Horseback riders potentially will have 334.9 acres of equestrian trails to enjoy near the Joanna community, depending on action this Tuesday evening by the Laurens County Council.
The council meeting will be at 5:30 pm at 105 Bolt Dr. in Laurens. Council meetings are live-streamed on the Laurens County website. The arrangement is with the South Carolina Conservation Bank which has acquired 2,280 acres from Tyger Oak, LLC.
The Conservation Bank plans to transfer 1,700 acres to the US Forest Service and transfer 200 acres to neighboring property owners to clean up boundaries. That leaves just over 330 acres closest to the town to be a county park.
The agenda item on this Tuesday's meeting allows County Administrator Thomas Higgs to proceed with the negotiations. This will be the last time the Council will meet twice a month; its next meeting (once a month) will be August 14.
Documents in the meeting's agenda packet say this property could be tied to the Sumter National Forest and its 2,000 acres that include equestrian trails, at the Brickhouse Campgrounds. It will make Laurens County a more diverse destination, the document says.
"Opportunities like this do not come up often," the document says.
The property's appraised value is $1,025,000 and the cost to the county of $200,000 (matching funds to the Conservation Bank) means Laurens County would be acquiring the property for about $600 per acre.
The Nature Conservancy will assist Laurens County in seeking a SC Conservation Bank grant for $700,000. The Nature Conservancy will provide or fund-raise $200,000 toward the purchase price. TNC and Laurens County will apply for the July 2023 round of SC Conservation bank grants that, if awarded, would be available after September, 2023. The property adjoins Gobblers Roost which has an Upstate Forever easement.
The acquisition fits into the Laurens County Master Plan for trails development, the document says.
July 25 agenda packet includes drawings related to the land purchase here.
See the meeting here.
