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Palmetto Trail group seeks county partnership for 109‑acre Broad River conservation preserve
Summary
Presenters asked Fairfield County to accept a cooperative agreement to develop a 109‑acre Broad River Conservation and Education Preserve at the Alston trailhead, citing recent acquisitions, recreation amenities and roughly $320,000 in DNR grant support to fund an initial boat‑ramp phase.
A Palmetto Trail presentation to the Fairfield County Council on March 23 outlined plans to develop a Broad River Conservation and Education Preserve adjacent to the Alston trailhead, asking the county to partner on a draft cooperative agreement.
Buddy Jennings, the project's presenter and former South Carolina Parks, Recreation and Tourism executive director, said the group purchased 109 acres next to the Alston trailhead with help from the Conservation Land Bank. "They spent about 3/4 of a million dollars; we spent a quarter of a million dollars," Jennings said, describing the acquisition financing and a master plan that includes a canoe/kayak launch, a planned boat ramp, interpretive facilities and a mile of riverfront access.
Jennings said the project will add recreational access between the site and Harbison State Forest and that a Department of Natural Resources grant, secured with help from Representative Annie McDaniel and an unnamed senator, would provide about $320,000 for the boat‑ramp phase. He said the group cannot accept those funds directly and must run the grant through Fairfield County, and presented a draft cooperative agreement for the council’s consideration.
Presenters emphasized limited, low‑impact development to preserve upland prairie and wetlands, noted archaeological reviews and cited current heavy trail use: a scheduled 10K attracted about 300 signups and January trail counts exceeded 3,000 visits. Council members confirmed the plans shown cover the full 109 acres and asked about next steps, while presenters said they planned to finalize design details and partnerships before beginning construction.
The presentation concluded with an invitation to council to consider the cooperative agreement and to partner on design, funding flow and project management. The council did not take formal action on the agreement at the meeting.
The matter will return to the council if staff or the presenting organization submits the proposed cooperative agreement for formal consideration.
