2026
Study Shows Oyster Reef Restoration Supports Salt Marsh Growth
4/30/26
Yamaha Rightwaters and Georgia Southern University released new findings from a collaborative coastal conservation project, demonstrating that restored oyster reefs can significantly enhance salt marsh growth and shoreline stability along the Georgia coast.
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New Plans Would Conserve Salt Marsh to Protect Southeastern Coastal Communities, Military Installations
4/15/26
This article by the Pew Charitable Trusts provides an overview of the SASMI state roadmaps and the impressive effort that went into their drafting and debut! Check it out to learn a little about what is in each roadmap and share with others who may want to learn more about SASMI’s approach in each state.
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From trash to tide defense: wire oyster reefs are saving South Carolina’s coastline
4/15/26
Along the South Carolina coast, an unlikely hero is helping defend fragile shorelines and revive marine ecosystems—discarded oyster shells. What was once thrown away is now being used to fortify the coastline, as wire oyster reefs built by volunteers play a major role in protecting the Lowcountry.
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Healing the Salt Marsh: Restoring Salt Marsh Ecosystems in the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture
4/7/26
A new short film produced by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in support of the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture (ACJV) highlights the efforts of our northern partners to protect and restore salt marsh.
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North Carolina Coastal Federation Expands North River Wetlands Preserve to Nearly 7,000
4/6/26
The North Carolina Coastal Federation announced it has completed the acquisition of approximately 787 acres along the North River in Carteret County, securing a critical tract that expands the North River Wetlands Preserve, protects water quality, supports military operations, and will support a new official portion of North Carolina’s Mountains-to-Sea Trail.
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2026 REPI Report to Congress Released
3/20/26
The Department of War's REPI Program released its 2026 Report to Congress, marking two decades of mission-critical success.
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How to find – and fund – the lands that hold corridors together
3/12/26
New research from Florida has produced a method for prioritizing lands for conservation, the statewide Human Modification Index (HMI), which goes well beyond traditional land cover classifications. A combination of high-resolution human pressure mapping, connectivity modeling, biodiversity analysis, and parcel-level economic valuation can be applied to regions facing a familiar set of fundamental challenges: limited conservation dollars, accelerating land conversion, and the need to identify the small fraction of the landscape that holds disproportionate ecological value. This brief article introduces the method and its uses.
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Clarendon Farms donation by Cox Enterprises marks one of the most significant conservation easements in U.S. history
3/10/26
BEAUFORT, SC – March 10, 2026 – Ducks Unlimited (DU) announced 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.
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