Final Reading & Vote July 15th, 2025
The Proposed Ordinance:
Oconee County Council is proposing amendments to the county’s Conservation Bank Ordinance that would expand the scope of how Conservation Bank funds — originally intended solely for preserving natural and agricultural land through conservation easements — can be used. These funds come from charitable donations including a substantial contribution from Duke Energy, not taxpayer dollars, and were meant to support permanent land conservation. The proposed changes open the door for the funds to be spent on projects that are not directly tied to land conservation, such as community gardens, recreational infrastructure, and private water systems.
The Backstory:
Established in 2011, the Oconee County Conservation Bank (OCCB) remained underfunded until 2016 when Duke Energy contributed approximately $600,000. This large donation was the product of Duke Energy’s settlement to secure the relicensing of its Keowee-Toxaway hydroelectric project through pledging to address the unavoidable environmental impacts from the project’s continued operation through supporting permanent land conservation. The $600,000 donation was the product of roughly five years of negotiations between stakeholders in the hydroelectric relicensing negotiations (Oconee County, Upstate Forever, etc.) and was fortified through a legally binding relicensing agreement, signed by sixteen stakeholders, that included Duke Energy’s donation to the Oconee County Conservation Bank.
At the time of the document signing, stakeholders involved have since reported that multiple persons were concerned that the Oconee County Council would allocate the funds towards things other than conservation. To address this, the Council unanimously voted to amend section 2-402 to include a sentence that reads “Funds donated to the OCCB by third parties shall not be redirected by council.” Now, that is exactly what they are planning to do.
Talking Points to Oppose the Amendments:
- Preserve Original Intent: The Conservation Bank was created to protect Oconee’s farmlands, forests, and water resources through permanent conservation easements. The bank has since grown to protect over 700 acres of land in Oconee County, and in the process has doubled the size of Chau Ram Park. These amendments undermine that mission by allowing unrelated projects.
- Protect Donor Trust: Funds for the Conservation Bank come from private donors — not taxpayers. Changing the use of these funds betrays the expectations of those who contributed in good faith to protect land permanently.
- Dilutes Conservation Impact: Allowing spending on short-term or non-land conservation projects-–like community workshops, educational signage, and private well infrastructure-–dilutes the long-term environmental benefits the fund was designed to ensure.
- Threat to Rural Character: The original ordinance helps prevent overdevelopment and protects the rural nature of Oconee County. Broadening the fund’s scope risks encouraging infrastructure projects that could lead to sprawl.
- Reduces Transparency and Oversight: While the proposed OCCB board will still be involved in project evaluation, the expanded list of eligible projects could make the process more political and harder to track in terms of conservation return on investment.
- No Public Demand for Change: There is no demonstrated community demand for these amendments. The current ordinance is working as intended, and changes appear to be top-down rather than citizen-led.
- Permanent Easements vs. Temporary Projects: Conservation easements are voluntary, perpetual, and legally binding agreements between a landowner and a land trust or government agency that restricts the use of a property, within parameters established by the landowner, to protect its conservation values. Community gardens or trail signage is neither perpetual nor legally binding. Redirecting funds to non-permanent activities undermines long-term stewardship.
What you can do: The final vote to pass the amended OCCB ordinance will take place on July 15th, 2025 (TOMORROW) at the end of the scheduled Oconee County Council meeting. The meeting will take place at the Oconee County Council Chambers (415 S Pine St, Walhalla SC) at 6:00 pm, during which a portion of the meeting will be set aside for public comments. We encourage all who oppose this ordinance to attend the council meeting and respectfully voice their opposition.
Furthermore, if you are a resident or property owner in Oconee County, call or email the Council (contact info available at https://oconeesc.com/council-home/council-officials) and tell them that the mission of the OCCB should remain as it was originally intended — focused solely on permanent land protection, with all existing and future funding restricted for that purpose.
Resources:
Full ordinance HERE (ordinance begins on page 236)
Cover image from Visit Oconee, taken in Chau-Ram Park around which are lands protected by the OCCB.