Lowcountry Open Land Trust - 2009 Annual Meeting

The LOLT 2009 Annual Meeting was held at the Charleston Yacht Club on Feb. 9, with easement recipients in attendance from all corners of the Lowcountry. The President of the LOLT Board Scott Barnes called the meeting to order with a recap of 2008, stating that no less than  18 easements had been established covering more that 19,000 acres. After its first 23 years of existence,  LOLT currently monitors 227 properties totaling over 76,000 acres! The 2009 conservation campaign will start with a new board-approved strategic plan set to last the next five years. Special recognition was made for those who departed the Lowcountry in 2008 including Mrs. Pepper (Botany Bay), Mr. Rutledge Moore (Davant) and Mrs. Nancy Hawk, a past president of LOLT. Treasurer Sam Hiott reported that 2008 was not a banner year for fundraising, but that an operating reserve served its purpose by covering all budget shortfalls. Most LOLT funding comes from grants, business sponsorships and private donations.

Executive Director Will Haynie gave a rundown of each property that granted an easement in 2008, with Lewis Hay serving as "color commentator." The first property protected in 2008 was 332 acres known as Ravens Point Plantation, owned by Mike and Gigi McShane. With a peninsula of high ground that is situated between New Cut Creek and Church Creek, this easement protects vital saltwater habitat on John's Island. Frank and Nina Burke gave an easement on 374 acres at Ravenwood Plantation, land that is situated at the headwaters of Chessey Creek in Colleton County. In Jasper County, two large easements were granted on Good Hope Plantation (2000 acres) and on Hoover Plantation (2,354 acres). But the grandaddy of all easements came from Dorchester County where the Norfolk Southern Corporation donated an easement of 12,488 acres on their Brosnan Forest acreage. Mr. Hay told the crowd that the easement was in the works for three years, and the project code name was "the Big B." Likely the largest corporate donation ever in the state of S.C., Brosnan Forest also preserves dwindling longleaf pine habitat and is home to an astonishing 79 family groups of the endangered Red-cockaded woodpeckers. Brosnan Forest manager Joel Wells was on hand to collect their cedar blue bird house, a token of thanks LOLT gives to all its easement donors. Finally, Nick and Marie Thompson donated a conservation easement on their 21 acres of land on Wadmalaw Island, with plans to preserve it as a wildlife sanctuary. While not the largest easement, the Thompson's demonstrate that we are all in this together, and that every little bit of conservation adds up to help preserve quality of life in the Lowcountry. Photos depict LOLT staffers Barbara Holmes, Lewis Hay and Lisa Shealy, the 2008 class of easement donors, and Mr. and Mrs. Thompson with their bluebird box.