Florence-based Land Trust Announces New Hire, Promotion

Florence-based Land Trust Announces New Hire, Promotion

Pee Dee Land Trust hires Tweedy, promotes Page

Florence, S.C. – July 26, 2024 – Pee Dee Land Trust today announced staff changes that will help facilitate an increased pace of land protection in the region. Kate Tweedy has been hired as a Land Conservation Associate and Hughes Page has been promoted to Land Conservation Manager.

"Over the past year, our small team has protected 15 properties totaling 7,320 new acres across the region, permanently protecting special places such as working farms and forests, historic lands, critical habitats and land along our waterways,” said Lyles Cooper, Executive Director, Pee Dee Land Trust. "The addition of Kate and promotion of Hughes will help us continue to advance land protection in the Pee Dee Watershed, making our area an even greater place for now and in the future.”

Tweedy joins PDLT from Little St. Simons Island, Georgia where she worked to improve conservation stewardship of the island by coordinating research with conservation partners and graduate students; and translating the research findings into management plans and on-the-ground action. A native of Rustburg, Virginia, Kate spent much of her time outdoors and helping at her grandparents’ farm.  She is a graduate of Virginia Tech with degrees in Biology and Wildlife Conservation. In her role at PDLT, she will work with landowners to annually monitor the organization’s 110 existing conservation easements and assist the land protection team with new projects.

Land Conservation Associate Hughes Page has been promoted to Land Conservation Manager.  Since 2017, Hughes has focused on land stewardship by monitoring all PDLT conservation easements annually and conducted baseline field work for new projects.  Hughes will continue to manage the land stewardship program. Additionally, he will be more involved in managing new land protection projects and working with interested landowners to plan their land legacy. 

“Land protection is a deeply personal legal and financial decision,” said Seth Cook, Director of Land Conservation, Pee Dee Land Trust. “We are honored to not only secure new talent which shares our land ethic, but also to retain and promote our current team member who has contributed so significantly to our success.”

About Pee Dee Land Trust

Pee Dee Land Trust focuses on the nine counties in the Pee Dee watershed of South Carolina, which includes Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Georgetown, Horry, Marion, Marlboro, and Williamsburg counties.  Its mission is to protect, and to promote an appreciation of, the significant natural, agricultural, and historical resources of the Pee Dee Watershed through voluntary land conservation and educational programs. PDLT has a toolbox full of options to help landowners who are interested in planning their land legacy to permanently protect the conservation resources on their land.  Donated conservation easements or bargain-sale conservation easements are the primary tool, however PDLT has experience working with fee acquisition projects as well.   

With its 110^th conservation project to date, PDLT has now protected over 46,979 acres in the Pee Dee Watershed.  While remaining in private ownership, the lands protected through conservation easements held by PDLT ensure that special places will be available for farming, forestry, and recreation for future generations.  Through the use of permanent agreements, PDLT and landowners work as partners to ensure that land use activities on private property are limited in order to preserve key conservation values which benefit the public.  These values include open space such as rural scenic views along roads and rivers, flood mitigation and natural water filtration, habitat for wildlife including game and non-game species, and the protection of farm and forest land to ensure it remains in farming and forestry rather than being converted to other uses.   

There are endless ways to support PDLT as an individual or as an organization, including annual Membership, event sponsorship, hosting experiences, donations to one of the endowments, land donations and planned estate giving opportunities.  Join our PDLT’s conservation community today!