South Carolina Enacts $20 Million Conservation Purchase to Protect Pristine Captain Sams Spit

COLUMBIA, SC — South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster signed into law the state budget appropriation dedicating $20 million to the South Carolina Conservation Bank, finalizing the permanent acquisition and ecological preservation of Captain Sams Spit on Kiawah Island.

Ending a 15-Year Coastal Development Battle

The funding allocation brings a successful conclusion to a 15-year legal dispute between real estate developers and coastal conservationists, permanently preserving 150 acres of pristine barrier island sand dunes, maritime forest, and tidal marshland. The spit serves as critical migratory feeding habitat for endangered piping plovers, bottlenose dolphin strand feeding grounds, and major loggerhead sea turtle nesting beaches along the Atlantic coastline.

Governor McMaster affirmed that South Carolina's natural beauty and coastal heritage are priceless treasures that must be safeguarded for future generations through disciplined conservation partnerships.

Coastal Conservation League and Local Town Support

The South Carolina Coastal Conservation League celebrated the acquisition as a historic milestone for barrier island preservation.

Town of Kiawah Island municipal leaders agreed to co-manage the protected land as a permanent public passive wildlife sanctuary.

Deed Recording Timeline

The conservation deed and permanent development easement will be formally recorded with the Charleston County Register of Deeds in October 2026.