Council delays $42 million New River conservation funding after residents press for more detail

Beaufort County Council on June 8 postponed action on a proposed county contribution toward the Nature Conservancy's purchase of the nearly 5,000-acre New River tract adjacent to Palmetto Bluff, saying council members needed more appraisal, zoning and wetland information and time for concerned neighbors to review the deal.

The conservation purchase, presented by the county's Greenspace advisory committee and a Nature Conservancy representative, would put the tract under state forest management and preserve thousands of acres of high ground and maritime wetlands. The Conservancy has a purchase contract for $42 million; presenters told council three independent appraisals came in above $45 million, which the Greenspace chair characterized as a material donor contribution from the seller.

Supporters said locking the land into a conservation easement and transferring management to the South Carolina State Forestry Commission would prevent development under the existing development agreement and provide public access and trail opportunities. State and county officials said a state-managed forest would require a public management plan and review by state oversight bodies before any public access or hunting plans take effect.

Neighbors and Palmetto Bluff residents urged a delay and asked for documents they said they had not received: the full due-diligence report, the appraisals, a clear statement of expected public access, and the mechanism by which the county would be reimbursed if state or federal grants covered part of the purchase. Speakers warned that the property has complex ties to a development agreement and said they wanted written guarantees on access routes and hunting management, not only verbal assurances.

After more than an hour of public input and council questions, a motion to postpone the Greenspace resolution to the council's June 22 meeting passed 6-5. Council directed staff and the Greenspace advisory committee to return with copies of the appraisals, a clear account of the transaction structure and proposed public access routes, and a wetland/zoning summary. The council also asked staff to schedule a public meeting near Palmetto Bluff before the June 22 meeting so residents could comment in person.

What happens next: the Nature Conservancy remains under contract. Council members and state forester representatives said a public planning process would follow any county approval and that the State Forestry Commission would develop a management plan subject to public review. Supporters said the county's contribution would be reimbursed by state or federal grants within a multi-year window; opponents pressed for clearer written commitments on reimbursement timelines and on exactly which acres would be protected and how access would be managed.

Why it matters: The tract is one of the largest undeveloped parcels in the county's south end. Supporters framed it as a generational opportunity to protect contiguous habitat and create public trail access; residents said the scale of the purchase and the potential management changes required clearer auditing, assurances and notification. The council's request for appraisals and a public meeting is intended to narrow outstanding questions before a final vote.

Speakers (first reference): Greenspace advisory chair Mike McShane; residents Frank Riddick and Mark Slavin; Nature Conservancy representative (presented materials); State Forester (attended); multiple Palmetto Bluff residents.

Next steps: Staff will add appraisals, due-diligence materials, zoning and wetland summaries to the June 22 packet and arrange a public meeting near Palmetto Bluff. The council will reconsider the funding resolution at its June 22 meeting.