Just four days after hearing your passionate testimony in front of a packed house, the Town of Ridgeland announced the cancellation of the public hearing scheduled for the evening of April 4. A regular Town Council meeting will now take place at Town Hall (check agendas here). While this news signals a trend in the right direction and buys more time before a…
There are over 500 active mines in South Carolina, and sand is the most commonly extracted. Over 20% of the sand mines in the state are in Charleston, Dorchester, and Berkeley Counties and Horry has 56, more than any other county. Sand is a necessary resource used for manufacturing and development, but we don’t know the long-term and cumulative effects on our environment. Mining also has significant impacts on the communities surrounding…
Welcome to the March 2024 issue of the North Coast newsletter! We have been super busy in this new year and can’t believe it’s already spring. With spring comes the transition of seasons, new growth, and life. As a biologist, this has always been my favorite…
Yesterday, on March 19, the Post & Courier reported that the Union Pier property is being sold to Charleston businessman Ben Navarro. We are hopeful that this sale will be a positive development for the future of Union Pier and the City of Charleston. The Conservation League remains committed to ensuring that the new development will serve our city’s needs for resilient infrastructure and green open space. We look forward to…
Grand trees are a defining cultural feature of much of our coast, having characterized our communities for centuries, while providing countless benefits. Trees build resilience in the face of climate change, increased urban development, and flooding. Mature ones provide shade with their extensive canopies that cool us and our homes on hot summer days. Their root systems stretch underground and soak up excess water from heavy rains and flooding events. Their strong…
In real-time, we are seeing a triple threat of existing septic tank pollution damaging coastal communities, the worsening of coastal flooding events due to sea level rise, and extreme weather events. In addition, large-scale developments that are dependent on conventional septic tank systems are being approved near sensitive areas. In late 2022, the Conservation League and Charleston Waterkeeper, represented by the South Carolina Environmental Law Project, filed an action in state court…
UPDATE 3/12/24 We have great news to share: the mine operating permit application for West Cox Ferry Road Sand Mine has been withdrawn. This is a win for the Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge!Moss Park Partners II, LLC notified the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control that it is withdrawing its permit application, and there has been no indication that a new permit application will be submitted. In light of…
Your voice made a difference! On Tuesday night, Charleston County Council cast their third and final vote on the tree amendments bringing to end a long fight to uphold tree protections. Ultimately, their approach settled on the inclusion of meaningful tree mitigation and public input. After months of speaking up at meetings, writing to council members, signing and sharing a petition that yielded close to 10,000 signatures, Charleston County Council members heard you and voted…
South Coast Newsletter, February 2024 Despite the cooler temperatures, the month of February got off to a hot start as our South Coast team partnered with community members from St. Helena Island and Jasper County to rally against incompatible development threats. Our corner of the Lowcountry and the people that call its beautiful landscapes home are worth fighting for. From the stately longleaf pines of Jasper County to the expansive St….
We are one step closer to saving Lewis Ocean Bay. On February 20, Horry County Council voted to defer the Conway Medical Center (CMC) rezoning for six months to give CMC time to discuss selling the property to South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR). While the fight isn’t over, this does put us one step closer to a conservation outcome. We are encouraged by this step, but look forward to a future…
