Lowcountry Land Trust Protects More Land in the ACE Basin

Magnolia Hall part of a critical mass of protected properties 

CHARLESTON, S.C. — The Lowcountry Land Trust has announced the permanent protection of 14 acres of critical land in the ACE Basin. A conservation easement was donated to the Land Trust by owners Dean and Jean Harrigal.

The property, known as Magnolia Hall, is located in southern Colleton County along the Old Chehaw River. It contains maritime forest, mixed pine-hardwood upland forest, and wetlands. 

“Most of our professional careers have been centered around conservation, and we believe in being good stewards of the land,” the Harrigals said. “We’re grateful we can protect Magnolia Hall forever. It’s a special place to us and we’re excited to officially join the Lowcountry Land Trust family.”  

“Placing Magnolia Hall into a conservation easement is another win for the Lowcountry,” said David Ray, acting CEO & chief conservation officer of Lowcountry Land Trust. “We are thrilled to protect 14 more acres of critical wildlife habitat and over 500 feet of river frontage. This land fills a gap in a very large network of permanently protected lands in the ACE Basin.” 

Magnolia Hall is directly adjacent to other privately protected lands and directly across the Old Chehaw River from the publicly accessible 8,048-acre Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, which is owned and managed by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources. It is part of more than 100,000 acres of contiguous protected lands stretching from US Highway 17 to the mouth of St. Helena Sound, and across three counties—Charleston, Colleton and Beaufort. 

This area is also part of the more than 300,000 acres of protected land in the ACE Basin that preserves a network of wildlife corridors, clean water, and scenic beauty. 

“We are so grateful to the Harrigals for adding their property to the incredible story of landowner-led conservation in the ACE Basin,” Ray said. “Their foresight and generosity will help preserve this critical area of the South Carolina Lowcountry for generations to come.” 

The ACE Basin landscape is exceptionally diverse, supporting more than 267 species of terrestrial and aquatic birds, 83 species of reptiles and amphibians, 20 species of mammals, and 130 species of fish and shellfish.

Lowcountry Land Trust has protected over 147,000 acres of land across 14 South Carolina counties. Since 2019, the Land Trust has protected four other properties in the ACE Basin, totaling more than 3,400 acres. 

About Lowcountry Land Trust 
Founded in 1986, the Lowcountry Land Trust is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with the mission to honor the relationship between people and land by protecting irreplaceable Lowcountry lands and treasured places. Lowcountry Land Trust has protected over 147,000 acres across 14 counties in South Carolina. More information about the Lowcountry Land Trust is available at www.lowcountrylandtrust.org.