South Carolina Sandhills Longleaf Pine Conservation Partnership (SLPCP) Regional Update

By Susan Griggs USDA-NRCS Conservation Technician.

The SLPCP held its seventh educational event November 13th, 2015 at the Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge.  With over 35 landowners in attendance, the Partnership utilized three different stops to educate landowners on a variety of topics.  Partnership Coordinator Jimmy Lisenby talked about understory establishment using true, local-ecotype seed, collected within the SLPCP Focus Area and available to landowners to establish on their own sites.  Johnny Stowe, with South Carolina DNR and SC Prescribed Fire Council, talked about the history of fire and prescribed burning in addition to longleaf establishment.

Other speakers included Clemson University Wildlife Biologist TJ Savereno and Silva-Tech owner Dickie Sherman.  Savereno touched on the importance of understory plants and the critical part they play within the entire longleaf ecosystem.  Sherman explained the role that chemicals can play in different longleaf management scenarios.

Seth Cook with the Pee Dee Land Trust spoke during lunch and gave landowners an introduction on conservation easements.  Cook touched on how a conservation easement can ease a landowners tax burdens while ensuring the long term sustainability of a property.

The SLPCP closed the day with the dedication of their fully stocked prescribed fire rental trailer.

Image 1: The SLPCP dedicated its prescribed fire rental trailer

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