For generations, the low-lying, forested land known as Snow's Island was protected by the very thing that drew Revolutionary War hero Francis Marion and his men there almost two and a half centuries ago: its remoteness. But as South Carolina continues to add population faster than almost any other state, even its rural, isolated areas are experiencing new growth pressures, either directly or close by. And that's why we are pleased to see Florence County work with the state's robust conservation community to protect Snow's Island where the Lynches and Pee Dee rivers meet up; as reporter Seth Taylor noted, the recently announced deal amounts to the largest land conservation project in the county's history.
The county is working with the South Carolina Office of Resilience, the Darla Moore Foundation, the Knobloch Family Foundation and the Open Space Institute, which is buying the 7,600-acre assemblage of property. It expects to close in the coming months and then transfer the property to the S.C.
Department of Natural Resources next year. Snow's Island Assemblage is composed of two pieces of property that are at the confluences of Lynches Creek and the Pee Dee River. We urge all involved to stick to that timetable, and for the agency to open it to the public as soon as practicable.
With the 250th anniversary of the Revolutionary War approaching, opening and interpreting Gen. Marion's strategic home base would be an exciting and meaningful way to help celebrate the occasion. As .