History

Pee Dee Resource Conservation and Development Council (PDRC&D) sets up steering committee to consider creation of a land trust and wetland mitigation bank for 5 county area, including Chesterfield, Marlboro, Dillon, Darlington and Marion.

Land trust gets official designation as a public interest organization (501c3 nonprofit), still a project of the PDRC&D. Recruitment of community leaders and county officials to serve as board members.

First meeting of the Pee Dee Land Trust Board of Directors. PDRC&D Director Wylie Owens then David Arthur serves as director of the PDLT; Sharon DeWitt covers the administrative responsibilities. They help the land trust on a part-time basis.

Community meetings held in the 5 counties, hosted by the board members.

Land trust acquires first conservation easement.

Received gift of 668 acres of land in Lamar; donors retain a “life estate.” The Palmetto Conservation Foundation assists Land Trust with gift. PDLT added Florence County to its focus area. PDLT cosponsored a forum with the American Farmland Trust.

PDLT hosted June event at Kalmia Gardens featuring Naturescene host, Rudy Mancke. Added Georgetown and Williamsburg to focus area, so that all 8 counties that touch the Great Pee Dee River from the state line to the Atlantic Ocean are included.

Hosted Conservation Symposium with speakers from state and national organizations such as The Nature Conservancy, American Farmland Trust, SC Conservation Bank, Upstate Forever. PDLT developed and adopted a vision statement and strategic plan with help from Lumpkin and Associates, funded by a grant from Windham Foundation. Progress Energy donates $25k to establish riparian buffer protection program.

PDLT received a half million dollar pledge in order to hire full time permanent staff and hired its first full time director Jennie Williamson Pezé. Established the new PDLT headquarters at Francis Marion University.

Land Trust dramatically expands membership, education, and land protection efforts, including accepting four conservation easements to protect 1,286 acres. Membership increases from 40 to nearly 300.

Land Trust hires part-time staff person and continues to grow, quadrupling land protection to nearly 8,000 acres. Membership exceeds 450 households.

Land protection exceeds 10,000 acres! Attendance at events hits record highs. Membership continues to grow.

Land Trust celebrates 10th Anniversary. Adds temporary part time staff to assist with land protection; updates Strategic Plan. Membership grows above 600.

Adds Horry County to Land Trust Focus Area; increases land conservation to more than 12,000 acres. Hires first full-time Land Conservation Director.

Part-time Finance and Administration Coordinator position created and filled. Protected acreage approaches 15,000 acres.

PDLT was selected for Land Trust Alliance Excellence Enhancement Program in the Spring. PDLT office moved to historic downtown Florence and became a nationally accredited land trust in the Winter.

The land trust adds 1,792 acres of protected land with the help of 5 landowners and a wetland restoration project along the Lynches river that will protect 4 miles of designated scenic river frontage.

PDLT celebrates its 15th year of operation.

Black Creek Land Trust consolidates their land protection efforts under the stewardship of Pee Dee Land Trust. As a result, PDLT took fee title to two nature preserves on Black Creek in Darlington totaling 267 acres and added 6 conservation easements comprising 3,130 acres to the PDLT portfolio.

PDLT protects an additional 2,766 acres with two of the largest properties in its history. 650 area students participate as “environmental detectives” in the Black Creek BioBlitz Program at PDLT’s Dargan Preserve. Total protected acres exceed 24,800 as of January 2017, covering 66 easement properties and 2 fee simple preserves.

PDLT protects an additional 2,472 acres with three additional conservation easements, surpassing the 25,000 acres protected milestone. The Riverside Farms tract, 2,101 acres, was the first project in Lee County and the largest project to date. PDLT surpassed the 2013-2017 Strategic Plan Goals and celebrated its 18th year of operation. Creation and implementation of a Landowner Outreach education program was funded by the Duke Energy Foundation. Two new staff positions were added: Land Conservation Associate (funded by The Darla Moore Foundation) and Outreach and Administration Coordinator. PDLT was awarded reaccreditation from the Land Trust Alliance.

Surpassed the milestone of raising $1 million in the Our Places Operations Endowment. Sold the first major land asset donated through a life estate and created the Scarborough Opportunity Fund. Protected an additional 1,660 acres, ending the year with a total of 27,800 acres privately owned by 74 private landowners.

Surpassed the 30,000 new acres protected milestone; Celebrated 20th Anniversary. *(Covid)*

Added 7 new conservation easements protecting 4,093 new acres, marking the 2nd best year in PDLT history.

Protected 4 new properties totaling over 2,943 acres across 5 counties. These additions to PDLT’s conservation easement portfolio now total 90 easements, covering 37,831 acres across 11 counties. Utilized the Estate Gift from Genie Lee to purchase PDLT’s permanent office property. Added 2 new positions: Finance Manager and Land Protection Specialist.

Protected 3 new properties totaling 710 acres across 3 counties. These additions surpassed the 5-Year Strategic Plan Goal to protect 10,000 new acres (1 year early), bringing PDLT to 93 easements, totaling 38,535 acres.

Best financial year *(July 2023-June 2024)* in PDLT history – protection of 15 new conservation easements totaling 7,320 acres. Largest private conservation easement to date with the protection of 3,708 acres of Witherspoon Island on the Great Pee Dee River, Darlington.

August 2nd Celebrated 25th Anniversary and the permanent protection of 110 properties totaling 46,979 acres across the Pee Dee Watershed! More celebrations and announcements to come.