Preserving Morris Island

Dec. 12, 2006: Today Rotarians learned a little more about what national organizations are doing to conserve and protect land locally in our beautiful Lowcountry. David Agnew discussed the Trust for Public Land and its role in preserving Morris Island, a local barrier island.

The Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national, nonprofit, land conservation organization that conserves land for people to enjoy as parks, community gardens, historic sites, rural lands, and other natural places, ensuring livable communities for generations to come. Locally, TPL has been preserving land in South Carolina since 1990. TPL is currently working with three major programs in South Carolina: Charleston County, Beaufort County Rural and Critical Lands, and Hilton Head Island Conservation.

While there are many organizations that work to conserve land, TPL is different in that it works to put the land into public use, such as a park, playground or open space. This is increasingly important, as Agnew showed on a map depicting urban areas in South Carolina. These urban areas continue to grow, and Clemson University predicts that South Carolina will have 868 square miles of urban space by the year 2030!

Part of the land TPL is trying to save in Charleston County includes Morris Island, which is located at the mouth of the Charleston Harbor. Morris Island is very historically, culturally and environmentally significant, and TPL has been working tirelessly with other organizations to save it from development. In fact, one of the partners in this effort is a forward-thinking local developer, the Ginn Company. In February of this year, Ginn bought the island for $6.8 million and sold it back to the Trust for $4.5.

TPL is trying to raise money to achieve three goals for Morris Island: protect it from development in perpetuity, develop a master plan and put the island into public ownership, and provide meaningful public access to the island. So far, significant contributions have been received from the SC Conservation Bank and Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission, as well as future donations from the SC State Ports Authority and private funds. If you are interested in helping this worthy cause, please visit , View by State, South Carolina.

Submitted by Amy Riley, Keyway Committee Chair