Beaufort County’s land conservation program closes with 9-acre addition
A 25-year-old program that used taxpayer dollars to preserve land in Beaufort County is coming to a close with a 9-acre purchase on Lemon Island.
North Widgeon Point, the property next to Widgeon Point Preserve off Highway 170, was recently acquired by the county for $2.7 million. The purchase protects the island’s corridor between the Broad and Chechessee rivers, the county said. Conservation efforts will continue through Beaufort County’s Green Space program.
The land supports migrating birds, helps safeguard water quality in the Port Royal Sound and preserves the area’s rural character, so preserving it is important, according to the county. Eventually, the public may be able to access the land, but those plans are still under discussion, county spokesperson Hannah Nichols said.
The end of one program, the start of another
The acquisition was the final expense for the county’s rural and critical land preservation program, which has been funded by more than $160 million taxpayer dollars since 1999. Funds were collected through a series of bond referendums, most recently in 2018. The Open Land Trust managed the program on behalf of the county.
Nearly 30,000 acres have been preserved through the program, including Widgeon Point, Oyster Factory Park in Bluffton and Whitehall Park in Lady’s Island. This totals roughly 49 square miles.
Through the program, land was acquired in two ways: either through direct property purchases, which would give the county ownership, or by buying a conservation easement, which means private ownership with specific development restrictions. It allows property owners and families to remain on the land.
Taxpayers have continued funding land protection through the county’s Green Space Program, which has about $75 million left.
Voters first approved the referendum to fund the Green Space program in 2022. A 1% sales tax collected $100 million over the course of about two years, and about a quarter of the funds have been used, said Nichols.
