The Ebb & Flow BLOG

Second Angel Oak Campaign Launches; $400,000 Needed to Purchase 18-Acre Tract

Angel Oak phase IIPreserving the beloved Angel Oak is again the focus of a community-wide effort organized by the Lowcountry Open Land Trust and designed to secure a final tract of land near the ancient tree.

The campaign announced today will raise $3.3 million to secure an 18-acre tract (shown in orange in the map below) that is permitted to support 274 multi-family housing units and small retail.

The acreage is a second portion of land conservationists believe is too close to the tree to be safely developed. The first 17-acre tract was successfully secured in December, after a five-month campaign. With donations pouring in from more than 10,000 individuals throughout the region – and the world – LOLT successfully met its obligations in round one with a blend of private, public, corporate and non-profit contributions. That effort halted the development of 356 units on land that supports forests and root systems critical to the tree’s health.

Of the $3.3 million needed to secure the second tract, LOLT can already count on $400,000 from the City of Charleston, whose Mayor Joseph P. Riley, Jr. has committed the funds. The trust received unanimous approval for $2.5 million in Charleston County Greenbelt Bank funds at the first board meeting on February 6 and will go before the Finance Committee of Charleston County Council on February 20.  LOLT will engage the community to raise the additional $400,000 before the March 14 deadline.

We need your help to protect the second tract, so please donate today!

Angel Oak map 2014

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