Austin Lucas, GrowFood Carolina Program Coordinator
Paul Haire, Warehouse Operations Manager
Shawn Parks, Driver & Warehouse Associate
Matt Mays, Driver & Warehouse Associate
Brett Hayes, Driver & Warehouse Associate
Chris Maksymowski, Driver & Warehouse Associate
Danielle Silvers, Driver & Warehouse Associate
Friends,
Last I wrote to you in this format — Fall 2024 — we were gearing up for important referenda votes in our coastal communities.
After Charleston County voted down a referendum that would have caused irreversible damage to our communities and Sea Islands, I reflected on all I heard from community members.
What struck me was the relief many expressed that this destructive project was finally recognized for what it was and rejected by our community.
They felt a burden finally lifted; knowing their land would be protected and their beloved Lowcountry would remain intact.
It was an inspirational moment, and reminded me why we do what we do. Why we fight every day for people to have access to such beautiful places, to stay on their land, to enjoy fresh and local food and to create balance for our communities and wildlife.
On May 12, the S.C. Transportation Infrastructure Bank Board voted unanimously to end the three-way funding contract marking the end of this destructive road project.
These lands are ripe with public access and conservation opportunities.We must look to the future and work together to identify infrastructure projects that benefit our communities without harming the local landscapes we hold so dear.
This work is more important than ever.
As our towns and cities grow, seas continue to rise and more development pressures are put on the land, we must remain strong
in our mission. We must protect our natural environment for the benefit of all.
We all envision a coast where wildlife thrives, air and water are clean, and natural landscapes are protected for future generations.
To that end, we are excited to share our new strategic plan. This plan will guide us in the years to come as we build the next generation of conservation leaders, increase our environmental advocacy and action, enhance our collaborative partnerships, and much more.
Thank you for standing alongside us and helping us achieve such significant wins this year and over the last 35 years. It has never been more true that we cannot do this without you.
Faith Rivers James, J.D. Executive Director
Welcoming our new Chief Advancement Officer
In December, we brought Mike Worley to our team to spearhead our development vision as Chief Advancement Officer. Mike is a skilled fundraiser, strategic leader, relationship builder, and of course, an avid fly fisherman.
Throughout his over 25 years of experience in fundraising and advancement, he has demonstrated an ability to transform fundraising programs, expand donor bases, and secure
record-breaking contributions. While out on the water, he has watched the community change over the years and is looking forward to tying his love for the environment and fundraising together. Additionally, Mike has a huge passion for connecting donors with impactful opportunities.
His ability to engage donor constituencies will be invaluable to our mission.
Launching a New Strategic Vision
As the premier environmental advocacy organization in South Carolina, the Conservation League has earned the moniker of being the “tip of the spear.” In the years to come, we will continue to live up to that name.
The Conservation League officially launched a new strategic plan this spring. This vision will be the guiding force behind the next three to five years of the organization’s work.We will leverage and deepen our expertise and advocacy, continue to emphasize collaboration as our defining method of achieving conservation outcomes, and enhance community awareness and action around environmental issues and solutions.
MISSION
VISION
We advocate to protect the natural environment of South Carolina’s coast for the benefit of all.
The Coastal Conservation League envisions a South Carolina coast where wildlife thrives, air and water are clean, and natural landscapes are protected for generations to come.
STRATEGIC THEMES & OBJECTIVES
Intensify Environmental Advocacy
Leverage and deepen our seasoned expertise and influence across all levels of government.
Expand Community Engagement around Environmental Issues and Solutions
Boost citizen environmental awareness and action.
Optimize Partnership Collaboration
Maximize impact by streamlining conservation efforts with partners.
Prioritize Environmental Threats
Combat current and future challenges with objective rigor and data.
Develop Strong Conservation Leaders
Attract and retain top talent and support the next generation of leaders and changemakers.
Secure Financial Resources
Secure operational funding and the necessary resources to achieve our ambitious goals.
ORGANIZATIONAL VALUES
We are dedicated to these values in how we work with each other, partners and communities.
Nature & Community
We believe nature and community are inextricably linked and that the two must live in harmony to flourish.
Community-Centered Conservation
We only succeed when our work reflects the people who make up our communities, involving them in the pursuit of conservation outcomes that recognize and benefit all.
Solutions-Oriented
We use a communitybased approach rooted in science to seek meaningful solutions to environmental challenges.
Respect & Integrity
Collaborative Partnerships
We are most effective when we work together, informing all that we do with diverse expertise, perspectives, and experiences.
We approach our work with uncompromising morals and honesty, relying on self-awareness and accountability to guide our actions.
Fierce Persistence
We are determined to do what is right, no matter how insurmountable any challenge may appear to be.
To see the full strategic plan, scan this QR code or visit coastalconservationleague.org/about/2025-strategic-plan/
Charleston Harbor / Mary Edna Fraser
Planning for Growth in the North Coast
After over three years of work, the Georgetown Comprehensive Plan was finally completed and adopted in December. The plan outlines a vision for the county for the next decade, with goals and objectives for new ordinances to protect wetlands, create cultural protection overlays for our historic communities, and to work towards reducing singleuse plastics. It also calls on Georgetown County to consider a publicly funded land conservation initiative like Charleston’s greenbelt program or Beaufort County’s greenspace penny sales tax. In January, the Conservation League coordinated with the Trust For Public Land, Charleston Greenbelt Program staff, and Georgetown County for all five North Coast counties to discuss publicly funded conservation programs like greenbelts. This would help to balance development and sustain vital ecosystem services. Though the plan is now done, the work is just getting started.
The Future of South Carolina Energy
In the last week of the legislative session, the omnibus energy legislation, House Bill 3309, was approved by the General Assembly. The bill includes sweeping policy changes that will significantly impact electric utility investment decisions, the environment, and our electricity bills.
In April, the Senate approved numerous amendments that improved upon the version of the bill initially passed by the House in February. While some of those amendments remain, the House unfortunately stripped three key provisions: energy efficiency program savings targets, requiring pipeline companies to notify landowners of eminent domain, and protecting customers from subsidizing the cost of gasfired power plants built to serve big data centers.
The Conservation League worked this year to help achieve a more balanced bill. In the end, some of the harmful provisions from the bill were removed, including obstacles to solar development, changes to Public Service Commission procedures that would undermine due process, and restrictions that would make it more difficult to establish legal standing for appealing agency decisions.
However, overall, this bill remains concerning. H. 3309 authorizes a joint venture between Santee Cooper and Dominion Energy to construct a major
new gas plant at the site of Dominion’s retired Canadys coal plant on the Edisto River. If built, it would be one of the highest-capacity gas-fired power plants in the country, and potentially require pipeline construction through the ACE Basin. This would threatening property rights and critical wetland habitats.
The support for a new, mega gas plant at Canadys is part of a larger state-wide push to transform South Carolina’s energy policy. However, there is not enough demand to justify a new mega plant like this — especially not one that would be so destructive to communities and our ecosystem. To justify the plant, utilities have pointed to growth in industrial demand for electricity, primarily driven by potential new data centers that are looking to our state as a potential source of cheap energy. But many of the big tech companies building data centers have made bold commitments to secure clean energy supplies. Some may choose not to even build in South Carolina if utility companies go all-in on gas, leaving everyone else stuck with the bill.
The Conservation League will work with community members and intervene in the expected next steps, including the review proceeding by the Public Service Commission, in an effort to secure protections for the community and ratepayers.
Georgetown / Alex Strange
Permanently leaving Deveaux for the birds
Nesting seabirds like brown pelicans, black skimmers, and various species of terns require specific habitats and features to raise their young. In South Carolina, one of those unique places is Deveaux Bank, a SC Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) seabird sanctuary. Its nearness to food-filled sources like vast salt marshes and its isolated nature, which helps safeguard nests, makes it prime habitat. Places like Deveaux Bank also face many of the same resiliency challenges as a lot of our coast, constantly eroding and accrediting at the whim of waves and tides.
This is why the Conservation League advocated for leaving this place for the birds, discouraging people from landing their boats there, especially during nesting season when baby birds are hatching.
Last spring, SCDNR temporarily closed Deveaux Bank from public access during nesting season, with great success. Over the summer, biologists saw thousands of brown pelicans nestled in the dense vegetation with downy chicks, clusters of royal and sandwich tern colonies nesting eggs, Black skimmers incubating, and gull-billed terns with newly hatched eggs. Last season, Deveaux also supported over 2,500 nests for our state seabird, the brown pelican.
In March, state-wide regulations were approved to officially close Deveaux Bank annually from midMarch to mid-October during nesting season. This is a sensible solution to help address the challenges facing our coastal birds, striking a balance between wildlife and recreation.
By prioritizing thoughtful management of SCDNR properties that birds rely on, we can ensure shorebirds have the places they need to nest and rest along the coast.
Deveaux Bank / SCDNR
Protecting the Cainhoy Peninsula
About 20 miles from the heart of Charleston lies another significant peninsula—low lying, floodprone, and steeped in history: Cainhoy.
This 9,000-acre property – twice the land area of the Charleston Peninsula and roughly the equivalent to the Manhattan peninsula in New York – is one of the largest and most ecologically sensitive undeveloped properties in the area. It is home to four designated wilderness areas, longleaf pine savannahs, and a number of threatened and endangered species.
Tragically, there is a plan to overdevelop this ecological treasure. This plan was approved in 2014. Circumstances around flooding, traffic, and how we deal with changing conditions have evolved drastically and the plan should evolve accordingly.
THERE ARE ALTERNATIVES.
There are alternatives where we can ensure a balanced future for the Cainhoy Peninsula that does not harm endangered species or put future residents at risk for intense flooding. Alternatives were generated by Dover, Kohl & Partners.
Although the ideal scenario leaves the Cainhoy peninsula untouched, there are ways that thoughtful and sustainable development can occur. We can prioritize conservation and minimize the impact on the environment and existing communities.
There are four alternative designs that would:
• Concentrate new construction in higher densities on higher ground around Clements Ferry Road.
• Minimize impacts to wetlands and the surrounding natural environment.
• Allow for the same number of residences in the area in a more responsible way.
THE PROPOSED SITE FOR DEVELOPMENT ON THE CAINHOY PENINSULA
UNDER THE CURRENTLY PLANNED DEVELOPMENT:
The waterway will be inundated with docks.
Plans include 700-900 docks, which would significantly alter the beauty of the waterway, damage the health of the marsh and severely limit navigability.
Flooding in the Clements Ferry and Hwy 41 area will worsen.
1 acre of marsh can hold up to 1 million gallons of water. Filling in wetlands will make flooding worse, when it is already predicted to worsen with frequent high tides and powerful storms.
Wildlife will be pushed out.
Endangered species like the Northern long-eared bat and red cockaded woodpecker will lose critical forest habitat.
180 acres of wetlands will be permanently destroyed.
A development of this size on sensitive wetlands is irresponsible. As proposed, the project would require filling over 180 acres of wetlands.
Settlement communities will be overrun and erased.
The historic community of Jack Primus will be overtaken by development, losing land that has been passed down for generations and holds culturally significant sites such as burial grounds and churches.
Traffic will reach unmanageable levels.
Clements Ferry and Hwy 41 are already overrun with traffic. Though both of these roads were recently widened as multimilliondollar projects, both roads are predicted to eventually be considered “failing” roads if the project is developed as currently planned.
Cainhoy Peninsula from the water / Rachel Hawes
Litter Clean Ups: How Data Supports Advocacy
The best approach to reducing plastic pollution is to strengthen policies that will better help prevent different types of plastics from entering our waterways and littering the coastline. However, we can also take steps to actively remove plastic from our environment and collect data to help us learn what items are most commonly found.
One opportunity to get involved in advocacy on the local level is participating in litter clean-ups and citizen science projects, a way for the public to support local organizations with research. During clean-ups, volunteers can help record and count what types of plastic they find in the area. This data is then shared publicly and can be used to advocate for policies to limit pollution in the future.
For example, during a North Charleston litter cleanup last December, volunteers found over 2,000 pieces of litter in just two hours, including cigarettes, Styrofoam, plastic retail bags, and more! The Conservation League’s Land, Water & Wildlife team will use this data to support advocacy efforts in North Charleston by sharing with decisionmakers.
Another issue gaining attention in recent years is preproduction plastic pellets, sometimes known as nurdles. Preproduction plastics are a type of microplastic particle, usually between one to five millimeters. Made of raw resin, these pellets are the precursor to larger plastic items. Once these tiny, lightweight materials are spilled, they are virtually impossible to clean up. They then fill our land, waterways, and wildlife with microplastics and the toxic chemicals in them. This is why there are concerted efforts to regulate and limit spillage at the source.
Learn more about plastic data collection & how you can help!
Collected plastic pellets / Katie Abare
Volunteers collecting litter at Waterfront Park in Charleston / Emmi Palenbaum
Pine Island Golf Resort Plan
Reintroduced
In April, an attorney representing the Pine Island developers reintroduced plans for a golf resort on the Pine Island property on St. Helena Island. On May 5, the Beaufort County Planning Commission unanimously recommended denying the application. This plan would remove Pine Island from the Cultural Protective Overlay (CPO) and allow for developing a private gated community and golf resort.
The Planning Commission noted that allowing such an exemption would erode the effectiveness of the CPO and directly conflict with the comprehensive plan and development code.
The issue will now go to the Beaufort County Natural Resources Committee, likely at their June 2 meeting.
Yet again, the representative of Pine Island Property Holdings, LLC is requesting an exemption from St. Helena’s longstanding CPO zoning to build a gated golf resort on Pine Island. This latest proposal substantially mirrors the original proposal that was first introduced in 2022 and soundly rejected by the community and Beaufort County Council in 2023.
Don’t be fooled: This is the same plan, just repackaged.
However packaged, a gated golf resort plan still conflicts with St. Helena’s CPO zoning that clearly prohibits this development. Since 2022, the Pine Island developer has claimed the plan will reduce housing units and docks if they are allowed to build a golf resort. But golf courses, resorts and gated neighborhoods forever change rural Sea Island communities and displace longtime residents.
Meanwhile, the Pine Island developers continue to pursue litigation, with two ongoing lawsuits against Beaufort County challenging the CPO and denial of plans for a golf resort.
SEA ISLANDS & GOLF COURSES
Golf courses also already consume much of Beaufort County’s landscape. If it weren’t for the implementation of the Cultural Protection Overlay in 1999, St. Helena Island would look more like its neighbors to the South in Bluffton and Hilton Head. This rural Sea Island and its Gullah/ Geechee culture must be protected, not used for another golf resort.
The Conservation League continues to advocate for the community-led CPO, which has safeguarded St. Helena from golf resort development for decades.
Graphic by Grant McClure
MEET US OUT THERE!
Join us to volunteer and get out in the field with our staff.
MAY
Volunteer: Oyster Reef Build with SCDNR Beaufort, SC 19
St. Helena Island Litter Sweep with Beaufort Litter Patrol and the Penn Center St. Helena Island, SC 22
Birding Nature Walk with Charleston Bird Club Awendaw, SC 25
City of Charleston WaterWise: Water Plan Open House Daniel
City of Charleston WaterWise: Water Plan Open House Johns Island, SC 29 Thanks for joining us in 2024!
JUNE
Rising Waters Forum with Trapper Fowler Myrtle Beach, SC 3
North Coast Nature Walk Andrews, SC 13
Volunteer: Oyster Reef Build with SCDNR Beaufort, SC
Total volunteers and attendees
960 1,660
Total hours dedicated by volunteers 61 Total events
An oyster reef build in Beaufort / Rachel Hawes
Birding nature walk with Charleston Bird Club at Roxbury Park / Amy Meola
truck / Gavin McIntyre
Celebrating Mushrooms & GrowFood Carolina
In early February, folks came together at the Mushroom Gathering: Sunday Supper in the spirit of GrowFood Carolina’s mission and supporting the Soil to Sustenance food access program.
Guests connected over an impressive five-course meal showcasing the endless possibilities of culinary mushrooms, held at Jackrabbit Filly’s new location in Park Circle. Some of Charleston’s best chefs created dishes with morels and chanterelles front and center, and highlighted the impact of GrowFood Carolina putting local food on local tables.
An enthusiastic round of applause is well-deserved for our fabulous chef lineup, their creative dishes, and their commitment to bringing local food to their restaurants.
A special thank you to our gracious hosts at Jackrabbit Filly and chefs Mike Lata of FIG and The Ordinary, Jacques Larson of The Obstinate Daughter and Wild Olive, Bintou N’Daw of Bintü Atelier, Shuai and Corrie Wang of Jackrabbit Filly and King BBQ and Hannah and Zachary Welton of Weltons Tiny Bakeshop.
SOIL TO SUSTENANCE: LOCAL FOOD ON LOCAL TABLES
In addition to being a fun evening, the Mushroom Gathering also serves as a major fundraiser for GrowFood Carolina and the Soil to Sustenance fund.
The Soil to Sustenance Program, a specific fund to support food access, was launched in 2020 in response to the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, traditional customers were sidelined. All of this was happening as crops were getting ready to be harvested and people were in need of food. In response, the team pivoted to food access: packing and distributing food directly to families through community partners.
Now, GrowFood partners with local food banks, soup kitchens, and community fridges to stock them with healthy, local produce, serving food deserts across the state. The food access program has grown from just three distribution points to 25, including the Lowcountry Food Bank, Florence Crittenton Programs of SC, and the Charleston Country Public Library Free and Fresh Fridges, and is still expanding.
This is genuinely food from the community, for the community of neighbors in need.
Chefs left to right Mike Lata, Shuai Wang, Bintou N’Daw, Jacques Larson, and Zachary Welton at the Mushroom Gathering: Sunday Supper / Emmi Palenbaum
MIDDLE: A chef prepares their course / Emmi Palenbaum
ABOVE: Shuai Wang talking to the crowd at Jackrabbit Filly during the Mushroom Gathering: Sunday Supper / Amy Meola
To continue support for the work of our GrowFood Carolina team and the Soil to Sustenance program, pledge a monthly gift. Scan the QR code or visit scccl.org/growfood-donation/soil-to-sustenance
Enjoy fresh, local produce at home through our weekly produce boxes.
Sign up to get the weekly produce list by scanning the QR code or by visiting tinyurl.com/GFCBoxSignUp
TOP:
Electric Rate Changes Could Mean Higher Bills
Many South Carolina residents receive their electricity from investor-owned utilities like Dominion Energy and Duke Energy, or from government-owned utilities like Santee Cooper. Others are served by a member-owned electric cooperative, also known as a “co-op.” These coops were created in the 1930s to bring electricity to rural areas, and today, 19 of them serve homes across the state.
Residential electricity bills typically include two parts: an account (or service) charge, which is a flat daily or monthly fee for providing electricity, and an energy charge, which covers the actual electricity used.
Recently, some electric co-ops have also added a peak demand fee. This fee is based on the single highest amount of electricity you use during peak hours. Peak hours are when electricity demand is highest, which is often 6:00-9:00 AM from November to March and 3:006:00 PM from April to October.
Peak energy demand charges are designed to reduce usage when the utility grid is most stressed and costintensive to shift some of the usage to lower-demand hours. However, in practice, peak demand charges can be
burdensome for customers, especially those who may be unaware of these changes. Sudden spikes in electric bills can be devastating for families that are already struggling to keep the lights on. It can also be very difficult for people to reorganize their lives to avoid using major appliances during peak hours.
In this new structure, a single-hour average of usage during just one day out of the month can now make up a larger fraction of their electrical bill, making it seem less worthwhile to continue to try to save energy for the rest of the month.
While it is good to incentivize customers to reduce usage, especially during times of peak demand, it is important to make sure the mechanisms used are clear to the customer and do not risk disincentivizing energy conservation.
LEARN MORE.
Scroll through our StoryMap to learn more about how this works, who it is impacting and what it means for our electricity usage as a state.
IN THIS EXAMPLE, AN ENERGY CUSTOMER WOULD SEE A 75% INCREASE IN THEIR BILL, LARGELY DUE TO THE AFTERNOON THEY USED MORE THAN THEIR TYPICAL AMOUNT OF ENERGY TO COMPLETE HOUSEHOLD CHORES.
Graphic by Kennedy Bennett, StoryMap by Dylan McGuire
WHY DO YOU DONATE?
STUART BROWN
Donor since 2013
I am thrilled to support the Coastal Conservation League because the work the organization does is more important today than it ever has been. As far as climate resilience and natural climate solutions, the Conservation League’s work is probably the most important of any organization in conservation here in South Carolina, and the timing is urgent right now. We feel the urgency; we feel like we need to be doing whatever we can to support a resilient climate in this time period, and the Conservation League is the organization best to do that.
GEORGIA ROANE
Donor since 2005
I am interested in all environmental issues, particularly in promoting clean energy. I’m very concerned about climate change and rising sea levels. I am very appreciative of the work the Coastal Conservation League does lobbying our legislators to invest in clean sources of energy.
TREVOR GILDEA
Donor since 2016
I support the Coastal Conservation League because my values as someone who lives in the Lowcountry aligns with theirs. The Conservation League is here to protect our environment and our way of life, the spaces we enjoy together, and our culture. I also really like the work being done by GrowFood Carolina. [It’s important to be] able to find more readily available local produce through their direct-to-consumer pathways or through restaurants that you know and love in the Charleston area, support local farmers, keep them on land, and it’s great for us health wise, too, to have that local produce.
KATHY HELLER
Donor since 2014
We came here to be in the Lowcountry to experience and be in the outdoors on a daily, regular basis. Organizations like the Coastal Conservation League are dear to our hearts as far as protecting the environment. There are no words for how important it is for them to be here.
JANE & JEFF SMITH
Donors since 2017
We were first introduced to the Coastal Conservation League through a friend, [through] GrowFood Carolina. Then gradually [our involvement] became a bigger thing. Bigger than the relationship with GrowFood was the whole Coastal Conservation League and learning what the mission is: to save and conserve land in South Carolina, and we’re happy to support that.
