South Carolina partners begin action on salt marsh conservation plan

CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCIV) — A comprehensive plan to protect salt marsh along the coast from North Carolina to east-central Florida has come to fruition after three years of development.

In South Carolina, a coalition of over 75 individuals, including those from the Coastal Conservation League, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), United States Department of Defense (DOD), and local land trusts have worked together to recognize primary threats to salt marsh and identify key strategies, objectives, and actions to conserve the marsh, according to a June 7 press release.

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The press release says the South Atlantic Salt Marsh Initiative's (SASMI) plan calls for protecting the sinewy channels of coastal grasslands for their value in reducing flooding and erosion, providing wildlife habitat, and supporting coastal businesses and economies.

"Salt marshes are iconic landscapes in the coastal Southeast, yet their health and sustainability is anything but assured," SCDNR Director Robert Boyles said in a statement. "The South Atlantic Salt Marsh Initiative represents a comprehensive effort to bring to the table all who have an interest in the health of these invaluable habitats to collaborate and cooperate to secure the future of these special ecosystems."

The plan includes two key strategies: protect and restore the health and functions of existing salt marshes and conserve marsh migration corridors, including removing or retrofitting barriers to ensure salt marshes can shift as sea levels rise. Now that it has been finalized and released, partners are working to begin these implementation efforts, according to the press release.

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"I'm constantly reminded of how we are all interconnected and dependent on our environment," Coastal Conservation League Executive Director Faith Rivers James said in a statement. "And while it is integral to our way of life, it is also a critical habitat for our fish, birds, and other wildlife populations. Our marshes are the lifeblood of our ecosystem and we must protect it so those who come after us can experience it in the way we have been blessed."

Marshes are threatened by rising seas, polluted runoff, and unsustainable development, according to the press release. Strategies in the plan range from elevating roads to conserving land near marshes so the tidal wetlands can move as sea levels rise. It also calls for close collaboration between SASMI partners, local communities, and governments to identify and implement the tactics best suited for each location and includes suggestions for securing funding, improving development planning processes and educating and engaging communities in salt marsh conservation projects.

"As we've demonstrated over the last few years, we can make more progress toward our goals when we come together," James said. "Now we must continue to partner to ensure that this well-considered plan does not sit on a shelf, that we see it through to full implementation."

A map of the plan can be found at: https://marshforward.org/media/yypfdjjf/sasmi-map.pdf