CoastMatters believes that in order to build sustainable communities, decision-makers and citizens must be better informed about the challenges that face our water, land, way of life and energy future.

Conserving Our Water

Rivers and streams are South Carolina’s lifeblood; natural wetlands store water in times of drought and reduce flooding during storms while salt marshes act as the ocean's nursery. 

Jobs, communities, industry, recreation, and productive fisheries depend upon the sensible balance of water use by both public and private entities. Recent droughts, legal conflicts with Georgia and North Carolina, and population growth demonstrate the limits of our water resources and require the active management of our water as a finite resource.

Conserving Our Land

Our coastal and rural areas are facing unprecedented land changes.

Two hundred acres of farm and forestlands are developed every day. Once paved over, these resources are gone forever. 

Compounding this issue is the two million new residents expected to move to South Carolina by 2020 – Georgetown and Horry are two of the fastest growing counties.  The challenge is to support smart growth while preserving the uniqueness of our coastal and rural land.

Conserving our Way of Life

Whether hunting on “opening day,” fishing for bream in a favorite pond, or bird watching at dawn, South Carolinians have shared outdoor family traditions for generations.

Increasingly, tourists and retirees are traveling to South Carolina to create their own family traditions making outdoor tourism an important economic engine for the state.

Failure to properly manage our natural resources threatens our economy, traditions and way of life.

Creating a Clean Energy Future

Our global climate is changing as a result of burning dirty fossil fuels like coal and oil. Coastal and rural counties like Georgetown and Horry stand to lose the most as result of rising sea levels and changes in climate that threaten agricultural crops.

Dirty fuels pollute the air and water, leading to health conditions such as asthma and increased mercury poisoning. In addition to polluting our environment, our dependence on foreign oil threatens our national security.

Increasingly, South Carolinians are making improved energy efficiency and renewable energy sources our state’s “first fuels.” Studies done by the South Carolina Electric Cooperatives demonstrate that within 10 years, South Carolina can produce 1700 megawatts of electricity – the equivalent of three new coal plants – through efficiency and renewable energy.