LOWCOUNTRY LAND TRUST INC
635 RUTLEDGE AVE NO 107, CHARLESTON, SC 29403 www.lowcountrylandtrust.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: TO HONOR THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PEOPLE AND LAND BY PROTECTING IRREPLACEABLE LOWCOUNTRY LANDS INCLUDING WORKING FARMS AND FORESTS, SCENIC VISTAS, RELATIVELY NATURAL HABITATS AND HISTORIC LANDSCAPES USING BOTH ESTABLISHED AND INNOVATIVE CONSERVATION APPROACHES. FROM 1986 THROUGH THE CLOSE OF FY20, LLT HAS PERMANENTLY PROTECTED 491 PROPERTIES ENCOMPASSING OVER 147,500 ACRES SPANNING THE 17 COUNTIES OF SOUTH CAROLINA'S COASTAL PLAIN. THE PROPERTIES INCLUDE WORKING FARMS AND FORESTLANDS, WATERWAYS AND WATERSHEDS, HUNTING PROPERTIES, HUMMOCK ISLANDS, VIBRANT MARSH TIDAL ECOSYSTEMS, HISTORIC SITES, BLACKWATER STREAMS, AND LONGLEAF PINE RESTORATION AREAS.

PROTECTING IRREPLACEABLE LOWCOUNTRY LANDS INCLUDING WORKING FARMS AND FORESTS, SCENIC VISTAS, RELATIVELY NATURAL HABITATS AND HISTORIC LANDSCAPES.

LAND PROTECTION:DURING FY20, THE LOWCOUNTRY LAND TRUST (LLT) COMPLETED 5 NEW CONSERVATION EASEMENT PROJECTS AND 1 CONSERVATION EASEMENT AMENDMENT TO ADD ACREAGE, FOR A TOTAL OF 2,435.34 NEWLY PROTECTED ACRES. THIS BRINGS LLT'S TOTAL PROTECTED ACREAGE TO 147,524 ACRES AS OF JUNE 30, 2020. ONE KEY PROJECT IN FY 20 WAS THE PROTECTION OF BOONE HALL PLANTATION, AN APPROXIMATELY 599 ACRE HISTORIC PLANTATION IN THE HEART OF MT. PLEASANT, SC. WITH DEEP HISTORIC ISLAND CULTURAL VALUE, LIMITED PUBLIC ACCESS, AND A LARGE SWATH OF OPEN SPACE IN A RAPIDLY DEVELOPING COMMUNITY, THE PERMANENT PROTECTION OF THIS PROPERTY IS A HUGE CONSERVATION WIN FOR THE CHARLESTON AREA. DURING FY20, LLT CONTINUED TO IMPLEMENT A PLAN TO SELL THE 589-ACRE HYDE PARK PLANTATION AFTER ENCUMBERING IT WITH A CONSERVATION EASEMENT. THIS PROJECT WILL REVOLVE FUNDS BACK INTO THE EAST BRANCH COOPER RIVER LAND FUND FOR ADDITIONAL LAND CONSERVATION IN THE HISTORIC COOPER RIVER CORRIDOR, WHICH HAS BEEN THE FOCUS OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE CONSERVATION EFFORTS FOR DECADES. IN ADDITION, LLT HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN CONSERVATION PLANNING WITH CONSERVATION AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS, THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, AND ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS AT THE STATE, REGIONAL AND LOCAL SCALES TO IDENTIFY CONSERVATION OPPORTUNITIES AND DEVELOP NEW AND CREATIVE TOOLS FOR LAND PROTECTION, STABILIZATION, MANAGEMENT, AND STEWARDSHIP. THESE EFFORTS INCLUDE THE JOHNS ISLAND COMMUNITY CONSERVATION INITIATIVE, A JOINT EFFORT WITH NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY'S COLLEGE OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND THE CENTER FOR HEIRS PROPERTY PRESERVATION. IN FY20, THIS PROJECT CULMINATED IN A THOROUGH CONSERVATION AND IMPLEMENTATION PLAN. LLT ALSO HAS CONDUCTED A RESILIENCE PLANNING PROCESS FOR SOUTH CAROLINA'S COASTAL PLAIN THAT STAFF PRESENTED AT THE NATIONAL LAND TRUST ALLIANCE RALLY IN OCTOBER 2019, AND PARTICIPATED ACTIVELY IN THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR PALMETTO GREEN.

STEWARDSHIP:IN THE 2019 CALENDAR YEAR, LLT MONITORED 100% OF ITS PROTECTED PROPERTIES (CONSERVATION EASEMENTS, DEED RESTRICTIONS, AND FEE-OWNED) BY ON-THE-GROUND MONITORING. LLT SUPPLEMENTED SEVERAL MONITORING VISITS WITH ADDITIONAL AERIAL MONITORING. LLT CONTINUES TO MEET AS MANY LANDOWNERS AS POSSIBLE ON MONITORING VISITS TO ESTABLISH DEEP WORKING RELATIONSHIPS AND PROVIDE APPROPRIATE EDUCATION MATERIALS RELATED TO MANAGEMENT. STEWARDSHIP STAFF CONTINUE TO OVERSEE MANAGEMENT OF LLT'S FEE SIMPLE PROPERTIES: THE ANGEL OAK PRESERVE, ALGE ISLAND, HERON ISLAND, KEYSTONE, FRENCH QUARTER CREEK, HYDE PARK PLANTATION, THE ASHLEY AND KIAWAH RIVER MARSHLANDS, WADMACON CREEK, AND THE MALLARD TRACT.

OUTREACH/COMMUNICATIONS:IN FY20, LLT HELD ONE SIGNATURE DONOR EVENT THAT INCLUDED ITS LONGLEAF SOCIETY CELEBRATION, WITH 74 GUESTS ATTENDING. THE LONGLEAF SOCIETY CELEBRATION FOCUSED ON STEWARDING THE LAND TRUST'S GROUP OF MAJOR DONORS. DUE TO COVID-19, TWO PLANNED DONOR EVENTS--THE SPORTING CLAYS SHOOT AND ANNUAL SPRING PICNIC--WERE CANCELED DUE TO HEALTH CONCERNS AROUND LARGE GATHERINGS, AND VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES WERE SIMILARLY CURTAILED IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF THE FISCAL YEAR. WE CONTINUED SOUL OF THE LOWCOUNTRY OUTREACH AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING, HOWEVER, CONSISTING OF TWO VOLUNTEER EVENTS THAT ENGAGED 30 VOLUNTEERS WHO DONATED 50 HOURS OF WORK TO SUPPORT LLT. THESE EVENTS INCLUDED A LIVING SHORELINE OYSTER REEF BUILD AT ROXBURY PARK AND A CLEANUP AT THE ANGEL OAK PRESERVE. LLT PARTNERED IN ITS FY20 VOLUNTEER PROGRAMMING WITH THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, EDISTO ISLAND OPEN LAND TRUST, BLACKBAUD, AND TRIDENT UNITED WAY. TO ENGAGE WITH THE CHARLESTON BUSINESS COMMUNITY, LLT PRESENTED THE BI-ANNUAL FLOURISH EVENT, WHERE 98 GUESTS GATHERED FOR A HALF-DAY CONFERENCE TO CONVERSE, COLLABORATE AND CREATE NEW WAYS TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE THE LANDS, WATERWAYS AND WAY OF LIFE THAT MAKE THE LOWCOUNTRY ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST BELOVED PLACES. WE ALSO SERVED AS A COMMUNITY PARTNER PRESENTER AT THE CHARLESTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE YOUNG PROFESSIONALS EVENT. WE HOSTED FOUR SOUL SESSIONS EVENTS--A FREE HAPPY HOUR SERIES THAT BRINGS TOGETHER DYNAMIC SPEAKERS FROM LOCAL BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS TO DISCUSS THEIR WORK AND ITS EXPRESSION OF THEIR DEEP CONNECTION TO LOWCOUNTRY LAND AND WATER. THROUGHOUT THE FISCAL YEAR, WE ALSO CONTINUED THE IMPLEMENTATION AND EXECUTION OF ORGANIZATIONAL AND PROGRAMMATIC BRANDING AND COMMUNICATION EFFORTS, INCLUDING ENHANCEMENTS TO THE WEBSITE, REGULAR DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS, CONSISTENT SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS, AND THE PRODUCTION OF ONE NEWSLETTER.

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