CHARLESTON, S.C. — Charleston County leaders are looking at spending about $3 million to expand the Dungannon Heritage Preserve in Hollywood by roughly 608 acres. County Council was due to take up the request at its Tuesday, Nov. 10, meeting.
The Open Space Institute Land Trust has applied for $3,072,300 through the county’s Greenbelt Program to buy the 608 acres that border the preserve. Once added, the acreage would join the current preserve and offer extra space for hiking, fishing, hunting and watching wildlife.
Chris Dubuque, who helps lead the county’s Greenbelt Programs, said Ravenel and Hollywood face heavy development pressure, and that the purchase would give the public direct access, protect wildlife habitat and help the area absorb floodwater. The land would be protected permanently.
On top of the county share, the trust is lining up over $10.5 million from other sources, among them a pending state grant and the value of donated land. An advisory board backed the application Oct. 21, and the Finance Committee approved it Nov. 5 with a condition. No final council result had been reported late Tuesday.
With a yes vote, the trust wants to finish the purchase by the close of 2026. The state Department of Natural Resources would later take over the land and run it alongside the current preserve. Per the application, visitors could get in anywhere from one to five years out.
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