650 acres set aside for Point Hope nature sanctuary

Not every acre of Point Hope is meant to be explored. In fact, one of the community's largest natural spaces is a place residents won't be able to visit at all. 

The 650-acre Point Hope Nature Sanctuary, which developers say was permanently protected in 2022, is being preserved for wildlife rather than walking trails or other recreational activities. Point Hope describes it as the largest conservation easement in the City of Charleston's history. 

The sanctuary is part of a conservation effort that began more than 20 years ago, when planning and environmental studies examined how portions of the former Cainhoy Plantation could be developed while protecting its natural surroundings. 

Julie Dombrowski, communications director for Point Hope Partners, said the sanctuary was selected for its mix of wetlands and higher ground, including a large area of longleaf pines that provides habitat for numerous species. 

Longleaf pine forests once covered much of the Southeast, and their remaining stands provide important habitat for wildlife, including the red-cockaded woodpecker. 

The property's conservation history stretches back decades. In 1999, Cainhoy Plantation enrolled in South Carolina's Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Safe Harbor Program. Wildlife biologists later helped relocate birds to protected properties, including sites in the ACE Basin. 

Wildlife biologist Ryan Wenzel described the results of relocating 20 birds. 

"It essentially started a new population down in an area that's protected," Wenzel said. "They have their own viable population down there now." 

Plans for the sanctuary were publicly announced in 2018, when the proposed protected area was estimated at more than 500 acres. 

Raleigh West, then executive director of Lord Berkeley Conservation Trust, which now holds the conservation easement, spoke about the importance of protecting additional land in the region. 

"We hope this will help catalyze efforts to protect other vulnerable land holdings in the Cooper River Focus Area," West said. 

Dombrowski said planners carefully evaluated wildlife corridors connecting the sanctuary with Francis Marion National Forest and the Cooper River estuary system. 

The sanctuary is part of Point Hope's larger conservation plan, which designates approximately 60% of the 9,076-acre property for wetlands, marsh, green space, parks, trails, and other protected areas. 

Although environmental groups have raised concerns about development's impact on the Cainhoy peninsula, Dombrowski said Point Hope's mitigation strategy keeps conservation efforts close to home. 

"For every one acre impacted on the Point Hope property, approximately 13 acres – right here on the property – will be protected or enhanced," she said. 

Unlike Point Hope's public parks and trails, the sanctuary will remain off-limits to recreational visitors. According to Dombrowski, the plan is to leave the land protected and let nature have the space.