duPont Leaves Lowcountry Plantation to Foundation

- - ,
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
z
Newsletter
f the
Ashepoo,
Combahee,
Edisto Basin
-
en
<C
m
Vol. 6, No.1, Winter1996 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
duPont Leaves Lowcountry
Plantation to Foundation
E
ugene duPont 111, who died
February 23, 1995, at the
age of 80, has protected one
of the largest private tracts in the
ACE Basin by leaving Nemours
Plantation (9,800 acres) to a nonprofit, research foundation, the
Nemours Plantation Wildlife Foun-'lation.
Eugene duPont III
•
Nemours
Plantation
includes many
"cres of managed
etlands utilized
by waterfowl,
wading birds and
a variety of other
species.
duPont was an avid outdoorsman and a proponent of preserving
wildlife habitat along the
Combahee River.
In 1962, along the southern
bank of the Combahee River,
duPont purchased the first tract of
what came to be known as Nemours
Plantation. During the ensuing 35
years he assembled a total of 9,800
acres, all of which were contributed
to the Nemours Plantation Wildlife
Foundation.
duPont's vision was to create a
model wildlife research center that
would emphasize the inter-relationships of the plantation's diverse
habitats including the salt, brackish
and freshwater marshes. By placing the plantation into the foundation, duPont insured that the integrity of the natural habitats of
Nemours will be protected and
preserved.
The mission of the foundation
is still in the process of being finalized. Presently, the foundation is
focusing efforts on preserving the
plantation as a valuable resource
for forestry, wildlife, and marine
research. ;::;:,
Conservation Easements Expand
Protection of Combahee System
R
ecent conservation easements, totaling 3,748 acres
have made significant
contributions toward protection
efforts along the upper Combahee
River drainage.
Combined with earlier conservation easements and lands of the
ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge, more than 9,000 acres have
been protected west of Highway 17
in Beaufort, Hampton and Colleton
counties since 1990.
Exemplifying the partnership
approach to land protection, the
new easements are held by three
different conservation groups: The
Nature Conservancy, The Lowcountry Open Land Trust, and the
Beaufort County Open Land Trust.
Wetlands America Trust of Ducks
Unlimited provided technical support in the development of several
of the easements.
The easements protect bottomland hardwoods, inland maritime
forests, mixed pine-hardwood
forests, tidal marshes, depression
meadows, managed wetlands, agricultural fields and other habitat
types. This diversity provides
important habitat for resident and
migratory wildlife including songbirds, colonial wading birds, waterfowl, and a variety of upland game
species. Several of the easements
protect active bald eagle nests.
Also protected are historical
and cultural values such as plantations and riverside views.
Combined with earlier
conservation easements
and lands of the ACE
BasmNanona/~Hdllfe
Refuge, more than 9,000
acres have been
protected . .. since 1990.
The general terms of the easements limit subdivision of the
properties while allowing for continuation of traditional uses such as
hunting, fishing, agriCUlture, wildlife management and the harvest of
forest products.
The following easements wert
announced:
The J. Henry Fair family granted an
easement to the Nature Conservancy on Rose Hill Plantation,
1,035 acres in Colleton county near
Whitehall.
'
Dr. and Mrs. Harry B. Gregorie, Jr.
of Charleston granted an easement
on Plum Hill Plantation (944 acres)
to the Lowcountry Open Land
Trust.
The forested wetlands (138 acres)
of Auldbrass Plantation in Beaufort
County are protected with a conservation easement granted to The
Nature Conservancy by Joel Silver.
Parkers Ferry Plantation, 200 acres
on the south bank of the Combahee
River in Beaufort County, is protected by an easement donated to
the Beaufort County Open Land
Trust by Mr. and Mrs. Richard
Taylor.
Mr. and Mrs. William M. Mixon of
Yemasse donated an easement to
the Beaufort County Open Land
Trust on Tomotley Plantation, 771
acres off the historic Old Sheldon
Church Road in Beaufort Count.
Auldbrass Partnership donated a
conservation easement to the Beaufort County Open Land Trust on a
666-acre tract adjacent to Tomotely
Plantation . ..CC
A spectacular avenue of oaks highlights Tomotley Plantation near the Combahee
River.
•~---------------------------
Land Donated
on the Edisto
S
Bottomland
hardwoods along
the Combahee river
have been protected
through several
recent conservation
easements.
anctuary Limited Partnerships has donated 370 acres
.
of land adjacent to Jehossee
Island to the ACE Basin Project.
The land is currently being
held by Wetlands America Trust of
Ducks Unlimited, Inc. Wetlands
America plans to transfer the area
to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service next year for an addition to the
Edisto Unit ofthe ACE Basin
National Wildlife Refuge.
Consisting of open tidal flats
and some uplands, the area is
heavily used as foraging habitat by
wading and shore birds.
"This transaction exemplifies
the pUblic-private partnerships that
have made natural resources protection in the ACE Basin so successful," said Coy Johnston of Ducks
Unlimited. R
A recently completed road widening project provides improved public access to Donnelley Wildlife
Management Area.
-----------------------------0
Birding the ACE
T
he 350,000 acres in the
ACE Basin offer some of the
best bird watching in South
Carolina.
More than 50,000 acres of
public lands provide numerous
birding opportunities. A variety of
habitats - planted pine, pine-hardwoods, bottomland hardwoods,
managed wetlands, maritime forest,
estuarine marshes and beaches provide food and cover for more
than 265 species of resident and
migrant birds.
The following public areas are
open for bird watching and general
nature study on the schedules indicated.
Bear Island Wildlife
Management Area
With 12,000 acres of managed
wetlands, ditch banks, scattered
stands of pines and agricultural
fields, Bear Island WMA attracts
waterfowl, bald eagles, wading
birds, shorebirds, hawks and songbirds. Access includes two observation platforms, main road (driving), and miles of dikes (walking).
A spotting scope is a must. The
best birding is in early fall and late
winter. The area is open to the
general public from January 21 to
October 31, except on Sundays.
trails with interpretive literature are
available. Late winter through late
spring are best for a variety of
species from waterfowl and wading
birds to migrating warblers. The
area is open year round to the general public except on Sundays and
during scheduled hunts. (For information on Bear Island and
Donnelley call (803) 844-8957).
ACE Basin
National Estuarine
Research Reserve
Accessible by boat from
Bennetts Point and other public
boat ramps, this area consists of
11,000 acres of islands and more
than 100,00 acres of salt marsh.
Mud fiats, front beach, maritime
forest and estuarine waters provide
resident and migratory habitat for a
great variety of coastal birds. Open
throughout the year. Special regulations apply for Otter Island. For
information contact the Reserve
Field Office at (803) 844-8822.
ACE Basin National
Wildlife Refuge
With more than 11,000 acres in
two units, this new refuge is man-
aged for wildlife diversity and
offers excellent birding from several access points. During spring
and summer Neo-tropical migrants, ,-especially painted buntings, are
abundant, while managed wetlands
attract waterfowl, wading birds and
shore birds in fall and winter. Open
throughout the year except during
scheduled hunts. For information
contact the Refuge headquarters at
(803) 889-3084.
Edisto Nature Trail
An excellently maintained trail
on Westvaco property off H wy 17
at Jacksonboro. This trail winds
through bottomland hardwoods,
offering good birding for spring
warblers, and other migrant and
resident passerines. Open throughout the year.
Edisto Beach State Park
The diversity of habitats at
Edisto Beach State Park offers
numerous birding opportunities. A
four-mile nature trail winds through
maritime forests and along tidal
saltmarsh and harbors everything
from warblers to wading birds. The
1.5 miles of beach provide good ~
Donnelley Wildlife
Management Area
Miles of dirt roads crisscross
8,000 acres of pine and pine-hardwood uplands, bottomland hardwoods, managed wetlands, and
agricultural fields. Two nature
A diversity of habitats attracts birders, and
more than 265 bird species to the ACE
Basin.
o~----------------------------
f-
opportunities for shorebirds. The
park is open year-round. For information contact the park office at
,,(803) 869-2756.
Hunting Island State Park
Hunting Island State Park
contains 2,500 acres of maritime
forest, four miles of beach, a saltwater lagoon and acres of saltmarsh. A 0.7 mile board walk leads
through a portion of the saltmarsh
and provides good viewing for
shore and wading birds. The lagoon offers viewing for a variety of
species. For information contact
the park office at (803) 838 -2011.
Jt:
Americorps in
the ACE
F
ourteen members of the
Americorps National Civilian Community Corps
pitched in on Donnelley and Bear
Island Wildlife Management Areas
to paint offices and other buildings,
build duck blinds and an observation platform for bird watching.
Corps members, who are from
across the nation, received educational talks and tours about the
ACE Basin and the natural resources of the area. Daily encounters with eagles, alligators, waterfowl and other wildlife made working conditions unique for this group
of young adults.
"I told my parents it's like
being on the set of a National Geographic Special," said Heidi Barr of
Denver.
Amazed at the amount of work
completed in just three weeks,
Ross Catterton, area manager of
l3ear Island described the Corps as,
,.I'one of the hardest working groups
of young adults I have ever seen.
Dean Harrigal (left) of the S. C. Department of Natural Resources talks about
the ACE Basin with Gene Butler (center), director of the Colleton County
Resource and Develop-ment Board, and Roger Crook, Chairman of the Board
and President of the Bank of Walterboro, during the recent Colleton County
Industry Appreciation Day.
We certainly appreciate their efforts
and positive attitude."
Corps members dedicate ten
months to national service and
receive an educational award that
can be applied toward college
tuition or student loan repayment
upon successful completion of the
program . •
c::
Americorps workers put the finishing touches on a new observation platform at Bear
Island WMA. Funding for construction was provided by the Harry Hampton
Memorial Wildlife Fund.
----------------------------~.
Public Lands in
the ACE Basin
EiS1EEI Conservation Sites
Acres
Public Sites
Bear Island Wildlife Management Area (est. 1953)
12,055
Springfield Marsh (1987), Sampson Island (1988),
Cut Marsh (1989)
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area (1992)
8,048
11,019
ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge
Bonny Hall Club (1990), Grove Plantation (1991),
Bonny Hall Plantation (1992), Combahee Fields (1993),
lehossee Island (1993), Auldbrass Tract (1995)
ACE Basin National Estuarine Research Reserve
11,942
Warren Island (1988), Big Island (1988), Ashe Island (1989),
Beet Island (1989), Bolder Island (1990), Otter Island (1993),
South Williman Island (1994)
Edisto Beach State Park (est. 1936)
1,255
Hunting Island State Park (est. 1938)
5,000
49,319
Sub-total
Private Sites
Conservation Easements
39,292
Botany Bay Island (1987) , Hope Plantation (1988), Will town Bluff Plantation (1990),
Church Tract (1990), Cheeha-Combahee Plantation (1991), Richardson Tract (1992),
Godfrey Tract (1991) , McMillian Tract (1991), Pon Pon Plantation (1992),
Ashepoo Plantation (1993), Fenwick Island (1993), Combahee Plantation (1994),
Musselboro Island (1994), Oak Island (1994), Little Palmetto Island (1994),
Prospect Hill (1995), Rose Hill (1995), Plum Hill (1995), Auldbrass Plantation (1995),
Parker's Ferry Planation (1995), Tomotley Planation (1995), Auldbrass Club (1995)
243
Deed Restrictions
Bear Island WMA
Hunting - Archery and gun hunts for deer;
waterfowl hunting by drawing; dove and
small game hunts also scheduled. *
Fishing - Fish and blue crabs can be
harvested from impoundments from
April 1 to Sept. 30.
Camping - Primitive facilities available for
deer hunters and conservation groups by
appointment.
General Public Use - Designated areas
open for bird watching, photography and
wildlife observation from Jan. 21
through Oct. 31. Mon.-Sat.
Donnelley WMA
Hunting - Archery and gun hunts (drawing
only) for deer; waterfowl and turkey
hunts by drawing; dove and small game
hunts scheduled. *
General Public Use - Designated trails;
Mon.-Sat. 8 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., closed on
Sunday and during special hunts.
For more information on Bear Island WMA
and Donnelley WMA call
(803) 844-8957.
Hannahan Tract (1993), duPont Tract (1993)
10,643
Organization Ownership
Great Swamp and Ivanhoe Tract (TNC, 1989),
Nemours Planation Wildlife Foundation (1995), Sanctuary Limited Tract (1995)
17,912
Management Agreements
Westvaco (1991)
4,630
Other
Botany Bay Plantation
72,720
SUb-total
122,039
TOTAL
.. ,pre ..t!.
J
"WlblreJIiT
co"sm rlllo/
.6_ ~~!I•
~dDwn.n
ACE Basin National Estuarine
Research Reserve
Research - Support and facilities are
provided for qualified scientists to study
estuaries and coastal ecosystems.
Education - Education cruises, marsh
classroom adventures, workshops and
training sessions provided to organized
groups.
General Public Use - Accessible by boat;
primitive camping in specified areas;
some restrictions.
For more Information call
(803) 762-5400.
ACE Basin National Wildlife
Refuge
Editor's Note
ACE Basin Current Events is a product of the S.C. Department of Natural Resources' ACE Basin
Committee. This committee integrates the comprehensive habitat protection and enhancement concept to the
ACE Basin Project with appropriate resource management responsibilities of the Department's various
Divisions.
Current Events is published twice annually and is intended to inform the public of the Department's role
as a member of the ACE Basin Task Force as well as communicate overall activities and cooperative accomplishments of other Task Force members including: Ducks Unlimited, Private Landowners, The Nature
Conservancy and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Address correspondence to: ACE Basin Project, SCDNR,
Rt 1. Box 25. Green Pond, S.c. 29446. All articles may not necessarily represent views of the Department
Hunting - Archery, primitive weapons
hunts for deer. Waterfowl hunts in
designated areas.
General Public Use - Open for public use
except during scheduled hunts.
For more information call
(803) 889-3084.
Office hours - 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
(* See SCDNR current Hunting and
Fishing Rules and Regulations)
r=
.~-------------------------------
The
Lowcountry's
- ,-~rtistic Historian
New Atlas of Rice Plantations
Available
They harnessed the moon and
turned the marshes into
fields of gold." So begins a
unique look at a vanished way of
life.
The "Historical Atlas of the
Rice Plantations of the ACE Basin1860" traces the lives and properties of the rice planters who cultivated the thin arable strip of land
along the Ashepoo, Combahee, and
Edisto Rivers.
The ACE Basin planters grew
Carolina Gold, considered the best
rice in the world. For more than a
century, this golden crop bestowed
great wealth on a handful of planters.
The atlas traces not only the
histories of these plantations that
II
8
ob Grenko, who is making a
name for himself as the
"barn man," is an artist!
historian striving to preserve our
fading history through his intricate
drawings.
"Art is more that just a hobby,
its the driving force behind my
life," Grenko said. "My quest is to
'capture' old houses, barns, farm
equipment, gas pumps, etc. before
they are destroyed."
A native Illinoian, Grenko
received four years of formal training at the Chicago Art Institute and
in Paris in preparation for a 25-year
career in advertising. Grenko
moved to Walterboro when his son
enrolled in The Citadel, and 13
years later claims, "This is my
qome now and I'm not going to
,eave the Lowcountry."
Pen and ink is his preferred
medium because it captures the
texture, the true nature of old buildings. Ie
flourished in 1860 but also the
family ties that bound the planters
together. The index to this 600plus page volume includes hundreds of personal and place names.
Profusely illustrated and documented, most property sketched
include at least a plat and a relevant
photograph.
The price of the publication is
$100 plus $8 postage and handling.
Proceeds will benefit the South
Carolina Department of Archives
and History, Ducks Unlimited/
Wetlands America Trust and The
Nature Conservancy.
To order call (803) 734-8590
or write to: South Carolina Department of Archives and History 1430
Senate Street, Columbia, SC 29201.
.1It:
------------------------------~.
Harry Hampton Wildlife Fund
A
nnual funding for this
newsletter and many other
educational projects in the
ACE Basin has been graciously
provided by the Harry R.E. Hampton Memorial Wildlife Fund.
Created in 1981, this nonprofit
organization promotes education,
research, management and the
administration of fish and game
laws which benefit the conservation
of South Carolina's natural resources. Funds, obtained through
private donations, promotional
activities, special events and publications, are utilized to achieve a
wide range of scientific yet farreaching goals.
Harry Hampton, for whom the
Harry R. E. Hampton Memorial
Wildlife Fund is named, was a
well-known writer and columnist at
The State newspaper in Columbia,
HdrlY
l-"bmpton
MEMORIAL WllOLlfE FUND
S. C. His "Woods and Water"
column was a popular feature for
many years.
Hampton loved the outdoors of
South Carolina and knew its wealth
better than most. Consequently, he
dedicated much of his life to activities that have had a remarkable
influence on the successes we
currently enjoy in wildlife conservation . .F=
Striped Bass
Study in the ACE
F
reshwater fisheries biologists of South Carolina De
partment of Natural Resources are studying striped bass in
the ACE Basin.
The southern race of striped
bass, which is native to the coastal
rivers of South Carolina, remains
within the river systems its entire
life, not returning to the ocean after
spawning as does the northern race.
However, there are numerous
connections between the rivers of
the ACE via creeks, waterways, and
the old rice field systems. Stripers
may use these waters to move from
river to river. For example, stripers
spawning in the Combahee River
may be feeding in the Ashepoo or
Coosaw rivers at other times of the
year.
Biologists are trying to determine if stripers move between
rivers or stay wholly within the
rivers of their spawning.
Information gathered from this
study will help establish fishing
regulations and stocking programs.
Biologists capture and tag
stripers using a specialized
electrofishing boat where fish
congregate during late fall and
winter to feed.
Anglers returning a tag receive
a fisherman's cap and become
eligible for a rod and reel to be
drawn for in December. These
prizes were donated by the Harry
Hampton Memorial Wildlife Fw:iI!
S.C. Department of Natural Resources
Dr. James A. Timmennan, Jr., Exec: Director
John E. Frampton, ACE Basin Task Force
ACE Basin Committee
Mike McKenzie, Committee Chainnan
Dean Harrigal, Project Coordinator
Pete Laurie, Editor - Conservation. Education and
Communication
David Allen - Freshwater Fisheries Section
AnD Hale Miglarese - Water Resources
Michelle Dyer - Land Resources
Joe Hamilton - Wildlife Management Section
Sally Murphy - Wildlife Diversity Section
Mike Prevost - The Nature Conservancy ~ ~
ACE Basin Current Events;:e
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
Rt.l, Box 25
Green Pond, S.C. 29446
Bulk Rate
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit No. 176
Walterboro,
SC 29488
Graphic DesIgn
Karen Swanson - Marine Resources Division
Funding provided by the
Harry R.E. Hampton
Memorial Wildlife Fund. IDe.
t.~
~
U
U'. Idny
~n;m,<?!l
Printed On Recycled Paper
Total Cost - $1,430.29; Total Copies - 7,500;
Cost per Copy - $.19
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources prohibits discrimination on the
basis of race, color, sex, national origin, disability, religion or age. Direct all inquiries
to the Office of Human Resources, P.O. Box 167, Columbia, S.C. 29202.
.~--------------------------~