The Town of Sullivan’s Island is building a nature trail through the Maritime Forest from Station 16 to Station 18, linking the properties between Fort Moultrie National Park and the Sullivan's Island Lighthouse.
While some residents welcome the decision, others expressed concerns about the project during the Town Council meeting on Tuesday, June 18.
“You are willing to compromise the safety, security, privacy, and quality of life for Sullivan's Island residents, especially those in adjacent properties who trusted you to protect the Maritime Forest,” resident Barbara Spell said at the meeting. “They valued [the forest]; they bought there for their privacy.”
Council member Scott Millimet responded to concerned residents saying, “The trail seems to be amply far away from any houses abutting the forest. My whole thought behind the extension of the nature trail is that the more people that have exposure to the Maritime Forest, the more people that’ll support the continued preservation of the Maritime Forest.”
The project, partially funded through a 2023 South Carolina Parks, Recreation, and Tourism (SCPRT) grant, will extend the existing phase I loop on the seaward side of the Station 16 beach access path. The trail will consist primarily of compacted sand, with a few wood-framed boardwalks to bridge mud-prone areas and a 470-foot-long Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant ramp and mat from Station 18 to Station 18 1/2 to allow for wheels over the sand.
The project’s contractor was instructed to preserve all trees within this corridor and adjust the trail’s path if necessary. Since plants struggle to grow in the loose, arid sand of the high dunes system, tree and brush clearing was minimal, with only three saplings needing to be removed along the three-quarter-mile corridor.
Residents can learn more about the project online: sullivansisland.sc.gov/government/current-town-projects.