Naturaland Trust

MILL SHOALS COMMUNITY FOREST

NINE TIMES COMMUNITY FOREST

NATURALAND TRUST IS REQUESTING FUNDING FROM THE PARTNERS FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE PROGRAM (PFW) TO IMPLEMENT RESTORATION OF CAROLINA BAYS, ISOLATED WETLANDS, AND ASSOCIATED HABITATS FOR THE BENEFIT OF FEDERALLY LISTED AND OTHER IMPERILED SPECIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA. THROUGH THIS PARTNERSHIP FUNDING, NATURAL COMMUNITY RESTORATION PRACTICES WILL BE IMPLEMENTED ON LANDS OWNED BY NATURALAND TRUST, LANDS OWNED BY THE SOUTH CAROLINA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY AND POTENTIALLY OTHER PRIVATELY OWNED PROPERTIES THAT HARBOR CAROLINA BAYS, ISOLATED WETLANDS, AND RARE SPECIES. HABITAT ENHANCEMENT CONTRIBUTING TO RECOVERY OF LISTED SPECIES IMPLEMENTED OUTSIDE DOD INSTALLATION BOUNDARIES ALLOWS DOD INSTALLATIONS TO FOCUS ON PREPAREDNESS AND NATIONAL SECURITY. THE PRIMARY PROJECT PROPERTY IS LOCATED LESS THAN 4 MILES FROM SHAW AIRFORCE BASE IN SUMTER, SOUTH CAROLINA AND IS PART OF A 3820-ACRE COMPLEX OF CONSERVED PRIVATE FOREST AND FARMLAND PROPERTIES THAT CONNECT WITH THE BASE PROPERTY. HABITAT RESTORATION AND ENHANCEMENT OF CAROLINA BAY WETLANDS, ISOLATED WETLANDS AND ADJACENT UPLANDS THROUGH IMPLEMENTATION OF STEWARDSHIP PRACTICES WILL IMPROVE RESOURCES FOR SPECIES DEPENDENT ON THESE CONNECTED NATURAL COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING FEDERALLY LISTED, AT-RISK, AND IMPERILED PLANTS, POLLINATORS, AMPHIBIANS, REPTILES, AND BIRDS. ECOLOGISTS, BIOLOGISTS, AND NUMEROUS NATURAL RESOURCES ENTITIES AND AGENCIES HAVE RECOGNIZED THE LOSS OF THESE ECOSYSTEMS, ECOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS THEY PROVIDE, AND THE SPECIES THEY SUPPORT AS CAROLINA BAYS, ISOLATED WETLANDS AND ASSOCIATED LONGLEAF WOODLANDS HAVE DISAPPEARED AND DECLINED IN QUALITY OVER SEVERAL DECADES. COMMUNITIES BENEFIT FROM IMPROVED ECO-SERVICES PROVIDED BY CAROLINA BAYS, ISOLATED WETLANDS AND ASSOCIATED LONGLEAF WOODLANDS THROUGH FLOODWATER STORAGE, POLLUTANT FILTRATION, REDUCED EROSION SEDIMENTATION, IMPROVED WATER QUALITY, WILDLIFE AND FLORAL HABITAT CORRIDORS, RESOURCES FOR POLLINATORS, HABITAT FOR GAME ANIMALS, SUPPORT FOR RARE SPECIES CONTRIBUTING TO RECOVERY.

NATURALAND TRUST IS REQUESTING FUNDING FOR FEDERALLY LISTED SPECIES HABITAT RESTORATION AND ENHANCEMENT PROJECTS ON PRIVATE LAND NATURALAND TRUST IS A PRIVATE, NONPROFIT LAND TRUST THAT PROTECTS SOUTH CAROLINA S BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS AND SPECIAL PLACES IN SOUTH CAROLINA S PIEDMONT NATURALAND TRUST HAS PURSUED THIS MISSION FOR ALMOST 50 YEARS THE TRUST HELPS CONSERVATION AGENCIES AND OTHER NONPROFITS ACQUIRE IMPORTANT PROPERTIES, AND THE TRUST ITSELF ACQUIRES AND OWNS PROPERTIES BECAUSE OF THEIR NATURAL AND ECOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE CURRENTLY, THE TRUST OWNS ALMOST 9,000 ACRES, MOSTLY IN THE BLUE RIDGE ESCARPMENT AND THE FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS THIS IS AN AREA OF RECOGNIZED BIODIVERSITY, AND AS A RESULT THE PROPERTIES OWNED BY THE TRUST CONTAIN RARE SPECIES, INCLUDING FEDERALLY LISTED SPECIES IN ADDITION, THE TRUST HAS MADE A CONCERTED EFFORT TO ACQUIRE PROPERTIES CONTAINING HABITAT FOR FEDERALLY LISTED SPECIES FOR EXAMPLE, CURRENTLY THE TRUST OWNS PROPERTIES THAT CONTAIN POPULATIONS OF THE ENDANGERED BUNCHED ARROWHEAD SAGITTARIA FASCICULATA AND MAY CONTAIN THE THREATENED DWARF FLOWERED HEARTLEAF HEXASTYLIS NANIFLORA , AS WELL AS PROPERTIES THAT ADJOIN AND BUFFER POPULATIONS OF FEDERALLY LISTED SPECIES THE TRUST IS ALSO PURSUING ACQUISITION OF OTHER SUCH PROPERTIES HOWEVER, THESE HABITATS OF FEDERALLY LISTED SPECIES ARE PLAGUED BY INVASIVE SPECIES, SUCH AS ENGLISH IVY, PRIVET, ASIAN WISTERIA, AND EXOTIC HOLLIES THEY ARE ALSO IMPACTED BY STORMWATER RUNOFF AND OTHER HUMAN IMPACTS THESE PROBLEMS CAN DIRECTLY HARM INDIVIDUAL SPECIMENS OF THE LISTED SPECIES AND ALTER, DEGRADE, AND SOMETIMES ELIMINATE HABITAT OF THE LISTED SPECIES THIS FUNDING IS REQUESTED TO ADDRESS THESE HARMS AND DEGRADATIONS OF HABITATS AND POPULATIONS OF FEDERALLY LISTED SPECIES ON PROPERTIES OWNED BY NATURALAND TRUST