The state is moving to acquire more than 450 acres near Columbia that feature an unusual stretch of high bluffs across from Congaree National Park, a potential acquisition that would add to a corridor of protected land with sweeping views of the park.
At up to 200 feet above the Congaree River, the bluffs being sought by the state are among the highest points in the mostly flat land around Columbia and are rivaled by only a handful of properties with similar characteristics. The bluffs are in Calhoun County, just across the Congaree River from the national park in Richland County.
South Carolina wildlife officials are pursuing the 482-acre tract as an addition to the Congaree Bluffs Heritage Preserve, a state protected area that includes other stretches of high bluffs. Also nearby is land being protected by Audubon, the non-profit conservation group…