SC Coastal Communitiy Initiative Grant Program

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Edisto Beach and Bluffton Counties
2003 Grant Recipients

In 2003 the Town of Edisto Beach and the Town of Bluffton were selected as recipients of the award. As a provision of the grant, S.C. Sea Grant Extension staff provided water quality educational and technical assistance training to the local officials in addition to providing input and recommendations on the best management practices for reducing polluted runoff. These recommendations included information on the newest types of pervious and semi-pervious surfaces and how best to address the issues of erosion controls, subdivision regulations, maintenance of roads and storm drains, open space plans, and buffer requirements. For the Town of Edisto Beach, these recommendations were included under the comprehensive plan sections for new development regulations and water quality. Since the adoption of the comprehensive plan revisions, the Town has been working towards adopting ordinance changes that encourage on-site treatment of polluted runoff with landscaping and buffer requirements, and the reduction of impervious surfaces through the use of limitations on lot size and dwelling size. Furthermore, they are in the process of completing an area-wide stormwater management plan and are developing more code recommendations for zoning changes in order to further control runoff.

The Town of Bluffton, faced with overwhelming development pressures, used the grant funding to research and develop a critical resources map and natural resource protection ordinances for wetlands, floodplains, trees, wildlife habitat, and stormwater. Until very recently, Bluffton remained relatively untouched; however, in the past several years, the town has increased dramatically in both population and land mass. The Critical Resources Survey and Map is the beginning of a process to document, describe, and explain the importance of some of the natural features that make Bluffton a unique and desirable place to live, while identifying some of the threats to the health of the natural systems and species, and providing recommendations for preserving and enhancing the natural features and resources. The purpose of this document is to promote/raise public awareness and promote the implementation of policy changes for maintaining the community’s quality of life and protecting special natural resources for citizens and visitors alike.

For more information on these CCI mini grant programs please contact April Turner at april.turner@scseagrant.org.

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