Commission recommends county council approve Night Tract conservation purchase

The Dorchester County Conservation and Greenbelt Advisory Commission voted unanimously to recommend that Dorchester County Council approve a Lowcountry Land Trust application to acquire the 267-acre Night Tract, a wetland and bottomland forest property off U.S. Highway 178 southeast of Harleyville.

The recommendation, made after a site visit and an executive session, seeks county contribution of $1,450,000 plus $30,000 for transaction costs toward a Lowcountry Land Trust purchase contract of $2,250,000. Lowcountry Land Trust staff told the commission the property was listed at $2,675,000 and that their contract requires due diligence and financing to be completed by July 3, with a potential closing about 60 days later in September.

The Night Tract lies along Walnut Branch and Coldwater Branch and borders large protected areas including Brosnan Forest and conservation easements adjacent to the tract. Lowcountry Land Trust representatives and county parks staff emphasized the site's ecological connectivity and breeding habitat value; the presenter noted nearby protected lands host red-cockaded woodpecker colonies and that the tract is close to the Four Hole Swamp complex and Audubon's Francis Beidler Forest.

"Whereas, the wobbler is a strikingly beautiful golden yellow songbird that migrates annually between South Carolina and its wintering grounds in Central and South America," the Lowcountry Land Trust representative read from a draft state bill while describing the tract's habitat value and how designation and protection would support migratory songbirds and wetland ecosystems.

Lowcountry Land Trust told the commission it has requested $800,000 from the South Carolina Conservation Bank (about 35.6% of their request) and had been encouraged to seek transaction-cost support from Audubon South Carolina, Norfolk Southern, and SustainSC's new Land and Water Action Platform. The trust asked the county for $1,450,000 toward purchase and $30,000 for transaction costs and said that conservation-bank funding decisions and other funder commitments are expected in May or June.

Commission members asked about recent activity on the property since the site visit and whether conservation-bank funds are assured. The Lowcountry Land Trust representative said adjacent landowners were notified as required and expressed confidence the conservation bank application would score highly, but added the bank has more requests than available money in its April round and that the commission should plan for uncertainty. County Parks Director Austin Zuniga told the commission, "When we look back on the projects that we've had brought before us so far, this one in particular, in my opinion, is probably the most strategic and the most exciting for a lot of regional reasons."

Separately, commissioners discussed an earlier recommendation on a UTI (UTC) tract that county council's Planning, Development and Building (PD&B) Committee did not adopt. Lowcountry Land Trust reported the landowner agreed to reduce a county funding request on that project from $500,000 to $350,000 (from about 7% to under 5% of the appraised conservation-easement value) and that, with state conservation-bank funding, the landowner would be donating a large share of the easement value.

After reconvening from executive session, a commissioner moved to recommend full approval of the Night Tract application to county council; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The commission also set a May 19 submission date and indicated it will request the item be heard in the Town of St. George chambers and expects county council or PD&B committee consideration in early June if timing requires.

The commission's recommendation is advisory; final approval and funding decisions rest with Dorchester County Council and other funders. The Lowcountry Land Trust emphasized the July 3 due-diligence deadline in its contract and asked prospective funders to decide in May or June to meet closing timelines.