A 2,600-acre timber property in South Carolina, located near the rivers where Revolutionary War commander Francis Marion once hid from British forces, has been transferred to the state's Department of Natural Resources.
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Marion → locate → Resources
The land, known as River Forks, forms part of a larger 7,600-acre conservation project that aims to protect wildlife habitats, historic sites and areas that help reduce flooding.
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that → know → flooding
The Open Space Institute (OSI), a non-profit conservation organisation, transferred the property to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR).
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Institute → transfer → Resources
According to Vise Voter, the transfer, announced on Tuesday includes 11 miles of riverfront and marks the first phase of the Snow's Island Assemblage conservation project.
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transfer → accord → project
The wider project covers two properties in Florence County including the 5,000-acre Snow's Island and the adjoining 2,600-acre River Forks timber tract.
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project → cover → Island
Together, they include more than 60 miles of riverfront along the Lynches and Great Pee Dee Rivers.
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they → include → Rivers
OSI acquired both properties in 2024.
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OSI → acquire → 2024
Francis Marion and the swamps
Snow's Island is located where the Lynches and Great Pee Dee Rivers meet.
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Rivers → locate → ?
During the American Revolutionary War, Marion and his militia used the area's remote swamps as a base for military operations against British troops.
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Marion → use → troops
The surrounding waterways and wetlands provided a place from which Marion could organise raids.
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Marion → surround → raids
According to OSI, his militia launched several attacks from the area, including a major assault on the British garrison at Georgetown, located downstream along the Pee Dee River.
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militia → accord → River
The conservation project is intended to protect this historic landscape while eventually allowing people to visit the area.
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people → intend → area
Once the land becomes part of the state's Heritage Preserve and Wildlife Management Area programmes, visitors will have opportunities to explore the swamps associated with Marion's wartime activities.
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visitors → become → activities
The property, however, remains closed to the public while SCDNR works towards completing the larger conservation project.
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SCDNR → remain → project
The Snow's Island Assemblage contains several types of natural habitats, including bottomland hardwood forests, upland pine forests and floodplains.
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Assemblage → contain → forests
These areas support wildlife and connect with other protected lands in the region.
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areas → support → region
The 2,600-acre River Forks property alone provides habitat for 140 high-priority conservation species, including 15 species listed as at risk under federal or state classifications.
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property → provide → classifications
Among the wildlife associated with the wider conservation area are the Swallow-tailed Kite and Spotted Turtle.
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Kite → associate → area
Protecting such a large stretch of connected land is intended to help animals move between habitats without the barriers created when natural areas are divided into smaller parcels.
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areas → protect → parcels
The project also strengthens an existing network of protected land that includes the 25,000-acre Woodbury Wildlife Management Area.
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that → strengthen → Area
The property contains extensive forested wetlands and floodplains that can hold large quantities of water during heavy rainfall.
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that → contain → rainfall
These floodplains work like natural sponges, absorbing water when rivers rise and releasing it gradually.
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rivers → work → it
This helps reduce the amount of floodwater moving downstream at once.
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This → help → floodwater
The importance of these natural floodplains became clear during Hurricane Florence in 2018, when severe flooding affected parts of South Carolina.
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flooding → become → Carolina
Flood data published in the Journal of South Carolina Water Resources showed that the large floodplain between the Pee Dee, Lynches and Little Pee Dee Rivers stored more than one million acre-feet of water during the hurricane.
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floodplain → publish → hurricane
That water was released gradually over ten days, helping protect communities downstream.
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water → release → communities
The Snow's Island Assemblage lies within this floodplain, making its protection important for the region's long-term flood management.
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protection → lie → management
Funding the conservation
The project involves cooperation between conservation organisations, state agencies, local authorities and private foundations.
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project → fund → organisations
Funding for the River Forks acquisition included $3 million from the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
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Funding → include → Service
The wider conservation effort also received support from the South Carolina Office of Resilience, South Carolina Conservation Bank, Darla Moore Foundation and Knobloch Family Foundation.
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effort → receive → Resilience
Florence County Council voted in July 2024 to contribute $1.5 million from its capital sales tax fund towards acquiring the Snow's Island Assemblage.
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Council → vote → Assemblage
According to OSI, this was the county's first investment in land conservation.
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this → accord → conservation
The properties were previously owned by Manulife Investment Management and Weyerhaeuser before OSI acquired them in 2024.
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OSI → own → 2024
The transfer of River Forks is the first stage of bringing the entire Snow's Island Assemblage under state management.
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transfer → bring → management
The remaining land is expected to be transferred to SCDNR in early 2027.
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land → remain → 2027
Once the process is completed, the state plans to manage the protected landscape through its Wildlife Management Area and Heritage Trust programmes.
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state → complete → programmes
The Aporia
