Staff Report
Published Aug. 18, 2009

Edisto Island Open Land Trust has received national accreditation from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, joining Upstate Forever as the only accredited land trusts in South Carolina.

Of the 1,700 land trusts across the country, 78 have been accredited by the commission in this first year accreditation was available. Those lands have met certain quality standards for the protection of natural places and working lands in perpetuity.

The Edisto Island Open Land Trust was formed 15 years ago to preserve open spaces, wildlife habitat, family farms and historic places on the island. It’s worked with the other conservation partners in the ACE Basin Task Force to preserve more than 16,000 acres, or about 45% of the island.

“Edisto now has the highest percentage of preserved acres of any inhabited island off of the South Carolina coast,” said executive director Marian Brailsford. “It is the goal of EIOLT to take Edisto ‘over the top’ within two years — surpassing the 50% mark.”