The Nature Conservancy of South Carolina has been awarded a $1 million grant through the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) Grant Program to protect habitat along the Black River in Georgetown County. This is the second $1 million NAWCA grant given to The Nature Conservancy in the past year.

The grant program supports the protection of important wetlands for the benefit of migratory waterfowl and other priority species. The new funds will be used to acquire mature bottomland hardwood forest along the Black River to be added to The Nature Conservancy’s 1296-acre Black River Swamp Preserve.

Previous funds went towards the acquisition and protection of two tracts for the Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge along the Waccamaw River and adjacent to Sandy Island.

“The Nature Conservancy appreciates the support of our federal delegation in helping protect South Carolina’s natural resources, particularly Senator Lindsey Graham, Congressman Henry Brown, and Congressman James Clyburn," said Mark Robertson, State Director for The Nature Conservancy.

The Preserve is strategically located within a network of protected lands along the Black River corridor in Georgetown and Williamsburg Counties. There are currently 12 privately protected properties, totaling 11,815 acres, within the Black River and Mingo Creek Watershed. The Nature Conservancy’s new acquisition will help connect the growing matrix of protection along the river.

“This scenic section of the Black River is an incredible local resource for fishing, boating, and kayaking,” said Maria Whitehead, The Nature Conservancy’s Project Director for the Winyah Bay and Pee Dee River Basin Project Area. “This grant allows us to preserve additional acreage for these recreational uses, but also helps to create wildlife habitat and protect water quality for future generations.”

The forest in this swamp includes ancient bald cypress trees that are 1,000 years and older – some of the oldest in the eastern United States.

One of the wetland species that will directly benefit from the award is the state-endangered Swallow tailed Kite. “The Black River-Mingo Creek corridor is an important breeding area for this charismatic, migratory bird,” says Tera Baird, Co-chair of the SC Working Group for Swallow tailed Kites and a Biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

This grant was made possible through the broad conservation partnership represented in the Winyah Bay Task Force. Conservation partners offering match for the grant, in the form of cash or donated conservation easements, include Ducks Unlimited, Pee Dee Land Trust and the Thorne Foundation. Additionally, Georgetown County’s Bunnelle Foundation was a partner and contributor to the project.