Pinewood land placed into easements

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Just shy of 400 acres of land in Pinewood have been placed into conservation easements, ensuring neither subdivisions nor commercial development will ever occur on the properties off Old River Road. Records show the Columbia-based Congaree Land Trust paid $270,770 to place 270.77 acres of land owned by Jason Ross into permanent conservation easement. That parcel lies between Kennette Trail and St. Phillip UME Church Road and is just south of about 400 acres owned by the S.C. Waterfowl Assocation. The Congaree Land Trust also paid $127,130, to Jason Ross and Elbert Altman to place 127.13 acres of nearby land into conservation easement, records show. That parcel lies just north of the 270.77 acres and adjoins the waterfowl association's property. Landowners often accept much less money than the land is worth to maintain pristine hunting property with specific agricultural uses. Protecting natural resources and wildlife habitats are the overriding goals. The 270.77 acre parcel, for instance, supports 30 bird species considered to be of the highest, high and moderate priority by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, the deed shows. This property also supports populations of white-tailed deer, wild turkey, doves, quail, cottontail rabbits, wood ducks, mallards and ringnecks. Hawks, owls, reptiles and amphibians also live on the property, which contains wetlands. Natural areas on the property include Big Branch Creek and Governor's Creek, the deed shows, and the wildlife values are further enhanced by the proximity of nearby Santee National Wildlife Refuge and the upper portion of Lake Marion. About a half mile of the Palmetto Trail is part of this property as well. These easements, signed Aug. 29, underscore the aim of many landowners to protect land in perpetuity and involve a local land conservation entity in doing so. - In late June, about 192 acres of land, some of which borders Lake Marion and Santee National Wildlife Refuge, was placed into a conservation easement by the Congaree Land Trust, which paid $192,060 to Willow Oak Gun Club LLC. Some of that land borders Dingle Pond, a Carolina bay. "We like to see Mother Nature preserved," John Williamson, the gun club's president told The Manning Times. "We need to keep things like they are." - In mid-July, the Congaree Land Trust paid $232,050 to the S.C. Waterfowl Association to place 232.05 acres into permanent easement. The non-profit association has a Wildlife Education Center which hosts Camp Woodie during the summer and teaches youngsters about hunting, fishing and waterfowling. During the school year, Camp Leopold teaches students about the natural world with an emphasis on science and biology. - Also in mid-July, 173.57 acres of land along the Sumter-Clarendon County line was placed into easement by the Wetlands Reserve Program, a branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which paid $301,144 to Rollingdale LLC. Though about 100 acres of that tract is wetlands, it all lies in the floodplain of the Black River, so it's all technically wetlands. It boasts prime deer and turkey hunting. "We purchased it for recreational purposes and decided not to cut the hardwoods -- we liked the aesthetics," Charles Segars Jr. told The Manning Times. "It's a neat place."