Barry Tract

Lowcountry Land Trust was loaned roughly $2,100,000 to acquire the 67-acre Barry Tract in the Ashley River Historic District in Dorchester County, South Carolina. The property has about 645 feet of frontage on the Ashley River Road National Scenic Byway on one side, and on the opposite side a similar length on the State-Scenic Ashley River, which is also an American Rivers-designated Blue Trail. LLT made an offer on the property while it was under contract with a developer, and was able to purchase the property in January 2024. The effort to ultimately protect it continues as LLT pursues a $1,000,000 federal grant, as well as state and county grants. The Barry Tract hosts a variety of habitat types, including mixed hardwood-pine forests, woody wetlands and marshes, intermittent streams, vegetated islands and broken dikes, surprisingly rolling coastal topography, and a nearly 20-foot northeast facing bluff sloping down to the river, which provides above-average resilience options for species as climate conditions change, as well as marsh migration space. Dorchester County has indicated its intent to make the property a passive nature park once all protection funding is secured.