North Myrtle Beach Times Serving our Community and the Grand Strand for over 50 years
By Ruben Lowman
In a decisive maneuver to mitigate the environmental impacts of rapid local development, The Nature Conservancy in South Carolina has finalized the acquisition of more than 4,600 acres of former timberlands in the Waccamaw Heritage Preserve in the Longs area.
The targeted real estate, purchased from FD Timber properties, is slated for a systematic administrative transfer to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources’ (SCDNR) Heritage Trust Program by early 2027.
Once the state agency officially assumes title, the transaction will immediately expand the existing 7,000 acre Waccamaw River Heritage Preserve by a staggering 60%, establishing a continuous, unharvested bottomland hardwood forest corridor explicitly engineered to handle severe storms and flooding.
The strategic epicenter of this conservation expansion directly intersects the rural, rapidly shifting landscape of Longs. As residential subdivisions replace old-growth forestry along the Highway 9 corridor, these newly acquired parcels will form a critical, permanent forested buffer flanking both sides of the Waccamaw River.
State wildlife officials and land managers noted that the Longs portion of the preserve requires no active ecological restoration, meaning its existing canopy will immediately function as a contiguous wildlife highway.
This expansion enables black bears, bobcats, otters and an assortment of various migratory songbirds to safely traverse the regional river basin without entering urbanized zones.
By halting the clear-cutting of these specific wetlands, the preserve will naturally sequester approximately 6,300 metric tons of carbon annually while safeguarding the natural filtration of stormwater runoff before it enters municipal water tables.
Beyond biological preservation, the massive expansion serves as an invaluable hydrological shield for communities downstream from Longs, which have become extremely flood-prone.
The intact floodplains function as a natural sponge during major tropical systems, absorbing millions of gallons of overflow. According to historical economic data compiled by the Conservancy, these undisturbed river basins generate roughly $70 million in flood damage protection every single year, dramatically lowering emergency management expenditures for the county.
While the land remains closed during the transactional handoff, state administrators are designing an expansive public recreation framework slated for deployment as early as February 2027.
Once the gates swing open, the Longs extension will introduce managed public hunting, fishing, paddling, hiking and primitive mountain biking trail networks designed to meet the soaring outdoor recreation demands of Horry County’s booming population.
