Billy Cate wafting along the waterway with dog Dottie.
Whenever Billy Cate nears the Wateree Swamp, his pulse rises with the pleasure of anticipation, a feeling he has enjoyed since he was a boy visiting the family farm in lower Richland County.
Cate makes that observation in his preface for the recently published book, COWASEE Basin: The Green Heart of South Carolina, written by his friend and Congaree Land Trust colleague John Cely.
Cate’s parents, the late Charlie and Nilla Cate, instilled in him a reverence for the land, inspiring a lifelong devotion to the outdoors and its pursuits – land management, hunting, fishing and exploring.
Not long after the family business was sold in 2000, Cate was able to concentrate on what had become a primary calling— devoting his time and energy to preserving the beloved rural environs of the South Carolina Midlands.
Cate is so devoted to the countryside that he and his wife, Betsy, were led to make the family rural retreat their primary residence. In 2001, Billy, along with his sister and brother, placed a conservation easement on the 1,200-acre farm near Eastover.
Billy Cate at his home in Eastover
He became a member of the Congaree Land Trust board in 2002, later becoming its president. In 2008, he was named executive director of the land trust, giving him the opportunity to concentrate fulltime on conservation issues. Established in 1992, the land trust promotes voluntary conservation of scenic lands, open spaces, farms, forests, natural areas, and significant habitats in central South Carolina.
Deciding to step down as executive director this spring, Cate took the time recently to reflect on the causes he holds dear, the accomplishments achieved through the land trust and the challenges he sees for the future.
“One of my greatest satisfactions has been the wonderful people and landowners I have come to know who love the land for the right reasons and want to protect it for the future,” he said.
The year 2012 was a banner one for the land trust, not only celebrating its 20th anniversary but also achieving national accreditation from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. In addition, the land trust brought more than 4,000 acres under protection during 2011, with an overall total of almost 33,000 acres and 104 easements.
“The national accreditation represents a major accomplishment for the land trust,” Cate said. “It represents two years of concentrated effort and thorough preparation by the board, the accreditation committee and the staff.”
Land trust accreditation, a mark of distinction in land conservation, ensures that the land trust meets national quality standards and that conservation efforts are permanent. The accreditation process required extensive documentation and a significant commitment of resources and effort.
One of the highlights of 2012 was the release of COWASEE Basin: The Green Heart of South Carolina. “The book creates a lasting legacy for John ( Cely), the COWASEE Basin and the Congaree Land Trust.” Cate said. The informative and colorful text is accompanied by spectacular photography, contributed mostly by the South Carolina Nature Photographers Association.
The COWASEE Basin, a primary focus area for the Congaree Land Trust, covers 215,000 acres in the Midlands, including the Congaree, Wateree, and upper Santee Rivers, from which the acronym COWASEE is drawn. The 24,000- acre Congaree National Park is the heart of the basin and home of the largest old-growth bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the eastern United States.
Cate receives high praise from the Congaree Trust Board of Directors for his contributions. President Hank Stallworth of St. Matthews, said, “The phrase ‘all in’ is probably an overworked expression these days, but it perfectly describes Billy and his relationship with the Congaree Land Trust.
“ With friends all around the Midlands and having incredibly strong land and work ethics, Billy was the ideal person to ‘be’ the Land Trust. He demonstrates for all of us the difference an individual can make and boy are we grateful he chose the Congaree Land Trust as his vehicle.” Stallworth added.
Past Land Trust President and board member Anne Gressette said, “Billy brought exactly the right combination of background and skills to the land trust as executive director. His experience as a businessman and as a conservation easement donor served us so well during his time of leadership. We will miss him, but we know that we are stronger as a result of the efforts he made during his tenure.”
Board member Anne Sinclair said, “The Congaree Land Trust has been fortunate to have visionary executive directors, and Billy joins the ranks of these leaders. Through his leadership both as a board member and executive director, the land trust has a solid foundation. His determination that the CLT achieve accreditation significantly increased the standing of the organization and provides comfort to property owners who work with CLT. Thanks to Billy, we are in a better position to increase our conservation efforts.”
Cate’s wide range of service reflects his broad involvement and allegiance to land and conservation causes. He is past chairman of the S. C. Forestry Association, the Clemson University Forestry and Natural Resources Advisory Board, and the County Advisory Boards of the S.C. Forestry Commission. He has also served on the Clemson University Board of Visitors. In 2009 he received the S. C. Forestry Association’s top award, the Charles Florey Distinguished Service Award.
After graduating from Clemson with a degree in agricultural economics and serving two years in the army as an artillery officer, Cate returned to Columbia to go into his family’s business, Cate-McLaurin Co. He worked in a variety of jobs, advancing to chairman and chief executive officer by the time the company was sold to Snider Tire Inc. in 2000. He worked for Snider until he retired in early 2002.
The Cates have three children, Walker Cate and Elizabeth Grove of Columbia and Nilla Hesley of Bluffton and seven grandchildren.
Cate is looking forward to spending more time with his family and his favorite pastimes, among them drifting the waterways of his beloved red river swampland with his Jack Russell terrier Dottie, simply savoring the beauty of his surroundings or recording in his mind’s eye the tireless wonder of a flock of ducks flying over and descending into the swamp.
It’s akin to an artistic pursuit, he says. “”I’m just working with a much larger canvas,” he said, speaking of managing his family’s farm or working to preserve the essence of the rural landscape.
“One of my favorite pastimes,” he said, “is sitting on the front porch overlooking the pasture and pond or being on the back porch where I can see the hayfields. Everywhere I look on this farm I can see something that reminds me of my parents.”
He has the deep satisfaction of knowing that the farm they taught him to love as a child has been preserved for posterity, an assurance that would warm their hearts.
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