What is Aiken Land Conservancy?
The Aiken Land Conservancy is a private, non-profit organization that works to protect and celebrate the natural landscapes and open spaces of Aiken and surrounding communities for generations to come. We are a 501 (c)(3) organization known as a land trust, one of about 1,700 in the United States. Further, we are one of about 480 land trusts accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission.
Can ALC buy the land near me to save it from being developed?
Maybe. Typically, ALC works with landowners who seek to protect their land through voluntary conservation easements (see definition below). Occasionally, ALC has opportunities to purchase land outright to conserve its conservation values. This most often takes place when ALC has identified a conservation agency or other land manager that can own the land, as ALC does not possess the resources to own and manage much more than its current capacity of land holdings, especially when that land has a public use component.
The best time to explore conservation opportunities with ALC is before the property is listed for sale or is actively being developed. We are always happy to explore conservation opportunities with any landowner if the landowner contacts us.
How does ALC provide services to the public?
ALC manages some lands that are open to the public, we consistently work to add acreage to existing parks and preserves, and we offer free hikes nine months out of the year. We also host outreach events, presentations, documentary screenings, and much more throughout the year that are open to the public, free-of-charge. The work we do helps to protect air and water resources for local residents, and expands recreational opportunities. Specific examples include our work to protect a significant portion of Aiken’s drinking water supply by helping conserve the Shaws Creek Preserve, expanding public park access by creating the Dufour Community Forest, and adding more than 1,000 acres to the Aiken Gopher Tortoise Heritage Preserve, a public Wildlife Management Area in Aiken County.
What is a conservation easement and how can it protect my land?
A conservation easement is a legal, voluntary agreement between a landowner and an entity, such as ALC. A conservation easement typically runs with the land in perpetuity and reflects the landowner’s wishes for their property in the future. Many conservation easements allow residential structures in specific locations, agricultural or silvicultural production, and recreational use. They, in turn, restrict uses that could negatively impact identified conservation values on the property. Accredited land trusts, such as ALC, monitor conservation easements at least once per year to ensure that the terms of the conservation easement are being met. This monitoring takes place in perpetuity.
Will a conservation easement stop eminent domain from being exercised on my property?
Generally, a conservation easement on its own will not stop lawful eminent domain. However, conservation easements have deterred potential eminent domain seizures if there was an alternate route available that was not favored due to increased costs for the exercising authority or to the bad press that can come from damaging permanently-protected property specifically conserved at the wish of the landowner. Corridors of conservation easements can be especially effective at causing entities to explore alternate routes, and adds further justification for the importance of connecting conservation lands whenever possible.
How does ALC advocate?
ALC is a 501 (c)(3) organization. As such, staff and board members are prohibited by federal law from lobbying for specific legislation, but we are allowed to advocate by educating the public on an issue, releasing research, or discussing general social problems. For example, ALC aided Aiken County as it updated the Comprehensive Plan, notably by commissioning the American Farmland Trust Aiken 2040 study and by participating in public input sessions hosted by the County. Staff and/or Board members have attended every County Council meeting since 2024 to monitor issues related to our mission.
We are members of the South Carolina Land Trust Network, and staff serve on the policy committee of that organization to track and engage with state-level policy that impacts our mission. Overall, we try to take a broad approach and focus on the issues that will have the greatest impacts on natural and open space resources, the protection of those resources, benefits to private landowners interested in land conservation, and public enjoyment of natural resources, in the region we serve.
Why can’t ALC speak on my behalf or otherwise represent me when I’m challenging negative impacts to my property?
First and foremost, ALC has to fulfill its core mission. As a nonprofit organization with limited resources, ALC cannot actively defend property owners unless they have protected their land with a conservation easement that ALC holds. While we understand that threatened encroachments can devalue property values, it’s also important to understand that removing threats from one area often means that those threats will impact another area. ALC believes that this fact helps support the importance of strong planning and zoning in communities, something that we can support on a regular basis.
In addition to defending our landowners, we actively work to make all conservation easements more resilient to threats. This includes providing cost-share for habitat restoration, reducing wildfire risk, eliminating invasive species, and equipping landowners with tools and information that can help them push back against potential threats to their beloved properties.
Who Can Support ALC?
Anyone can support the work of ALC. We rely mostly on donations to fund our work, but also receive funding from grants, planned gifts, endowment income, and corporate sponsors.
How Can I Give to ALC?
We make it easy to support our work! Simply click on the donate page on our website to provide a tax-deductible gift. To discuss larger gifts, such as planned gifts or gifts of real estate, please call or email us using the contact information listed on our website.
