community
ROOTED IN THE LAND:
Coastal Conservation League
A
t first glance, many conversations that take place in South Carolina regarding topics such as food, flooding, development and transportation have no direct ties to the environment. Fortunately, Coastal Conservation League brings those important environmental ties to the surface.
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skirt . | september 2019
“One of the things about the Lowcountry is the deep connection between the natural history and the social and cultural and human history that is all connected in this place,” said Laura Cantral, executive director of the nonprofit. “It’s a beautiful place, a fragile place, and it is now experiencing more threats than ever as we see the results of the climate
changing more quickly than we ever thought it would and sea levels rising and intense pressure to develop.” Coastal Conservation League, celebrating 30 years this year, was formed in 1989 as an advocacy group by conservation leader Dana Beach. Ironically, Hurricane Hugo came barreling onshore soon after its inception, as if to demonstrate just how crucial environmental issues can be. The group has since flourished to include 20,000 supporters and takes on issues like transportation and flooding as well as more “traditional” nature conservancy issues. Since 2011, the organization has also encompassed GrowFood Carolina, the state’s first food hub designed to protect rural farmland and farmers from development. Growfood has helped more than 100 local farmers get their products into local markets and onto local plates through a wholesale produce distribution center. The thought behind GrowFood is that promoting local food makes perfect sense in promoting sustainability for the environment,
and 80 percent of proceeds from the warehouse go back into the farmers’ pockets. When Cantral was recruited to take over CCL, she had spent almost two decades in Washington, doing policy work with high-level experts and politicians on maintaining environmentally healthy ocean and coastal management. She said the mission of Coastal Conservation League resonated with her. “I had been doing that for about 17 years, and when the opportunity came to be in this beautiful part of the world and to work on issues
COASTAL CONSERVATION LEAGUE
By Helen Mitternight
