Savannah River Preserve

An agriculturally and historically rich land

The Savannah River Preserve is a subregion of the South Lowcountry Focus Area. Local landowners have come together in an effort to preserve the landscape and its traditional rural uses. Evolving from South Carolina's plantation history, much of this land is still held by relatively few private owners. This wonderful and pristine matrix of private land holdings comprise the expansive patchwork of maritime forests, longleaf pine sand ridges, and bottomland hardwood forests that make the South Lowcountry landscape so vital, not only to the natural world but also to the citizens of South Carolina. To date, the Land Trust holds 34 conservation easements, protecting more than 23,796 acres in the South Lowcountry.

While essential economic growth and development has helped South Carolina prosper over the years, areas such as the South Lowcountry have remained relatively intact, offering all South Carolinians a refuge and an unspoiled landscape where heritage and historical land uses are tied closely with contemporary South Carolina.

Partners In Conservation

The South Lowcountry (SoLo) Task Force, in which LOLT is a participant, continues to implement a landscape-scale conservation plan for a subsection of SoLo, the "Savannah River Preserve." The partnership includes the Land Trust, The Nature Conservancy, Ducks Unlimited, US Fish & Wildlife Service, the USDA, and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. To date, the partnership has preserved over 135,000 acres. Protecting lands in the Savannah River Preserve ensures clean rivers, marshes and estuaries for its inhabitants; forested lands for plant and animal survival; agricultural fields for farmers and ranchers; continued sources of supply for the forest product industries; and excellent outdoor recreational opportunities for private and public interests for generations of South Carolina. For more information on the Savannah River Preserve, go to www.savannahriverpreserve.org.