Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve Update: Sign the Petition!

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As a follow-on to our earlier post on the subject, our Grand Strand chapter reminds us that Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve, home to rare and endangered wildlife such as Venus flytraps, red-cockaded woodpeckers, and black bears, remains under threat.

Conway Medical Center is proposing to build a new hospital directly adjacent to the site, limiting the ability of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and SC Forestry Commission to carry out their prescribed burns, essential for the health of the Preserve’s ecosystem.

We encourage readers to visit Change.org and sign the petition there. As of this writing, the campaign is only 2,700 signatures short of its 25,000 goal. As the petition puts it, “fire, smoke, and hospitals do not mix!” Let’s make our voices heard!

Photo Credit: Becky Ryon

From the SCNPS Grand Strand Chapter: Lewis Ocean Bay Under Threat

Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve (LOBHP) is home to at least 37 rare plant species, including Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) and Raven’s primrose willow (Ludwigia raevnii). Many of these species are fire dependent, meaning they require https://scnps.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2303-grand-strand-lewis-ocean-bay.pngire cycles to help maintain the habitat needed for growth, promoting pollinators and enabling nutrient cycling. 

Construction of a hospital has been proposed across from LOBHP by Conway Medical Center. At such close proximity, the hospital will drastically limit the ability to perform prescribed burns on the property which would imperil the fire dependent plant species.

We are asking you to take action! We encourage you to participate in the #seeLOB campaign by sharing photos and experiences of LOBHP on social media and with local councilmen and CMC. 

To learn more, click HERE.