Led by Resource Management Service (RMS), a global timberland investment manager, the project threads institutional capital through environmental safeguards while maintaining productive forestry operations. The conserved land, which stretches 20 miles across the Pee Dee, Santee, and Black Rivers, remains under active forest management and certified to both Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards.
Key funding came through a $50 million U.S. Forest Service Forest Legacy Program grant, matched by contributions from the state and nonprofit partners. The result is a large-scale conservation model that doesn’t rely on land retirement but instead uses working-forest easements to lock in stewardship goals and climate resilience without compromising investor returns.
This preservation is intended to enhance land value over time. For asset managers and ESG-focused institutions, the initiative offers a replicable framework: protect biodiversity, buffer communities against climate risk, and support economic stability—all while preserving yields.
More than 20,000 acres of bottomland hardwood forest were included in the easement area, critical for their role in absorbing floodwater, filtering runoff, and providing essential habitat for at-risk species like the northern long-eared bat and wood stork. A forest management plan tailored for habitat continuity further ensures the landscape functions as both an ecological corridor and a revenue-generating asset.
South Carolina’s increasingly volatile weather patterns make this kind of natural infrastructure investment timely. Mature floodplain forests reduce flood impacts and safeguard watershed health for 65,000 downstream residents who depend on the Pee Dee Basin’s rivers for drinking water. The South Carolina Forestry Commission will handle ongoing easement compliance and oversight, providing long-term enforceability without adding burdens for landowners.
Public access also factors into the equation. About 7,500 acres will be made available through the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Management Area program, enabling recreational activities like hunting and fishing. Separately, the state purchased 880 acres to expand Wee Tee State Forest, extending outdoor access in a region where recreation is a growing economic contributor.
From a labor and tax standpoint, the easements protect more than 900 jobs tied to timber harvesting, processing, and logistics. Unlike traditional conservation deals that remove land from tax rolls, this initiative ensures the properties continue contributing to local government revenues—an increasingly important consideration for rural counties.
