important to save because more than 300 other species share their burrows, according to The Nature Conservancy.
“We’re pleased that this special place will be open for the public to appreciate,” Bishop said in a statement.
A gopher tortoise on a piece of land forming the Coosawhatchie Heritage Preserve. (Provided by the Open Space Institute)
Visitors will be able to hike along existing roads and paths, though the property does not have a formal trail system.
A nearby county-run boat launch, Corner Lake Landing, will allow people to canoe or kayak the Coosawhatchie River through the preserve.
Hunters can enter a statewide lottery to shoot deer. During scheduled hunts, the preserve will close to the public. The area is also a good place for birdwatching, Fastenau said.
Nearby, an additional 13,100 acres are under protection, both privately and publicly, according to the Department of Natural Resources.
That includes the 4,400-acre Gregorie Neck property, which The Nature Conservancy will split among six private landowners who must agree not to develop the land. The state chipped in $2 million to help recoup costs.
“This is yet another significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to protect our state’s most precious natural resources,” Gov. Henry McMaster said in a statement. “By prioritizing conservation, we are not only protecting our environment and wildlife but enhancing our quality of life by ensuring these beautiful landscapes are not lost to overdevelopment but preserved for future generations to enjoy.”