An Interview with Joe Hamilton of the South Carolina Chapter of The Nature Conservancy

Written by Brian Conte

reserving open space is critical to Beaufort County because it reduces the impacts of development. Reducing impacts of development, in turn, reduces the amount of polluted runoff entering our rivers and estuaries. Many local, state, and national organizations are partnering to protect critical areas in Beaufort County.

The Nature Conservancy is a national organization that has been very active in Beaufort County. Brian Conte, Director of Friends of the Rivers, interviewed Joe Hamilton of The Nature Conservancy to learn more about their organization and their efforts in our county.

Joe Hamilton is the ACE Basin & South LowCountry Project Director for the South Carolina Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. The strategic plan emphasizes full implementa-tion of programmatic activities of the ACE Basin National Estuarine Research Reserve, land acquisition for the ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge, the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge and the SC Department of Natural Resource’s (SCDNR) Heritage Trust Program, private landowner conservation programs, and working with community groups to develop compatible economic development programs consistent with TNC’s conservation efforts.

Joe has a Master of Science Degree in Wildlife Biology from The University of Georgia’s School of Forest Resources. Prior to joining TNC in February 2001, he was Manager of Ducks Unlimited’s Lowcountry Initiative for 39 years, and was a wildlife biologist with the SCDNR for nearly 19 years in the SC Lowcountry.

Question: What is the mission of the Nature Conservancy?
Answer: The mission of The Nature Conservancy is to preserve the plants, animals and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive.

Question: Land Conservation has been described as the most effective Best Management Practice (BMP). Could you explain how your efforts help to minimize threats to water quality and how these efforts improve biological richness in our area?
Answer: In addition to considering the habitat quality and diversity on a particular property, The Nature Conservancy is keenly interested in tracts of land that border major watersheds. When a conservation easement is applied to a property it protects that property from commercial and/or industrial development in perpetuity while allowing the landowner to maintain title to the property and to continue enjoying the traditional uses of the land. These traditional uses include hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, forestry, and agriculture. The conservation easement is designed to protect the natural integrity of a property in perpetuity regardless of who owns the land. For example, if a property is sold the conservation easement remains in effect. One requirement of a conservation easement is that a forest management plan be designed by a registered forester. It is in this plan that the landowner is encouraged to follow Best Management Practices. Maintenance of streamside management zones (SMZs) is one technique designed to minimize siltation in streams or rivers as a result of timber harvesting activities. Preventing timber harvesting during wet weather conditions and road construction are other measures to protect water quality. These efforts collectively enhance biological quality and diversity.

Question: Explain the decision process involved in choosing properties (i.e. size limits, biological diversity). How does the South Carolina Conservation Vision fit into the decision making process?
Answer: Properties selected for conservation contain habitats that are vital to the well-being of a particular species a community of plants or animals. For example, longleaf pine habitats, with mature trees at least 60 years old, are important to the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker. This habitat type is also known to have sand ridges covered by scrub oaks and wire grass communities that provide habitat for gopher tortoises, a threatened species. Size of the property is not as important as its relation to neighboring properties that have similar habitats and have a potential for protection as well. And finally, many properties are protected because of the wishes of the landowners. The Nature Conservancy chooses to impart land conservation on a landscape-scale basis. Through this approach the protected area appears as a patchwork quilt with a variety of individual property acreages and habitats. The end result usually is one with biological diversity.

Question: What are the options presented to land owners (i.e. conservation easements)?
Answer: The Nature Conservancy exercises several options in the land conservation process. These include fee simple purchases, land gifts, and conservation easements on private lands. In many instances, when properties are gifted or purchased the objective is to put a conservation easement in place or sell the property to a conservation-minded buyer with the stipulation that the property be protected with a conservation easement.

Question: Could you name some of the properties you have preserved under the Nature Conservancy within the Lowcountry?
Answer: The Nature Conservancy is present in Southern Beaufort County. It holds easements on Barataria and Savage Islands, and is currently working with local property owners to establish new easements. The Nature Conservancy has also been involved in the protection of over 200,000 acres in South Carolina, primarily in the coastal region or lowcountry. TNC purchased a majority of the acreage that now is known as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge. All or portions of several islands within the National Estuarine Research Reserve have been purchased by TNC and turned over to the S.C. Department of Natural Resources for management. Acreages protected with conservation easements on private lands include Hope Plantation and Rose Hill Plantation in Colleton County, Prospect Hill Plantation in Charleston County, St. Phillips Island, Holly Hall Plantation and Brewton Plantation in Beaufort County, and the nearly 8,000-acre bottomland hardwoods portion of Groton Plantation in Hampton and Allendale counties.

Question: Explain your working relationships with other land conservation groups in the area (Beaufort County Open Land Trust, Ducks Unlimited, Lowcountry Open Land Trust).
Answer: Effective partnerships are responsible for the resounding success in land conservation throughout the South Carolina lowcountry. It is not uncommon for a conservation easement to be held by a primary and secondary grantee (conservation organization). Also, since many of our land conservation activities are conducted jointly, it is becoming more common for grants to be applied for jointly. There are over 15 local land trusts in South Carolina and they have organized the South Carolina Land Trust Network to keep participants informed of land conservation issues. The Nature Conservancy and Ducks Unlimited are the two conservation organizations with statewide jurisdiction.

If you would like to learn more about the Nature Conservancy or want to contact the Nature Conservancy:

Joe Hamilton
ACE Basin & South Lowcountry Project Director, TNC
P.O. Box 848, Hollywood, SC 29449
Phone:
843-889-2427 (office)
843-709-1700 (mobile)
E-mail:
jhamilton@tnc.org

South Carolina Chapter of TNC
P.O. Box 5475, Columbia, SC 29250-5475
Phone: 803-254-9049 (receptionist)