Speak up about conservation

The Lowcountry Open Land Trust is more a part of daily living than many residents probably realize. Cross a bridge and see pristine stretches of the Ashley River -- the Land Trust has protected more than 1,200 acres of its marsh.

Along the east branch of the Cooper River, the LOLT has protected 12 properties totaling 3,337 acres.

Watch birds migrating. Breathe clean air. Efforts of LOLT and other conservationists help keep that possible.

So it isn't just an elite group of conservationists who have a stake in what the Open Land Trust, and other related organizations and government entities, do next.

That is why the whole community is invited to engage in a dialogue about conservation and its value. People can talk about how conservation has been occurring locally and can recommend future initiatives.

The LOLT is host for the meeting, which will be at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Charleston County Library, 75 Calhoun St. But the work of a wide array of organizations and government entities will be addressed -- advocacy groups ranging from the private Coastal Conservation League and Ducks Unlimited to bodies of government including the Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments; the Department of Health and Environmental Control; S.C. Department of Natural Resources; the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and more. Conservation is an issue for each of them.

Information about Wednesday's listening session can be found at conservationfuture@lolt.org.

LOLT is able to hold this "listening session" because of a large bequest from the late Emily Farrow. Her generosity will also support a legal defense fund to help with the maintenance of trust agreements.

Elizabeth Hagood, LOLT executive director, tells us that the input from Wednesday's meeeting will be used to craft a vision for conservation in 13 counties.

Mrs. Hagood is not hazarding a guess about what will come out of the meeting. She and her colleagues are eager to listen and build on what they have already accomplished.

The Lowcountry Open Land Trust is the pre-eminent organization of its kind in South Carolina. In its 25 years, it has protected 88,040 diverse acres in 13 counties -- including farms, rice fields and recreational lands in addition to marshes and historic properties.

LOLT does not purchase property. It helps landowners put their property into conservation trusts so that they are protected in perpetuity. The landowners receive a tax advantage for doing so.

South Carolina ranks 18th in the nation in acres conserved, and fourth in the Southeast.

For a small state, those are big numbers, and they reflect the conservation commitment in South Carolina, particularly in the coastal region. Wednesday's session can help those who have guided that effort to continue their good work.