| | | Leading the Way to South Carolina History
A stunning 62,000 acres of forested land along South Carolina’s Great Pee Dee, Santee, and Black Rivers are now permanently protected thanks in part to the Open Space Institute (OSI), which played a critical role in securing the largest conservation easement in South Carolina’s history. OSI convened more than a dozen state, private, and nonprofit partners and crafted a complex funding strategy that included a $50 million federal Forest Legacy grant and significant support from the National Fish and Wildlife Federation’s Acres for America program. Recently, OSI joined Governor Henry McMaster and partners to announce the completion of this once-in-a-generation opportunity to protect vital wildlife habitat, while also supporting sustainable forestry and wood product jobs, public recreation, and flood resilience.
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| | | Safeguarding Clean Water in the Adirondack Foothills
Through a joint effort by OSI and New York State, a source of clean drinking water for the 4,500 residents of Little Falls is now preserved forever. Nearly 3,400 acres surrounding the Spruce Creek watershed in the Adirondack foothills have been protected by OSI and the state to bolster the land’s natural ability to filter water and support wildlife habitat connectivity. |
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| | | | Creating a Healthier, Wilder Future in North Carolina
OSI recently partnered with North Carolina’s Foothills Conservancy to save more than 830 acres of ecologically rich land along the eastern side of the Blue Ridge Mountains. With its protection, the Gillespie Gap property unlocks passive recreational access to hundreds of acres of adjacent land, as well as preserving habitat for wildlife, including the Northern Pygmy salamander, 200 types of birds, and more than 300 other rare species. |
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| | | | New York Reaches Key Conservation Agreement, Supported by OSI
Bolstered by OSI’s longstanding environmental leadership, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James have reached a landmark agreement to strengthen interagency collaboration and streamline the state’s land acquisition policies. The changes will allow New York to move more quickly on projects with land trusts, municipalities, and others, accelerating protection of the state’s irreplaceable landscapes. |
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| | | | Preserving the Lowcountry's Past... and Future
OSI and partners have notched a significant win with the protection of historic Blessing Plantation in rapidly growing Berkeley County, South Carolina. In an area working to balance population growth with environmental preservation, this 630-acre property will now become a public park stretching along French Quarter Creek in the heart of the stunning Cooper River corridor. |
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| | | | Rare Appalachian Habitat Permanently Saved
In Pennsylvania’s globally significant Allegheny Front — the boundary between the Appalachian Plateau and the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians — a 725-acre forest is now conserved, thanks to support from OSI. The Town Creek property safeguards rare shale barrens, a pristine cold-water stream, and territory for sensitive species, including wood turtles and five-lined skinks. The effort also strengthens climate resilience and secures an important stretch of unfragmented wildlife habitat. |
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| | | | Give a Gift for Land, Wildlife, and Water
This holiday season, consider a convenient payroll deduction to support OSI through EarthShare. Giving through your workplace is easy and helps OSI create a cleaner, greener, healthier future for everyone. Ask your employer to set up your gift through EarthShare today! |
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