SUMMER 2026 NEWSLETTER
Summer2026 Newsletter
TheFutureWe’reBuildingTogether
DearConservationVoter,
It feels so good to be back. After a year away, returning to Conservation Voters of South Carolina as President is both familiar and new in the best possible way. Familiarinthesharedpurposethathasalwaysdefinedthisorganization protecting our air, land, and water. New in the urgency and opportunity of this moment as we lookaheadtowhatcomesnextforourstate.
The 2026 legislative session reminded us that progress requires persistence, steady advocacy, and a willingness to show up again and again, even when the path forward is complicated. We saw meaningful conservation wins, setbacks, and moments where collaboration across the aisle created real momentum for durable conservationpolicy.Throughitall,onetruthremainedclear:whenwestayengaged, weshapeoutcomesthatmatterforpeopleandplace.
That work does not happen in isolation. It’s powered by a growing movement of advocates,partners,andvoterswhobelieveSouthCarolina’sfutureisworthfighting for. It’s shaped by conversations at kitchen tables, testimony in committee rooms, organizing in communities, and the steady work of building relationships across differences.
Thisnewsletteroffersawindowintothatwork
At the Statehouse, we take a closer look at the full 2026 legislative recap and the story of this two-year session, including our top priorities and where they stand today OutsidetheStatehouse,weturntowardthepeopleandpoliticsshapingwhat comes next And, of course, we look ahead together to the 2026 Green Tie Awards Luncheon—our annual celebration for conservation champions and a moment to gather, reflect, and recommit to the work ahead Throughout this newsletter, you’ll findmanywaystogetinvolvedtoprotecttheSouthCarolinawealllove
Thank you for being part of this movement I look forward to what we will build togethernext
Warmly,
MeaganDiedolf,CVSCPresident meagan@cvscorg
The2025–2026LegislativeSession
South Carolina’s 2025–2026 legislative session was defined as much by defense as offense, serving as a reminder that progress in protecting our air, land, and water isn’t always linear While fewer bills became law in 2026, the two-year session underscored an important reality of policymaking: meaningful change often takes multipleyears,sustainedadvocacy,andpersistentcoalition-building
ConservationWinsandLong-TermMomentum
On offense, conservation saw several meaningful wins The General Assembly increasedconservationfundingin2026andadvancedlong-termpriorities,including a statewide 10-million-acre vision and the passage of the South Carolina Protected LandsAct(H5069),whichestablishedambitiousland-protectiongoals
Not every success resulted in new law Bipartisan conversations around growth management, including SC Prosper & Preserve and data center development guardrails,didnotpassthissessionbuthelpedelevatekeyissues,buildpartnerships, andmovetheconversationforward
Lawmakers also invested in the future of conservation. Funding in the Conservation Education Act (S.165) recognized that long-term stewardship depends not only on protecting natural resources today, but also on cultivating the next generation of conservationleadersandoutdooradvocates.
PlayingDefenseonEnvironmentalProtections
At the same time, much of the 2025–2026 session required aggressive defensive action.In2025,CVSCspentsignificanttimeengagingwiththeSCEnergySecurityAct (Act41),workingtosoftenitsmostharmfulprovisionswhilepreservingpathwaysfor cleanenergy.Thoughthefinallegislationstillraisedconcerns,therewasmeaningful progress in protecting opportunities for future clean energy development and in limitingsomeofthebill’sbroaderenvironmentalrisks.
RespondingtoEmergingThreats
That defensive posture became even more critical in response to this year’s Small Business Regulatory Freedom Act (H.3021, S.254), which raised concerns about the potential weakening of longstanding environmental, public health, and safety protections.
Offshore drilling threats and other recurring challenges underscored the need to remainvigilantagainsteffortstoweakenenvironmentalprotections.
Many of the session’s most important outcomes never came through floor votes. Instead, they were shaped in committees, negotiations, amendments, and procedural decisions. Some of the biggest victories were harmful proposals that stalled, were weakened, or never advanced thanks to the work of CVSC, advocates, andpartners.
Ultimately, the 2025–2026 legislative session reflected the realities of conservation advocacy in South Carolina. Progress came through budgetary wins, incremental policyadvances,andpersistentdefenseofexistingprotections demonstratingthat lastingchangeisbuiltthroughsustainedadvocacy,strongcoalitions,andlong-term commitment.
2026LegislativeOutcomes
The second half of the 2025–2026 legislative session highlighted both the opportunities and challenges of advancing conservation policy in South Carolina. Election-year politics and increasingly partisan debates consumed much of the General Assembly's attention, making it difficult for complex, long-term policy solutions to gain traction. Even so, the session generated meaningful momentum around land protection, growth management, and energy accountability, laying the groundworkforfuturesuccess.
CVSC’s 2026 legislative priorities focused on advancing conservation and energy solutions while defending against threats to South Carolina’s environment and quality of life. While not every effort resulted in a policy win, the session delivered meaningful progress. We strengthened relationships with lawmakers, elevated new conservationchampions,andbuiltsupportforsolutionsthatwillshapefuturepolicy debates.
In a year dominated by election-year politics, building momentum was an achievement in itself. Lasting change requires public support, legislative leadership, andsustainedadvocacyovertime.Thissessionmovedconservationfurtherintothe mainstreamandreinforceditsimportancetoSouthCarolina’sgrowth,economy,and qualityoflife.
Readontoseewhereourlegislativeprioritiesstandasweprepareforthe2027-2028 legislativesession.
Land&Water
CVSC’s top legislative victory this year was the passage of the South Carolina ProtectedLands&ConservationCoordinationAct(H.5069).Thisbipartisanlegislation recognizes the importance of natural resources to South Carolina’s environmental health, economy, agriculture, and quality of life. It also establishes the protection of natural resources as a state interest and sets a statewide benchmark to protect seven million acres by 2050. With more than 60 co-sponsors, the bill marked a significant step forward for long-term conservation planning in South Carolina and demonstratesthebipartisanrecognitionthatlandprotectioniscriticaltoourstate.
Growth-management legislation from the SC Prosper & Preserve initiative remained another major focus. Concurrent Infrastructure Requirement bills (H.4050, S.227), which aimed to better align infrastructure with rapid development, ultimately timed out. However, both bills gained bipartisan support and helped elevate collaboration aroundsmartergrowthpolicies.
Similarly, Transferable Development Rights legislation (H.4146, S.288) also advanced further than in previous years. While the House bill did not receive a hearing, the SenateversionadvancedtotheSenatefloor,demonstratingsignificantsupportand positioningtheissueforfutureaction.Thelegislation’smomentumdemonstratesthe support for innovative land-use tools that protect farmland and natural resources whileaccommodatinggrowth.
FormoreinformationaboutCVSC’slandandwaterpriorities,reachoutto:
Energy&Utility
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In response, lawmakers introduced multiple bills to establish guardrails to protect ratepayers, water resources, and local communities. While none ultimately passed this year, the issue emerged as a major new policy focus in the Senate, and the Senatebudgetincludedaprovisorequiringdatacenterstoreportwateruse.
CVSC worked with legislators, partners, utility experts, and community leaders to ensure conservation voices shaped the energy debate. Through policy analysis, coalition-building, and direct advocacy, CVSC helped advance solutions that meet growing energy needs while protecting South Carolina’s natural resources, affordability,andqualityoflife.
Additionalenergy-efficiencymeasures,includingEnergyConservationCode(H.5216), passedtheHousebeforetimeranoutintheSenate.CVSCalsosuccessfullyopposed solar restrictions on farmland (H.5308), legislation that raised concerns around limitinglocalauthorityandslowingcleanenergydevelopment.
