Pine Grove Plantation in Kershaw County is the birthplace of the Boykin Spaniel, designated in 1985 the official dog of South Carolina, as it was bred for South Carolina hunters. More than 220 acres on private land were protected through a donated conservation easement in November 2025. (Photo courtesy of the Congaree Land Trust)
South Carolina’s public lands are some of our state’s greatest assets.
From the forests and river corridors of the Midlands to the open spaces that define our rural communities, these lands provide places for families to gather, for sportsmen to hunt and fish, and for future generations to experience the natural beauty that makes South Carolina home.
They protect critical wildlife habitat, safeguard water quality, and support a growing outdoor economy that benefits communities across our state.
These lands belong to all of us, and they deserve to be protected.
In recent months, conversations at the national level about the potential sale or transfer of public lands have sparked concern among conservationists, landowners, and outdoor enthusiasts alike.
While those debates may feel distant, they underscore an important reality: public lands cannot be taken for granted.
Once they are sold or significantly altered, they are incredibly difficult to recover.
That is why it is so important for South Carolina to remain committed to keeping public lands in public hands. These are not surplus assets. They are long-term investments in our economy, our environment, and our quality of life.
At the Statehouse, leaders are taking steps in the right direction. Rep. Travis Moore’s South Carolina Protected Lands Act passed the House this week by a vote of 107-2, a strong signal that protecting our state’s natural resources remains a priority.
Here in South Carolina, the vast majority of land is privately owned. That means the health and sustainability of our public lands are directly tied to what happens on the lands around them.
Forests, farms, and wetlands that border public lands help protect water resources, support wildlife movement, and preserve the natural character of entire regions.
Without thoughtful stewardship beyond the boundaries of public land, even our most treasured places can face increasing pressure.
That is where partnership becomes essential.
At the Congaree Land Trust, we work with landowners who want to be part of that solution, individuals and families who are committed to conserving their land while continuing to live on it, work it, and pass it down to the next generation.
Through voluntary conservation efforts, these landowners help strengthen and protect the landscapes that surround and sustain our public lands.
It is a model built on collaboration, not conflict, and it works.
South Carolina has long understood that conservation and growth can go hand in hand.
We are a state that values both economic opportunity and natural heritage. But maintaining that balance requires intention. It requires recognizing that public lands are an important component of South Carolina’s larger conservation landscape, and that protecting them means supporting the broader system they depend on.
This is not a partisan issue. It is a shared responsibility.
Public lands are where memories are made, traditions are carried on, and communities come together. They are a defining part of what makes South Carolina special, and they are worth protecting.
By keeping public lands in public hands, and by working together to conserve the lands around them, we can ensure that South Carolina continues to grow without losing what makes it unique.
Because once these places are gone, we don’t get them back.
Courtesy of South Carolina Daily Gazette
