County, Audubon pair to preserve green space
Nearly 100 acres in the Silver Bluff Road area will never see any type of development after a deal between the landowner, Aiken County and the Silver Bluff Audubon Center and Sanctuary is finalized next month.
Aiken County Council recently voted to purchase approximately 20 acres located about one mile west from where Silver Bluff Road crosses over the CSX Railroad tracks. The land is adjacent to about 75 acres the Silver Bluff Audubon Center is buying in conjunction with the state office in Harleyville.
"It is a good mix of hardwood bottom lands and upward pine. It provides wildlife habitat," said Paul Koehler, director of the Silver Bluff Audubon Center and Sanctuary. "This was a good opportunity to leverage a much larger purchase of green space (working together.) Without the County's $50,000, it probably would not have been possible."
The County's share is coming from money set aside for open space from the one cent sales tax.
It is estimated the South Carolina Audubon Society and the Silver Bluff Audubon Center are paying roughly $215,000 total from a land acquisition account for its share.
Koehler said a conservation easement will be placed on the land, meaning it will be protected from future development in perpetuity. "This was a great opportunity for the County to preserve green space."
The Audubon Center will lease the County's 20 acres with a few conditions, including the stipulation that hunting not be allowed on the County's portion.
The Silver Bluff Audubon Center plans to offer bird walks and butterfly counts on the property.
The County has been involved in similar deals before. It bought land at Boyd Park Pond (formerly the Operations Recreation Association site) and deeded land to the Aiken Land Conservancy for preservation as green space.
"This is another step in preserving a county that is growing," said County Administrator Clay Killian.