South Carolina’s Georgetown County School Board has voted in support of state plans to buy two large pieces of land totaling 8,000 acres for conservation purposes. One piece, a 4,148-acre property on Eaddy Road near Dunbar Landing, was purchased last July by the Conservation Fund and Malone Family Land Preservation Foundation for $34.2 million, with intentions for it to become part of the Carvers Bay State Forest. The other is a 3,492-acre former resort development site called Arcadia East on the Waccamaw Neck, which would prevent its commercial development as originally planned in 2002. Board member Eileen Johnson emphasized the importance of preserving natural spaces amidst residential growth and expressed support for public access to these lands.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-02,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Georgetown County School Board members voted to support state plans to buy two large pieces of land.
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members → vote → land
The move could lead to a new 4,148-acre state forest in western Georgetown County and protect a former resort development site.
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move → lead → site
The South Carolina Forestry Commission plans to buy the 4,148-acre property on Eaddy Road near Dunbar Landing.
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Commission → plan → Landing
The land would become part of the planned Carvers Bay State Forest, the Coastal Observer reported.
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Observer → become → Forest
The larger conservation effort also includes plans for the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to take over the 3,492-acre Arcadia East property on the Waccamaw Neck.
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Department → include → Neck
Board Member Eileen Johnson supported the expansion during the meeting.
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Johnson → support → meeting
She said continued residential growth in the area is leaving less space for nature.
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growth → say → nature
“We've got to preserve everything we can,” she said.
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she → get → everything
Johnson added that the only thing protecting the south side of the county from development is the Francis Marion National Forest.
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thing → add → development
The 4,148-acre property planned for the state forest is part of a larger 8,000-acre tract.
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property → plan → tract
The Virginia-based Conservation Fund and the Malone Family Land Preservation Foundation bought the larger property last July for $34.2 million (£25.6 million).
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Fund → base → million
Once the South Carolina Forestry Commission completes the purchase, the property will become part of the state Department of Natural Resources wildlife management area program.
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property → complete → program
This would allow the public to use the land for outdoor recreation.
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public → allow → recreation
Under South Carolina law, state forests bring in money through local forestry work.
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forests → bring → work
The Forestry Commission gives 25 per cent of the gross revenue from those operations directly to the county.
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Commission → give → county
The money helps fund school district operations.
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money → fund → operations
“We can have public access,” Johnson said.
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Johnson → have → access
The school board also approved a letter supporting the purchase of the 3,492-acre Arcadia East property.
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board → approve → property
Giving the coastal property to the state would stop a large commercial development that Georgetown County originally approved in 2002.
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County → give → 2002
The original development plan called for 2,451 homes, a 500-room resort hotel, and commercial and office space.
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plan → call → homes
A county study from 2002 estimated that a fully developed Arcadia East project could have produced as much as $153.8 million each year.
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project → estimate → million
Its residents would have become the largest taxpayers in the county.
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residents → become → county
By moving the land into public conservation, local governments would give up those possible commercial revenues.
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governments → move → revenues
They would also lose direct property tax payments from the undeveloped land.
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They → lose → land
Last year, county and school district taxes on the Arcadia East property totaled about $5,200.
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taxes → total → 5,200
DNR plans to complete the purchase with help from the Office of Resilience and two conservation nonprofits, the Open Space Institute and Ducks Unlimited.
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DNR → plan → Resilience
The nonprofits will hold the property title until state funding is finalized.
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funding → hold → title
Local backing for conservation
The Georgetown County Council also officially supported the land purchase during its meeting.
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Council → support → meeting
The council joined the school board in backing the move toward conservation.
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council → join → conservation
Emily Purcell, director of conservation programs for Ducks Unlimited, said the organization was pleased to have local support for the purchase.
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organization → say → purchase
“We're thrilled to have support from both the county and the school board,” Purcell told the Coastal Observer.
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Purcell → thrill → Observer
“We're excited to hopefully work towards a great conservation outcome in Georgetown County.”
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We → work → County
The Arcadia East property adds to other protected land nearby.
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property → add → land
In 2007, a conservation easement was placed on 3,612 acres of Arcadia west of Highway 17.
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easement → place → Highway
Ducks Unlimited currently holds and manages that land.
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Unlimited → hold → land
Johnson also addressed concerns about losing future tax revenue from the resort property.
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Johnson → address → property
She said protecting natural land was more important than collecting short-term tax revenue.
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protecting → say → revenue
“We've got plenty of land.
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We → get → land
I'm not worried about taxes right now,” Johnson said.
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Johnson → say → taxes
Board Chairman Keith Moore and Superintendent Bethany Giles declined to comment on the vote.
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Moore → decline → vote
The Aporia
