Wetland Mitigation - Saving Sandy Island

Conservation of Natural Resources

WETLAND MITIGATION - SAVING SANDY ISLAND

Despite efforts to avoid environmental consequences, highway projects often have an impact on wetlands.  When this happens, SCDOT takes steps to mitigate/alleviate the loss.  In the 1990’s, SCDOT purchased Sandy Island in Georgetown County for this purpose.  The island serves as a mitigation bank for three to four major projects in the South Carolina coastal plain.  By combining many mitigation credits into one large tract, the wildlife and plants in the area are afforded an uninterrupted natural environment in which to flourish.

Sandy Island is located in the Great Pee Dee River delta where the river converges with the Waccamaw.  The property is part of an old plantation that has unique, sandy uplands surrounded by rivers that encompass high quality, coastal, forested wetlands. The wildlife includes many native and endangered species. The area contains numerous intact prehistoric and historic archeological sites and a well-established community comprised largely of descendants from former plantation workers.

The Sandy Island bank was developed to provide off-site mitigation credits to compensate for impacts to wetland resources resulting from future construction activities in the Coastal Plain of South Carolina. These efforts resulted in a $53,000,000 dollar cost savings on the Conway Bypass by reducing bridging over marginal wetlands. A portion of the cost savings from the Conway Bypass was used to acquire Sandy Island. The Sandy Island Mitigation Bank is composed of part of Sandy Island along with parts of three other local plantations.

The tidal and fresh water wetlands, the unique social environment, the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker, the Native American pottery found throughout the island, and the undisturbed archeological and historic cultural sites were all incentives to accomplish the acquisition of the island.

The site contains approximately 17,000 acres of coastal plain habitat. Each acre is equivalent to one credit. To date, this bank has mitigated three major coastal plain projects. The remaining credits will be used to offset impacts on future coastal plain projects.

While SCDOT has continuing responsibility for this site, the Department has entered into an  agreement with the Nature Conservancy for long-term management of the property. According to the Sandy Island Banking Agreement, SCDOT may convey the fee simple title to the Sandy Island tract and the three additional tracts to a suitable private or public entity. All existing covenants or easements would be conveyed with the transfer of the properties.

Sandy Island is open to the public for activities that do not adversely affect the natural state of the property- these activities include hiking, bird watching, and fishing. Cultural and sociological studies are proposed to document the history of the Sandy Island residents. This community has remained relatively isolated, as they continue to live on an island that is accessible only by water.

The acquisition of Sandy Island has proved to be a highly beneficial use of public funds and a win/win solution that balances the cost of extensive bridging against the benefit of preserving the natural habitat. Sandy Island exemplifies the best aspects of public-private partnering.