$58M mission
Local conservationists are working quickly to preserve the land that helps define the Lowcountry's character – marsh edges, tidal creeks, and historical landmarks – before they start to disappear or fade away.
Formed two years ago in February 2024, the Berkeley County Conservation and Greenbelt Advisory Commission oversees and directs how voter-approved Greenbelt funds are spent to buy, protect, and preserve at-risk open spaces.
Funded by the 2022 one-cent sales tax referendum, the program is projected to provide roughly $58 million over seven years to purchase those tracts and parcels of land.
Unlike bonded programs elsewhere, Berkeley County receives funds quarterly, so acquisitions happen as money accumulates.
So far, the strategy has been clear: buy first, plan later.
“Our main focus the first seven years of the referendum is protecting and preserving these properties,” said Heather McDowell, Berkeley County’s parks and recreation director.
Among the most anticipated projects is Cainhoy’s one-acre Old Ruins, which is being donated by longtime resident MaeRe Skinner.
Approved by Berkeley County Council in August 2025, the site once hosted one of South Carolina’s earliest Protestant meeting houses and served as a Revolutionary War field hospital. It also contains an African American cemetery with unmarked graves of freed slaves.
“It has more history per its one acre in size than anything I’ve seen nearby,” said Greenbelt Commission member Tory Sullivan. “It’s critical to the history of Cainhoy, Wando, and Charleston in general.”
Down the road, Blessing Plantation, a 628-acre former plantation along French Quarter Creek in Huger, is the county’s largest greenbelt acquisition to date, with $5.8 million invested so far. The county is upgrading the historic mid-19th century home, a smaller cabin, and a dock for future public use, including water recreation and trails.
“We want to make sure it is safely upgraded before it is open,” McDowell said.
On Daniel Island, the 115-acre North Island Tract and its Cooper River shoreline at the end of Seven Farms Road was acquired a few years ago for about $4 million, of which $1.75 million came from the Greenbelt Commission.
Sullivan said this project is the Greenbelt’s first priority. While it’s still too early to say what amenities, trails, and parks will be added, planning will be a community project.
“Once we move to a development planning phase, planning and development decisions will be guided by community needs, funding availability, and long-term goals.”
The commission also monitors nearby parcels owned by the South Carolina State Ports Authority and the City of Charleston, though no agreements are in place yet.
Other Greenbelt investments include Epsom Oaks in Moncks Corner, totaling roughly $600,000. Projects are prioritized by size, ecological and historical significance, and potential connections to other protected spaces.
“Every day, we’re losing Lowcountry land to other uses. These acquisitions, even at an early stage, are critical for future generations,” Sullivan said.
A public Greenbelt Commission meeting is expected later this year, giving residents a first glimpse of how these protected lands may be designed. For now, these lands are safe – and that, officials say, is victory.