Nonprofits Buy 8,000 Acres in S.C. for $34.2 Million to Block Development

Georgetown County’s Board of Education voted to back the South Carolina Forestry Commission’s acquisition of 4,148 acres in Carvers Bay, a move that locks in the fate of a massive 8,000-acre forest tract. Nonprofits The Conservation Fund and the Malone Family Land Preservation Foundation secured the property for $34.2 million. They stepped in because commercial developers had already lined up to build on the land.

The deal kills a 2002 development plan that envisioned 2,451 homes, a 500-room resort, and extensive office space. A county study from that era estimated the project could have generated $153.8 million in annual tax revenue. That figure is now irrelevant. The property currently generates just $5,200 in combined county and school district taxes.

School Board Member Eileen Johnson defended the financial hit during the board meeting. "We've got plenty of land. I'm not worried about taxes right now," she said. She emphasized that 25 percent of future timber revenue from the state forest will flow back to the county to support schools.

The remaining portion of the 8,000-acre parcel along the Black River will join the Wildlife Management Area program under the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Ducks Unlimited director Emily Purcell confirmed the organization is helping secure the title until state funding approvals clear. The next step involves the South Carolina Department of Administration completing the final purchase paperwork.