Charleston County approves multiple Greenbelt projects after debate over contingent state matches

Charleston County Council approved multiple Greenbelt program funding allocations and conservation actions during its November meeting, but several members pressed staff for clearer rules after some projects were shown to rely on State Conservation Bank matching funds that remain pending.

Chris Dubuque, deputy director of the Greenbelt program, opened the discussion with an overview of the program’s public dashboard and historical totals, saying, “these numbers are available and updated daily.” He told the council that since the program was first funded in 2007, the council has approved 234 Greenbelt projects that have protected roughly 26,170 acres and 12.3 miles of corridor. Dubuque reported roughly $169.7 million in funds awarded to date, with approximately $31 million toward conservation easements and $130.3 million toward fee-simple acquisitions. He said 45% of acres protected through the program are available for public access and that about $62.5 million has been directed to projects on minority-owned lands (about 4,000 acres).

The council’s vote package included fee-simple acquisitions and conservation easements across multiple municipalities. Several council members urged caution about approving county allocations for projects that remain dependent on state funding. Councilmember Moody warned that…