Seabrook Island Birders often schedules birding trips to Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) in South Carolina: Bear Island, Donnelly, Botany Bay, Santee Coastal and Ernest F. Hollings ACE Basin to name just a few. During these visits, various questions are raised about these areas.
• How were these lands obtained?
• What funds WMAs?
• Why are some portions of WMAs closed?
• Why is hunting allowed on WMAs?
• Who manages these lands?
• What kind of management is done on the properties?
How were these lands obtained?
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) web site says:
The Wildlife Management Area Program (WMA) began in 1948 with an agreement between the US Forest Service and SCDNR to manage 60,000 acres of the Francis Marion National Forest. The US Forest Service Land is still the backbone of the Wildlife Management Area Program with 629,906 acres available for public use.
Today, over 1.1 million acres in the WMA Program are open for public recreational activities such as hunting, fishing, wildlife viewing and nature study. They include DNR-owned properties and lands leased from the US Forest Service, other state agencies, utility companies, several local governments, timber management and investment corporations and private landowners.
But what about the specific properties mentioned above?
Bear Island – The property consists of 12,021 contiguous acres bounded by the South Edisto River to the east and the Ashepoo River to the west. The property is a complex of interconnected managed brackish and freshwater marsh wetlands, along with tidal marshes that provide valuable wintering and migration habitat for waterfowl. Upland forest and agriculture fields account for less than 2,000 acres. It was acquired via donations in 1987 and 1988 from Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley to The Nature Conservancy (TNC), who then transferred it to the SCDNR. In 1989, the SCDNR, with the help of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), purchased additional land. Then in 1994, Ducks Unlimited acquired 250 acres of brackish marsh in the northeastern portion of Bear Island WMA.
Donnelly – In 1990, Ducks Unlimited and other contributing partners purchased the property which was called Mary’s Island Reserved at the time. Then in 2005, The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources became owners and renamed it to honor the Donnellys’ contributions to the ACE Basin.
Botany Bay – Is a is a 3,363-acre property. John E. “Jason” Meyer willed Botany Bay Plantation to the state of South Carolina as a wildlife preserve. However, he stipulated that his wife, Margaret, would retain the use of the property until her death in 2007. The Open Space Institute acquired Bayview Farms and transferred it to the DNR for inclusion in the Preserve.
Santee Coastal Reserve – was acquired by South Carolina in 1974 through The Nature Conservancy (TNC). The Santee Gun Club donated over 24,000 acres of land to the TNC, and most of it was then given to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. However, the TNC kept the ecologically sensitive Washoo Reserve.
Ernest F. Hollings ACE Basin – was the Grove Plantation until it was purchased in 1992 by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service who designated it as the ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge. The Grove Plantation House is one of only a few antebellum mansions in the ACE Basin area to survive the Civil War. Former owners ensured it would be preserved by placing it on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. Another extensive renovation was done on the house in 1996 – 1997. Today it houses the offices of the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge.
What funds WMAs?
The best succinct explanation I found was from The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies:
American System of Conservation Funding represents a unique “user pay – public benefit” funding cycle that has proven most effective at supporting professional fish and wildlife management in the U.S. This “Cycle of Success” starts with the funding provided by hunters, recreational shooters, anglers, and boaters. The funds collected through the excise taxes paid on their equipment purchases and through their purchase of hunting and fishing licenses are the primary source of support for state fish and wildlife agencies. The state agencies then use these funds to manage fish and wildlife populations and provide public access to these resources. Improved hunting, recreational shooting, angling and boating opportunities results in expanded equipment purchases, which provides a growing source of funds for future fish and wildlife management.
I know some people buy hunting and fishing licenses solely to support the WMAs.
Why are some portions of WMAs closed?
WMAs may be closed for safety reasons during hunts and times of flooding. Closures for hunting may be annual such as when portions of Bear Island and Santee Coastal are closed annually from November 1 through February 8. There are also closures for scheduled hunts. The closures are noted on SCDNR Public Lands website so it’s best to check prior to making a trip.
In fall of 2024, Bear Island was closed earlier than expected with a sign noting it was closed to limit the littering that was occurring on the site.
Botany Bay WMA has regularly scheduled closures on Tuesdays. They are also closed for scheduled hunts. These closures are noted on Edisto Chamber of Commerce page.
WMAs (or portions thereof) may be closed while work is being done to maintain or enhance the properties. They may also be closed to protect the wildlife during critical periods. As an example, Dungannon Plantation Heritage Preserve in Hollywood closes its boardwalk during the Wood Stork nesting season (February – September).
Why is hunting allowed on WMAs?
As stated above, the funding for WMAs largely comes from the sale of hunting licenses and equipment. Hunting in WMA is controlled with specified limits, dates and times. A hunting license, WMA permit, and migratory bird permit are required for use. SCDNR may designate sections of Wildlife Management Areas and other lands and waters managed by the agency as Designated Waterfowl Management Areas. SCDNR may set special shooting hours, bag limits, and methods of hunting and taking waterfowl on those areas. All State and Federal migratory bird laws and regulations apply.
A conversation with one of the employees at Earnest F. Hollings ACE Basin said hunting is prohibited on that property to provide a refuge for the ducks in the area. It is a Heritage Preserve and as the SCDNR site states: Heritage Preserve Properties are protected for their natural features and cultural resources. These properties provide resources for scientific research, serve as reservoirs of natural and historical elements and habitats for rare and threatened species. Preserves are open for public education and recreational uses in accordance with Heritage Trust Regulations. Many of these properties are also included in the WMA program, with hunting and fishing allowed.
Who manages these lands?
The SCDNR site states:
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources manages public lands through two distinct programs. The Heritage Trust Program was created to conserve those natural features and cultural resources that are quickly disappearing as the state’s population increases in size. The Wildlife Management Area Program was initially developed to provide quality public hunting opportunities throughout the state. Today, its multiple use concepts provide opportunities for all wildlife enthusiasts.
SCDNR manages most of the properties above. US Fish and Wildlife manages the Ernest F. Hollings ACE Basin.
What kind of management is done on the properties?
It may not be property management but we have noted that most WMA have no public restrooms.
Similar practices are used for all properties. Impoundments, converted from rice fields, are managed for specific foods favored by various wildlife species. Forest management includes selective thinning of trees, cleaning to create edge zones, hardwood and shrub planting, and burning of some forest understories. Abandoned fields will undergo disking and burning to control overgrowth and encourage habitat diversity.
Water levels in refuge impoundments (managed wetland units) are controlled to stimulate growth of natural plant species and an abundance of insects, crustaceans, and small fish. “Moist soil management,” as this technique is called, has proven to be a highly successful method of producing nutritious food that is beneficial to waterfowl and other wildlife.
No other tool is more important in this type management than the rice field trunks which control water flow between the tidal creeks or rivers and the impoundments. First used in the 1700s on rice plantations, trunks remain the most efficient, economical water control structure in tidal situations. Trunks operate on tidal surge and consist of wooden culverts with flap gates.
To flood an impoundment, the gate on the river or tidal creek side is raised while the inner gate remains down; as the tide rises, water flows through the culvert beneath the dike pushing open the inner gate.
To drain an impoundment, the inner gate is raised while the outer gate remains down; as the tide falls, water from the impoundment flows toward the river or tidal creek, pushing open the outer gate.
To maintain a constant water level in an impoundment, both gates are lowered. The stop-log riser, or hole, on the inner side of the structure is used to “fine tune” water levels and provide for circulation of water within the impoundment.
Some crops are planted in selected WMA. Planted strips of corn, sorghum, sesame, browntop millet, sunflowers and wheat provide food for many wildlife species.
“Did you know” is an on-going series of blogs that answer possibly more technical questions people have about birds or their environments. If you have an idea or question, submit it via the “Ask SIB” link on the SeabrookIslandBirders.org web site or send an email to SeabrookIslandBirders@Gmail.com.
Submitted by: Judy Morr
Sources: https://www.dnr.sc.gov/wma/
https://south-carolina-plantations.com/
https://www.fishwildlife.org/afwa-informs/resources/american-system-conservation-funding
https://public-lands-scdnr.hub.arcgis.com/
https://edistochamber.com/botany-bay/