The Nature Conservancy Granted Significant Conservation Easement Adjacent To National Forest
The Nature Conservancy is making great strides in protecting the Francis Marion National Forest and surrounding areas.
Charleston, SC—14 September 2005—Congaree-Carton Limited Partnership has granted The Nature Conservancy a conservation easement on a 465-acre portion of Fairlawn Plantation in Charleston County. The property is located off Guerin Bridge Road adjacent to the Francis Marion National Forest, headwaters of the Wando River and Ion Swamp. Habitat types include non-riverine hardwood swamp forest, maritime forest and small areas of brackish marsh. The tract is located within the Conservancy's Sewee to Santee project area, a vast region surrounding the National Forest, Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge and the Santee River and Delta. The Sewee to Santee region is internationally recognized for its exceptional value to coastal wetlands, as critical habitat for a variety of migratory birds including waterfowl, shorebirds, song birds and raptors as well as to endangered plant and animal species.
“The Nature Conservancy has made many substantive contributions in protecting the internationally significant resources of the Francis Marion National Forest and surrounding region. We have a long standing interest in conserving forest habitat important to bird life. Therefore, Congaree-Carton is pleased to have worked with the Conservancy to complete this project." said Edouard des Francs, Secretary for Congaree-Carton.
The easement prohibits subdivision of the property, commercial development and provides for a forest management plan to restore the majority of the tract to bottomland hardwood forest. Activities allowed under the easement include wildlife management, hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and environmental education.
Historically, significant portions of the property were devoted to eighteenth century inland rice culture. In more recent years, the property was managed for loblolly pine production. The forest management plan calls for the transition from a loblolly pine forest to the historic native wetland forest type, non-riverine hardwood swamp forest. As loblolly pine is harvested, the area will be planted to variety of native wetland tree species comprising the historic forest type. These include: bald cypress, water tupelo, swamp tupelo, water oak, willow oak, swamp chestnut oak and green ash.
"Congaree- Carton has made a highly significant contribution to the long term conservation of the Sewee to Santee region. As the property is adjacent to a 3,800 acre tract acquired by The Nature Conservancy in 2001 and subsequently transferred to the U.S. Forest Service for inclusion in the National Forest, this easement complements the Conservancy's on-going work. The Fairlawn easement not only protects estuarine water quality but provides assurance for habitat enhancement benefiting a diversity of wetland - dependent wildlife species, particularly resident and migratory birds." said Michael Prevost, The Conservancy's Sewee to Santee Project Director.
"The Ion Swamp region and Fairlawn Plantation in specific have long been known for habitats supporting a rich diversity of birds. In the highly regarded ornithological publication, South Carolina Bird Life, Alexander Sprunt, Jr. and E. Burnaham Chamberlain chronicle the observations on Fairlawn of the now believed to be extinct Bachman's Warbler. Sprunt & Chamberlain note that the renowned nineteenth century naturalist, Dr. John Bachman, first discovered the warbler, subsequently named after Bachman by John James Audubon, on Fairlawn in the 1830's.The bird was last documented on Fairlawn in 1949 in association with habitat precisely of the type that will be restored through the easement. Other significant migratory birds typically associated with the habitats found on the Fairlawn easement are the Swainson's warbler, prothonotary warbler, prairie warbler, Mississippi kite and painted bunting." concluded Prevost.
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