South Carolina's 229-acre White Tract to be conserved after 20-year fight against housing development

Representative Image (AI-generated) A 229-acre stretch of land in South Carolina that was once intended for a large residential development is now set to be preserved for wildlife and future generations. The property, known as the White Tract, sits next to the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge in Awendaw, Charleston County. A proposal to build approximately 208 single-family homes on part of the property triggered years of opposition from conservation groups concerned about the impact of construction on the surrounding wetlands, wildlife and water quality.The South Carolina Environmental Law Project (SCELP), which represented conservation organisations in legal challenges against the development, announced the agreement on November 6, 2026, in a joint press release with the Coastal Conservation League, Charleston Waterkeeper and Friends of Coastal South Carolina. Under the settlement, developer Pulte Home Company has agreed to sell the White Tract to the nonprofit Open Space Institute for permanent conservation. The agreement brings a long-running dispute closer to an end, although the transaction has yet to be completed.How the White Tract became the centre of a development dis...