Lowcountry Land Trust is proud to announce the permanent protection of 296 acres in the Town of St. George in Dorchester County, through a conservation easement on the Utsey Tract. As growth continues to reshape rural communities across the region, the protected property helps ensure this land remains free from future development while supporting South Carolina’s long-term conservation vision to maintain farmlands, forests, waterways, and open space.
Located at the northern edge of the ACE Basin, the Utsey Tract helps establish a permanently conserved greenbelt along the southeastern boundary of St. George, supporting the local community’s goal of limiting unchecked sprawl and protecting environmentally sensitive lands and waterways as growth continues throughout the region. The project builds on nearby conservation easements voluntarily granted by intentional landowners to Lowcountry Land Trust, including the recently-protected Young’s Farm.
“Protecting the Utsey Tract helps conserve the rural landscape that defines this part of Dorchester County while also supporting water quality and long-term resilience for the broader region,” said Kate Parks Schaefer, chief conservation officer at Lowcountry Land Trust. “As communities continue to grow, landowners like the Utseys demonstrate how their land can help retain the rural character and scenic vistas that make the Lowcountry unique.”
The property is primarily composed of planted loblolly pine stands, freshwater wetlands, wildlife food plots, and the headwaters of Gum Branch, a waterway that flows into the Indian Field Swamp, the Edisto River, and ultimately the St. Helena Sound. By eliminating the property’s large-scale development rights, the conservation easement also helps maintain water quality throughout this connected watershed and other important natural resources valued by residents, such as wildlife habitat.
In addition to the Utsey Family’s significant donation of conservation easement value, funding for the property’s protection was provided by the South Carolina Conservation Bank. These two dedicated public and private partners made the permanent protection of the property possible, demonstrating a lasting commitment to the community’s sustainable future.
“The permanent protection of the Utsey property not only supports regional connectivity and downstream water quality, it also conserves productive farmland soils and working forestland,” commented Raleigh West, director, South Carolina Conservation Bank. “I hope the Conservation Bank’s grant to the family encourages neighboring property owners to consider their own land legacies.”
