Fairfield Plantation adds 254 acres to protected land in Charleston County

The owners of Fairfield Plantation have permanently protected an additional 254 acres of ecologically and historically rich land at the gateway to Charleston County.

An additional portion of Fairfield Plantation is now under the protection of Lowcountry Land Trust, a nonprofit which protects landscapes and waterways.

The new allotment adds 254 acres to the plantation on the South Santee River along U.S. Highway 17, according to a news release.  

The expansion reinforces a nearly unbroken corridor of conserved wetlands and forests in the Santee Delta — one of South Carolina’s most treasured natural areas — offering vital habitat protection, flood mitigation and scenic preservation for surrounding communities, according to the release.

The previous Fairfield Plantation portion conserved by Lowcountry Land Trust was given by the landowners in 2013, reaching 480 acres of the property, according to the release. 

“Thanks to this private family’s excellent stewardship and their generous donation of value in placing a conservation easement on the remainder of Fairfield Plantation, the Santee Delta will continue to thrive in its ecologically rich, relatively natural state,” Hunter Allen, a project manager for Lowcountry Land Trust, said in the release. “We’re proud to help secure the future for this remarkable part of the Lowcountry.” 

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The property is near more than 350,000 acres of publicly protected lands including the Francis Marion National Forest, Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, Santee Coastal Heritage Preserve and Hampton Plantation State Historic Site. 

Funding from the Charleston County Greenbelt Program helped with the plantation protection project, the release said.