Speak out for Angel Oak

Citizens who want to protect the majestic Angel Oak from visual blight and possible damage have a chance to make a difference. Again.

A persistent grassroots effort already has changed the course of a proposal for an adjacent development. It has changed the appearance of the project and the purpose and positioning of the buildings. And it has put obstacles in the permitting process in an effort to assure the venerable oak gets maximum protection.

Advocates are forming up again to be heard on the latest permit, which is being requested of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.

Developer Robert Demoura wants to fill wetlands adjacent to a tributary of Church Creek. His scientific consultants have concluded that the project would not hurt the Angel Oak or the environment around it.

But Samantha Seigel, who began the Save the Angel Oak movement, is just as confident that it will do both by altering the tree's water table and allowing runoff into scenic Church Creek where people fish and swim. She also has support from scientists.

The Army Corps investigated the project in response to an earlier permit request, and initially ruled that wetlands on the site of the would-be development were isolated. But under pressure from citizens, it revisited the permit during a rainy season and reversed the ruling. The developer now must meet the requirements of a federal law that protects streams and the wetlands that feed them.

The Coastal Conservation League has said the land around the Angel Oak would be best preserved as green space. Charleston Mayor Joe Riley said much the same thing back in 2002. But the building project has since won approval at a number of levels, including Charleston City Council.

Although 10 acres of city park and conservation land would surround the landmark tree and form a buffer between the tree and the development, opponents fear the density of the housing and the vehicular traffic that goes along with it will disrupt the quiet and beauty of the hundreds-year-old oak.

Clearly, there is more to talk about, and citizens who have something to say are being asked to write the Corps of Engineers by July 15 to explain their concerns and request a public meeting on the requested permit.

The grassroots advocates of the Angel Oak already have already shown they can make a difference by reducing the impacts of a controversial project. Their continued oversight lends hope that this irreplaceable piece of the Lowcountry's scenic, historic and environmental heritage will get all the protection it deserves.