News

South Carolina Land Trust Network recognizes decades of leadership protecting the state’s natural and historic resources 

SC Land Trust Network issues 'clarion call' for continued momentum

The South Carolina Land Trust Network announced today that Lyles Cooper, Executive Director of Pee Dee Land Trust, has assumed the Board Chair role. She succeeds Ashley Demosthenes, who recently became the CEO of the Land Trust Alliance. Cooper has been a respected leader within the network, having served multiple terms as Treasurer and as one of the founding board members when the organization secured its 501(c)(3) status and appointed its first executive director.

Beginning her career in conservation almost thirty years ago, Ashley Demosthenes now serves as President and CEO of the Lowcountry Land Trust (LLT) and brings a wealth of knowledge to the South Carolina Land Trust Network (SCLTN).

September 5, 2024 - Columbia, SC - The South Carolina Land Trust today honored Senator Nikki Setzler for his lifetime of contributions to conservation in South Carolina. During the organization's Fall Member meeting, Setzler was presented with a coffee table book on the Cowassee Basin, an expansive area in the heart of Senate District 26 which he has represented for the last forty-eight years. Inside the front cover was a signed Board Resolution that read: In recognition and profound appreciation of Senator Nikki Setzler’s Service to the State of South Carolina Whereas South Carolina is blessed with rich and abundant natural, historical, and cultural resources and remarkable beauty; Whereas protecting these special places is paramount to our enviable quality of life and to the thousands of jobs provided by industries that depend on natural places; Whereas effective land protection work relies on committed people and proactive policies; Whereas for forty-seven years, Senator Nikki Setzler has served the people of South Carolina through his leadership in the South Carolina Senate, notably as Chairman of the Senate Finance Natural Resources and Economic Development Subcommittee; Whereas his bipartisan efforts to reauthorize the South Carolina Conservation Bank have ensured the permanent protection of hundreds of special places, including the recently expanded Congaree Creek Heritage Preserve; Whereas he has championed conservation funding and voted in support of policies that financially incentivize private landowners to permanently protect their working farm and forestlands; Whereas his steadfast leadership has positioned investment in voluntary land conservation as an essential aspect of state governance to balance growth with quality of life today and for future generations:  Now, therefore, be it Resolved that the South Carolina Land Trust Network Board of Directors this fifth day of September 2024 formally acknowledges and extends its deepest appreciation for Senator Nikki Setzler’s exemplary service to the people of South Carolina.

Lowcountry Land Trust is proud to announce the permanent protection of 296 acres in the Town of St. George in Dorchester County, through a conservation easement on the Utsey Tract. Read more at Lowcountry Land Trust→

The American Battlefield Trust today announced the acquisition of an approximately 160-acre property within the footprint of the Battle of Hanging Rock in rural Lancaster County. The property is the sixth parcel acquired to support ongoing protection and interpretation efforts at one of South Carolina’s newest battlefield parks. With this current purchase, the protected acres at the Hanging Rock battlefield now total 330 acres. 

In April, Aiken Land Conservancy purchased 431 acres known as the Keadle Bridge Tract to hold until it can be added to the Aiken Gopher Tortoise Heritage Preserve. The property provides a 1.2-mile buffer along the Edisto River, includes habitat for several state-listed species, and will offer additional outdoor recreational opportunities to Aiken County residents. Read more on the Aiken Land Conservancy website.

WILLIAMSBURG COUNTY, S.C. (March 26, 2026) — Gov. Henry McMaster, the Open Space Institute (OSI), South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism (SCPRT), and supporters today celebrated the official opening of South Carolina’s fiftieth state park, The Meadows at Black River State Park.

Congaree Land Trust is proud to announce the permanent conservation of 420 acres of vital natural lands in Lee County. Read entire story with Congaree Land Trust

Lowcountry Land Trust is proud to share that the Lowcountry Center for Conservation has received a prestigious Carolopolis Award from the Preservation Society of Charleston, recognizing the project’s outstanding contribution to thoughtful design in new construction. For the Land Trust, this honor reflects a vision of conservation, legacy, and community. Read more at Lowcountry Land Trust→

Congaree Land Trust is pleased to announce the permanent protection of Shelton Wood, a 219-acre property in Fairfield County. Thanks to the generosity of landowners Jack and Elizabeth Suber and the support of the South Carolina Conservation Bank, this land will remain safeguarded for generations to come. Read entire story with Congaree Land Trust

Lowcountry Land Trust is proud to announce the permanent protection of the Holmes Tract, an impactful, six-acre property on Johns Island. The tract strengthens connectivity between conserved lands, protects sensitive wetlands that flow into Bohicket Creek, and retains the rural character of a growing Sea Island. Read entire story with Lowcountry Land Trust→

After nearly two years of determined negotiations, Conservancy of the Sea Islands, Town of Kiawah Island, Kiawah Island Community Association, Kiawah Partners, and the State of South Carolina have forged a landmark settlement agreement that guarantees the permanent protection of Captain Sams Spit—securing one of the Lowcountry’s most treasured coastal landscapes for generations to come and setting a powerful precedent for conservation across South Carolina and beyond. Read entire story with Conservancy of the Sea Islands

The Open Land Trust (OLT) seeks an experienced and community-minded Executive Director to lead South Carolina's first and oldest land trust into its next chapter of conservation impact across the southern Lowcountry. Founded in 1971, the Open Land Trust is South Carolina's first and oldest land trust, protecting the landscapes, working lands, wildlife habitat, and cultural heritage that define the southern Lowcountry. Accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, OLT has permanently protected more than 38,000 acres across seven counties through 118 conservation easements and 49 fee-owned properties. Our mission is simple and enduring: to protect and conserve Lowcountry land, forever. What sets the Open Land Trust apart is our commitment to community. We work alongside landowners, local governments, nonprofit partners, and residents to create lasting conservation solutions that reflect the values of the communities we serve. From protecting family farms and expanding public access to nature to conserving military compatibility lands and historic landscapes, we believe conservation is about people as much as place. Based in Beaufort, South Carolina, OLT is guided by a dedicated professional staff and an engaged volunteer Board of Directors. To learn more, visit Open Land Trust's website .

Guest blogger: Sebrenna Bryant, state outreach coordinator for USDA's Farm Service Agency (SC) Boasting a robust agricultural landscape of nearly 23,000 farms sprawled across 4.5 million acres of fertile land, South Carolina is a state deeply rooted in agriculture. The Farm Service Agency (FSA) in South Carolina plays a pivotal role in supporting this thriving agriculture economy by managing acreage reports for nearly 2 million acres and aiding farmers' participation in approximately 20 different FSA programs. By doing this, the FSA in South Carolina not only supports USDA's mission but also contributes significantly to maintaining a healthy, stable, accessible, and affordable food supply for all. Historically, FSA traces its roots back to the Great Depression, when the Farm Security Administration was created to help American farmers amid a challenging time. And while the agency’s name and mission have both changed and grown over the years, its commitment to helping farmers has not. Today, FSA plays a crucial role in supporting rural prosperity, improving the environment, and contributing to U.S. national security by helping to ensure a safe, affordable, and abundant food supply. Over the years, FSA’s available programs have expanded to include safety net, farm loan, conservation, and disaster assistance programs. These programs ensure producers have a strong safety net in place in case of natural disasters or market fluctuations. FSA farm loans are available for producers who want to get started in production agriculture or make investments in existing operations but are unable to obtain credit from private lenders. FSA conservation programs give landowners the tools and resources to protect environmentally sensitive land and restore grasslands and forests, leading to cleaner water and air, healthier soil and enhanced wildlife habitat. FSA’s flagship conservation program, the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), is a voluntary program that encourages agricultural producers and landowners to convert highly erodible and other environmentally sensitive acreage to vegetative cover, such as native grasses, trees, and riparian buffers. The benefits of CRP are far-reaching. CRP protects more than 20 million acres of American topsoil from erosion and is designed to safeguard the nation’s natural resources. With over 22,000 acres enrolled in CRP in South Carolina, several landowners have utilized CRP in our home state, with the hope that the increased vegetation would lead to increased wildlife habitat, including bobwhite quail. This has been seen as a great success. Although the terms of CRP and land trusts may differ, with land trusts often encouraging permanent easements, both entities share conservation goals to support farmers and ranchers, and to protect environmentally sensitive land.  Together, FSA and land trusts can help landowners understand the wide scope of available options for preserving and protecting their property, while helping South Carolina to achieve a greater impact in protecting farmland and promoting sustainable agriculture for generations to come. W.R. “Cody” Simpson, III, was appointed by the Trump Administration to serve as the State Executive Director of the Farm Service Agency in South Carolina in May 2025. He has spent his lifetime protecting the Palmetto State’s agricultural heritage and growing its future. Simpson supports wetland conservation through Ducks Unlimited and collaborates with the Pee Dee Land Trust to safeguard natural habitats.