Lowcountry Land Trust is excited to announce it received a fully donated conservation easement on Willcreek, a sprawling 1,695-acre property in Orangeburg County. Landowners Charlie and David Williams’s contribution underscores their steadfast commitment to preserving the Lowcountry’s natural heritage for future generations. The property boasts extensive longleaf pine forest, an incredibly diverse native and regionally significant ecosystem. These forests provide vital habitat and refuge for a diverse array of wildlife, including the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker.
Willcreek’s importance extends beyond its ecological value. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) has identified the property as a site to avoid industrial-scale solar development. This recognition underscores the critical role of conservation easements on private lands like Willcreek in protecting vital forest resources that support the state’s economy and balancing the demand for energy development on rural land.
Orangeburg County is experiencing a full range of growth pressure from both the Charleston and Columbia metro areas. Permanent protection of Willcreek’s 1,695 acres represents what a private landowner can voluntarily do to ensure that valuable forestland and its inherent values are shielded from sprawl while still allowing for smart growth. In partnership with landowners Charlie and David Williams, we will uphold a high standard of land stewardship and protect South Carolina’s natural heritage.
MORE ABOUT WILLCREEK’S RED-COCKADED WOODPECKERS
Populations of red-cockaded woodpeckers have dwindled due to habitat loss and fragmentation. As a keystone species, red-cockaded woodpeckers bore holes into living longleaf pine that are used by numerous cavity-dwelling animals that would not otherwise survive the prescribed burns that are crucial to the ecosystem’s health. Willcreek’s large recreational areas serve not only as prime game habitats but also as critical refuges for these imperiled red-cockaded woodpeckers.
