Winter “Wanderland”
I hope you have had a warm and adventurous February. Winter in the Lowcountry is my favorite time to wander outside—and there is no better place to do it than the Cooper River Corridor! This time of year, the weather tends to be mild; there are more wild creatures than tourists; and most importantly, the mosquitos are in hibernation.
A couple of weeks ago, I hiked a few miles on the Palmetto Trail near Steed Creek Road and stumbled upon a clan of red-cockaded woodpeckers (RCWs), Dryobates borealis. These small black and white birds are rarely found solo, incredibly vocal, and considered to be an endangered species. I was incredibly fortunate have witnessed their afternoon activities. (Side note: I confirmed my identification with Cornell Lab’s Merlin App that allows learners like I am to grow more confident with every ID. If you want to pretend to be an expert in avian identification—and ultimately become one, I highly recommend downloading the App.)
What makes life particularly challenging for RCWs in today’s world is that they rely on contiguous, fire-dependent and mature pine ecosystems (typically longleaf pine)—requiring special management and protection. Without controlled burns in the Francis Marion National Forest and nearby protected properties within the Cooper River Corridor, red-cockaded woodpeckers would be homeless at best.
The use of fire for pine forest management is the epitome of why residential development near the Francis Marion National Forest should be limited to rural development patterns. Dense residential development along highways 41 and 402 and Cainhoy Road near the forest impairs the Forest Service’s ability to properly manage the land for species such as the RCW.
The good news is that Berkeley County has significant funding set aside to protect critical lands and steer new development away from the forest toward existing infrastructure—saving tax payers and the county money in service provision. The greenspace fund is generated from the 2022 one-percent sales tax that will produce $58.7 million for land protection over seven years (10% of the total tax revenue).
The Post and Courier editorial staff wrote that the greenbelt fund is Berkeley’s “opportunity to use their respective greenbelt dollars to protect as much sensitive land as possible from the ill effects of development, to keep their best rural areas rural.”
When we think of the best rural areas in Berkeley, we think of the Cooper River Corridor.
An ordinance establishing the nine-member “Berkeley County Conservation and Greenbelt Advisory Commission” will be going before Berkeley County Council for third and final reading on Monday, February 26 at 6:00 p.m. This commission will be responsible for creating a conservation masterplan and financing strategies that will leverage state and federal matching funds.
The Cooper River Forum supports Berkeley County’s work on the new greenspace program, and we look forward to working together on future projects (and seeing more RCWs!).
Join the Cooper River Forum
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: CORDESVILLE
This month, we would like to feature the Cordesville Community Citizens whose mission is to build community where everyone can communicate, develop a sense of caring, and assist others in areas of health, education, environment and extracurricular activities. The local group aims to foster community pride and motivate future generations to march forward in continuing improvements for the Cordesville Community.
Their meetings are held monthly in the Cordesville First Baptist Church, and agenda items range from crime prevention and development updates to how to feed seniors in the community.
Read more about what this impressive organization is doing to support residents and consider donating to them today. The Cooper River Forum is matching gifts made until until the end of March up to $1,000.