Land conservation adds to value of Lowcountry life
Published Wednesday, December 12, 2007
When Gov. Mark Sanford suggests spending another nickel -- much less $50 million -- you know it's something important.
Sanford used our own Palmetto Bluff on Monday as a quiet, woodsy backdrop to announce his proposal to add $50 million to the South Carolina Conservation Land Bank to set aside and preserve land.
He said that will be part of his executive budget for next year. Sanford, a serial penny-pincher with the public dollar, said:
"With the growth that's going to be coming our way over the next 10 years, now is the time to make sure our natural resources are protected going forward. A key part of our quality of life and our competitive advantage with respect to other states lies in preserving the way South Carolina looks and feels as a state. This additional funding would go a long way toward building upon that legacy of stewardship for generations to come."
It will be up to the legislature to make it happen. The Beaufort County Legislative Delegation should lead the charge in getting this new money into the budget -- for a total allocation of $65 million.
Our community is at the heart of what will be one of this century's greatest challenges: Coping with growth along the coastline. Water pollution, quality of life, the economy and global warming are a few of the major issues that must be dealt with.
The state Conservation Bank -- which has preserved 134,172 acres from its inception in 2004 through 2007 -- is one of the soundest and most important tools available to deal with growth.
One nice thing about the bank is that it leverages private and local dollars to get more done.
And the private sector must do more.
Sanford was at Palmetto Bluff Monday to help celebrate a developer doing the right thing.
He joined Palmetto Bluff president Jim Mozley and Bluffton Mayor Hank Johnston in marking Palmetto Bluff's donation of 120 acres of maritime forest for conservation.
The waterfront "River Road Preserve" could have been the site of 300 homes. It is worth more than $100 million to the 20,000-acre development near the headwaters of Bluffton's May River.
The act illustrates a point made repeatedly by Sea Pines founder Charles Fraser: The private sector must set aside and protect open space in every development. It must be done legally, as Palmetto Bluff has done with this conservation easement. And, as Fraser loved to preach, it is a moral obligation to be good stewards of the Lowcountry's rich natural resources.
As it was said at this week's ceremony, less development equals more value. As we rip apart the landscape in our frantic grab for the almighty dollar, we should remember that future generations will value what we did not do more than what we did. They will value our open spaces, clean rivers and clear vistas.
That's why Palmetto Bluff is to be thanked.
And that's why the tight-fisted governor should be listened to in the legislature when he proposes a financial boost to the state Conservation Bank.