Wonderful things can happen when solutions are found for local needs.
For the hundred or so Gullah residents or anyone who has been blessed enough to visit this unique, fresh water coastal island, there is no need to explain why Sandy Island is a national treasure worth preserving. In the rice boom of the mid-1800's, its creeks were used to move the grain from field to market, and amidst all of the growth along the Grand Strand, Sandy Island offers a special chance to explore undisturbed nature. But the natural, historical, and cultural value of Sandy Island was almost lost to resort developers who were ready to build a bridge and fill it with vacation homes. The Nature Conservancy, International Paper, SC Waterfowl Association, Ducks Unlimited, Historic Ricefields Association, the South Carolina Coastal Conservation League, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, along with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources pledged to maintain the islands traditional uses while preserving the historically rich area through sound conservation practices, conservation easements, and habitat acquisition, if they could only find an amenable buyer. If the Conway Bypass and Carolina Bays Parkway had to be bridged over all of the wetlands they crossed, the costs would soar beyond available funding.