DNR to announce purchase of Marion County wildlife area

By: Patricia Burkett | SCNow
Published: November 12, 2009

On Friday, state and local leaders will gather for an important environmental announcement.

Officials with the Department of Natural Resources are holding a ceremony to announce the acquisition of one of the largest habitat conservation purchases in the state's history.

A ceremony is scheduled to take place on Friday to announce the purchase of Woodbury Wildlife Management Area.

The area is 25,668-acres of working forestland, recreational lands and wildlife habitat in Marion County.

S.C. Governor Mark Sanford, D.N.R. director John Frampton, Conservation Fund president Larry Selzer and Mark Robertson from The Nature Conservancy of S.C. are expected to attend the event.

According to the Department of Natural Resources, the forest lands protect large tracts of habitat for several important wildlife and aquatic species, including such birds as the Kentucky warbler, Louisiana waterthrush, rusty blackbird, swallow-tailed kite, Swainson's warbler and others.

D.N.R. officials say the protection of the tract will also provide river corridor protection to 27.5 miles of river frontage along the Great Pee Dee River and 11.5 miles of frontage along the Little Pee Dee River.

The event is scheduled to take place at 12:30 p.m. Friday, at the Ark Lodge off of Hwy. 378 in Marion County.