Trust Donates Property for Demonstration Forest
Every day we work with landowners who desire to protect the vision for their property, forever. Those interactions are inspiring and their spirit defines the essence of our work. Other days, we have the opportunity to leverage our broad base of community contacts to orchestrate an arrangement that benefits even more people. Yesterday's Post and Courier featured one of those projects.
Lord Berkeley Conservation Trust today announced the donation of property in Pineville, South Carolina, to the Center for Heirs’ Property Preservation. The property, located near the Pineville Community Center, will be used as a demonstration forest, where the Center will educate landowners on the economic and conservation benefits of sustainable forestry practices.
In 2017, Lord Berkeley Conservation Trust secured a conservation easement on the 11,187-acre Oakland Club. As a part of the transaction, the owners donated this parcel to the Trust for educational purposes. The Trust then encumbered the property with a conservation easement and conveyed it to the Center.
“We’re appreciative of the opportunity to partner with the Center on this important conservation project. They help so many landowners recognize the value of their properties through sustainable forestry, and I hope this property enhances their education programs by providing them a chance to teach those practices on the ground,” commented Raleigh West, executive director, Lord Berkeley Conservation Trust.
In addition to helping heirs’ property owners secure a clear title to their land, the Center offers forestry education and cost-share services to help landowners understand the value of managing their forestland for greater income. “This property will give us the opportunity to demonstrate to our landowners the benefits of implementing forestry practices that will grow their working landscapes, while generating income for their families,” said Jennie Stephens, executive director, Center for Heirs’ Property Preservation. “Forestry is a $21B industry in South Carolina, and we want historically underserved landowners to participate in this wealth-building industry.”
Foresters for the Center for Heirs’ Property Preservation are currently assessing the site, with a goal of developing a management plan that includes restocking pine timber on the uplands, creating fire breaks and re-introducing controlled burning, and developing wildlife food plots. The site is bound by a conservation easement which prohibits industrial and commercial development, and significantly limits residential uses.