CHARLESTON COUNTY, SC (June 6, 2023)—The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service today announced that Pappas Island is now fully and permanently protected as part of the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge. Protection of the 125-acre coastal island, once at risk for development, follows an eight-year, multi-step effort by the Service and the Open Space Institute (OSI).
The Service and OSI have worked together since 2015 to develop and implement a conservation strategy to protect Pappas Island. As part of that plan, OSI purchased the island property totaling 125 acres in two parts: a 105-acre portion in 2016 and additional 20 acres in 2022. OSI donated the 105-acre portion to the Service in 2017, and has just completed donation of the second 20-acre portion, as additions to the Refuge.
“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is grateful for the partnership with Open Space Institute and the preservation of Pappas Island,” said Sarah Dawsey, refuge manager of Cape Romain. “This donation completes the island protection, not only providing critically important maritime forest and saltmarsh habitat for a variety of species but also helping protect the existing barrier islands from light pollution that can have detrimental disorientation impacts to adult and hatchling sea turtles.”
“The Open Space Institute is proud to have worked with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect, forever, the entirety of Pappas Island,” said Nate Berry, OSI’s chief land protection officer. “Pappas Island provides a haven for threatened and rare wildlife and protects inland communities against some of the impacts of intensifying storms and rising ocean levels. The island will be a tremendous asset to Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge and the many species that call it home.”
Pappas Island provides a haven for threatened and rare wildlife and protects inland communities against some of the impacts of intensifying storms and rising ocean levels.
OSI’s donation of the final 20 acres was supported by funds from the Charleston County Greenbelt as well as a grant subaward from Ducks Unlimited using North American Wetlands Conservation Act funds from the Service.
“The Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge boasts one of the most pristine landscapes in Charleston County, if not the nation,” stated Charleston County Greenbelt Advisory Board Chairman Beezer Molten. “I’m excited we were able to help expand its footprint with the full protection of Pappas Island. Partnerships like this involving multiple agencies and nonprofit organizations are crucial to land conservation in the Lowcountry.”
“The protection of Pappas Island speaks to the power of partnerships in conserving critical habitats in coastal South Carolina. Ducks Unlimited was proud to continue our work with Cape Romain NWR, OSI, and the Charleston County Greenbelt Program through support of this acquisition project. The protection of Pappas Island ensures the long-term resiliency of critical wetland and associated upland habitat for migratory birds, other wildlife, and coastal communities,” said Emily Purcell, Director of Conservation Programs at Ducks Unlimited.
Pappas Island is located on the Intracoastal Waterway and features spartina marshes and maritime forests. Oyster shell middens or heaps present on the island give rise to unique plant communities. Beyond its ecological importance, Pappas Island also possesses a significant cultural heritage now protected by both federal and state historic preservation laws.
A designated Western Hemispheric Reserve Network of International importance, the 22-mile Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge is a federally protected, 66,000-acre expanse of barrier and coastal islands, salt and brackish marshes, beaches and dunes, maritime forest, and coastal waterways. More than 290 bird species have been identified within the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, including several vulnerable species such as woodstorks, piping plovers, and red knots. The Refuge is also home to the most significant nesting area north of Florida for the loggerhead sea turtle.
The Refuge lies within the culturally significant Gullah-Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, designated by Congress in 2006 to recognize the important contributions made by Africans and Black Americans known as Gullah-Geechee.