The Pee Dee Land Trust begins its 15th anniversary year with 1,792 additional acres of protected lands thanks to five exceptional new projects completed in late 2013. Each of these projects, located in Darlington and Horry Counties, embodies the connection between people and land in the Pee Dee, a cornerstone of the Land Trust’s purpose.
The completion of these projects, several of which took years to come to fruition, shows the continued strength and momentum of the local land trust.  Seth Cook, Director of Land Conservation for the Pee Dee Land Trust, shared his thoughts on the projects.  “It has been a pleasure to work with each of the landowners and it is very rewarding to be a part of conserving a variety of important resources including prime agricultural lands, scenic river frontage, and mature longleaf forest as well as enhancing other permanently protected lands.”
Including these new places in Darlington and Horry Counties, the Pee Dee Land Trust now protects just over 17,000 acres in the Pee Dee Region.  While remaining in private ownership, the lands protected by the Trust preserve land along the rivers and streams we fish and swim in, farms and forests we farm and hike in, hunting and fishing lands we recreate on, and make a lasting contribution to our community.  The special places protected with the Trust’s 2013 projects are summarized below:
Old Long Marsh Farms, Darlington County – Years ago, David Brown acquired a productive, 180-acre farm in the Back Swamp area of the Pee Dee, a community with a strong conservation focus and more than 5,000 acres of protected land.  He appreciated this conservation setting, and it was only a matter of time before he joined his neighbors in permanently protecting his entire farm. The property includes agricultural fields, pine forest, hardwood forest, and wetlands along Alligator Creek which flows into Back Swamp.
Fairview, Darlington County – Ellen Ramsburgh and Bob James grew up as brother and sister at Fairview, their family’s scenic, historic 261-acre farm – one of only two remaining farms along Highway 52 between the county seats of Darlington and Florence. Their dedication as good stewards of their family legacy is evident in the excellent condition of the historic, turn-of-the-century farmhouse, the no-till agriculture practices which conserve the prime agricultural soils in the fields, and the selective management of timber in their pine woodlands. After signing the conservation agreement permanently protecting the farm, Ellen said “I feel so relieved!” expressing her sense of responsibility for her family, the community, and the land.  
Highland Farms, Darlington County – Ione Lee took an important step for her family’s important role in the Hartsville area with the permanent protection of 531 acres of family land known as Highland Farms.  Part of the Coker family’s holdings, Highland Farms is one of the southernmost extensions of the Sandhills, and has been managed for years with plantations of longleaf and loblolly pine.
Denali Farms, Horry County – Drs. Stewart and Susan Haskin provided permanent conservation protection for the 45 acres of fields, woods, and wetlands where they built their dream home.  Located literally at the edge of the Town of Conway, Denali Farms adjoins the Long Tract, a part of the Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge (WNWR), managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  The property includes pasture, pine forest, and wetlands within a major drainage system that runs through the WNWR to the Waccamaw River which provides habitat to waterfowl and freshwater mussels.
Lynches River Wetland Mitigation Project, Darlington County – Five different landowners were part of a wetland mitigation project to restore 775 acres of bottomland forest along the Lynches River.  The project was developed to offset wetlands impacted by road improvement projects in Florence and Darlington Counties.  As a result, four miles of frontage on the state-designated Scenic River are now protected and will remain pristine for paddlers and fishermen who recreate along this beautiful stretch of river.  
Executive Director, David Harper, pointed out that the projects are in fulfillment of the Trust’s Strategic Plan which is guiding its work over the next five years. “We know that achieving or exceeding our goal of protecting 1,500 additional acres per year could only be possible with landowners who share a strong stewardship ethic. Each landowner, each of their properties, and each of their stories is unique, yet they all embody a deep love of the land and a sense of commitment to future generations.”
 
The Pee Dee Land Trust works in the nine counties that touch the Great Pee Dee River in South Carolina: Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Georgetown, Horry, Marion, Marlboro, and Williamsburg.  Its mission is to protect, and to promote an appreciation of, the significant natural, agricultural, and historical resources of the Pee Dee Region through voluntary land conservation and educational programs. For more information, see www.peedeelandtrust.org.