Conservation Leadership Spotlight: Kings Mountain State Park
A recent land protection success in York County shows what’s possible when strong partnerships and steady leadership come together for South Carolina’s natural and historic places.
This fall, a 47-acre gap inside Kings Mountain State Park was permanently protected, knitting together pasture, upland forest, and a spring-fed pond that enriches the park’s ecology and visitor experience. Once zoned for industrial and commercial development, the land now strengthens water quality, wildlife habitat, and public access in one of South Carolina’s most treasured landscapes.
This conservation milestone was led by the Open Space Institute (OSI), which purchased the property from conservation-minded landowner Greta Metker, with funding from the South Carolina Conservation Bank and stewardship from the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism. Together, these partners demonstrated what successful land protection looks like in South Carolina: collaboration, vision, and smart state investment.
Those state investments—and the programs that make them possible—depend on leaders who recognize the value of conservation. Senator Harvey Peeler (R, District 14), Senator Everett Stubbs (R, District 17), Senator Wes Climer (R, District 15), Representative Brandon Guffey (R, District 48), Representative David Martin (R, District 26), and Representative Heath Sessions (R, District 46) have long supported the Conservation Bank’s mission to protect significant natural, cultural, and historic sites. Their leadership and support ensure that when opportunities like Kings Mountain arise, our state has the means to act quickly and effectively.
Protecting this land does more than add acres to a park. It prevents piecemeal development, safeguards habitat for species like the northern bobwhite quail, and preserves a landscape intertwined with Revolutionary War history; benefits that ripple through local communities as cleaner water, stronger outdoor recreation, and a thriving rural economy.
CVSC thanks Senator Peeler for his leadership and the outstanding conservation partners who made this project possible. Together, their efforts continue the vital work of protecting the South Carolina we all love.
Learn more about OSI and this exciting project here: (https://www.openspaceinstitute.org/news/filling-a-critical-conservation-gap-at-kings-mountain-state-park)