Nonprofit awarded $39 million for forest management across South Carolina’s coastal plain

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCBD)- The South Carolina branch of a national nonprofit has received a multi-million grant for a forest management project aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) announced Friday that it was awarded $200 million to support projects designed to reduce carbon emissions in four states — South Carolina, Maryland, North Carolina, and Virginia.

The projects will focus on protecting and restoring coastal, peatland, and forest lands. Experts expect the projects to collectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 28 million metric tons by 2050, the equivalent of emissions caused by more than 5.5 million homes’ electricity use for one year.

Specifically, TNC’s South Carolina branch will receive $39 million between January 2025 and January 2030 to improve the health and management of 18,000 acres of bottomland hardwood forest across the state’s coastal plain.

“In TNC’s 55 years of conserving South Carolina, we’ve seen how our forests can shelter wildlife, protect against flooding, keep our drinking water clean, and offer opportunities to get outside,” said Dale Threatt Taylor, executive director of TNC in South Carolina. “With this investment, these incredible resources have the potential to do even more. The same natural features that make South Carolina a wonderful place to live also can store carbon and lessen climate impacts.”

The grant is part of a larger $421 million award from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to fund climate pollution reduction efforts statewide.

Threatt-Taylor said TNC plans to work with counterparts in neighboring states, the South Carolina Office of Resiliency, and natural resource agencies to advance their climate goals.

“We can’t do this alone,” says Threatt-Taylor. “We’re proud to be working hand-in-hand with
SCOR and our land trust partners to make an impact that will benefit future generations.”

Additionally, the South Carolina Central Midlands Council of Governments received an $8 million EPA grant to match local government funding for solar power, green infrastructure, urban forest, and cool pavement pilot projects.

“Increasing the availability of renewable energy sources like solar, reducing the effects of urban heat island effects on our cities, and restoring and maintaining coastal and forest resources will help fight the effects of climate change while boosting the local economies and promoting job growth in our region,” said acting EPA Regional Administrator Jeaneanne Gettle.

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