BEAUFORT, SC – March 10, 2026 – Ducks Unlimited (DU) announced today that it will steward one of the most significant conservation easements ever recorded in United States history — a monumental conservation achievement made possible by Cox Enterprises and the Cox family. Valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars, this easement sets a new national benchmark for private land stewardship.
The nearly 4,400-acre easement permanently protects Clarendon Farms (Clarendon), one of the last major unprotected tracts in rapidly developing Beaufort County, South Carolina. The newly protected acreage includes over 40 miles of river and marsh frontage, nine islands and several hammock islands, and nearly 1,300 acres of upland forest. Landscapes that define the character and ecological health of the Lowcountry.
Once eligible for major commercial and residential development, Clarendon is now protected forever. In recent history, this coastal region has been a focus of highly successful amenity-rich planned commercial developments, which further highlights the profound commitment of Cox Enterprises and the Cox family to environmental stewardship and to safeguarding the landscape that defines the natural heritage of the South Carolina Lowcountry…