Conservation Leadership Spotlight: Over 1,600 acres protected in Dorchester County
Dorchester County residents and visitors will soon be able to enjoy a new state forest at the 1,644-acre Beech Hill property thanks to the Open Space Institute (OSI) and the county’s Greenbelt program. This act of land protection is a check against population sprawl that also offers a wealth of benefits for people and wildlife.
The Beech Hill property is a vast, working timber tract situated between Givhan’s Ferry State Park and the Edisto River Wildlife Management Area. OSI led the effort to acquire the property, securing funding from the South Carolina Forestry Commission (SCFC), the South Carolina Conservation Bank (SCCB), and the Dorchester County Greenbelt Program.
In a county growing as fast as Dorchester, we need leaders who speak up to support land and water protection. CVSC thanks Dorchester County Council for their support of the Greenbelt Program, as well as Representatives Gary Brewer (R, District 114) and Robby Robbins (R, District 97) and Senator Sean Bennett (R, District 38) for voting in support of the SCCB funding that made this significant acquisition possible. Their continued leadership at the statehouse will ensure that South Carolina is able to balance the conservation and economic development activity that make the Lowcountry so desirable.
The importance of this acquisition cannot be overstated. Beech Hill contains unusually high and dry ground for the Lowcountry–making the threat of conversion all the more likely—and CVSC applauds OSI for collaborating with local government and state agencies to protect it. Beech Hill will become a new state forest, with OSI expected to transfer the property ownership to SCFC in 2026. It is also expected that the entire property will be enlisted in the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Management Area program. Additionally, sustainable timber and pine straw operations will continue at Beech Hill, with 25% of all revenue flowing to the Dorchester County School District.
Once opened to the public, there will be countless opportunities for hiking, biking, hunting, and wildlife viewing. The acquisition of Beech Hill will link a vast network of protected lands and offer indirect benefits, including improved public health through access to green space, and heading off the traffic and infrastructure burdens created by a new, major subdivision.
The acquisition of Beech Hill is an example of what’s possible when nonprofit organizations, counties, and state leaders work together. Collaborations like these are key to helping South Carolina reach the goal of conserving 10 million acres across the state. CVSC thanks OSI, Dorchester County Council, Representatives Robins and Brewer, and Senator Bennett for protecting what South Carolinians cherish most: our lands.
Learn more about OSI and their impactful projects here: https://www.openspaceinstitute.org/news/beech-hill