722 King Street, Columbia, SC 29205
Phone: (803) 771-0870 Fax: 771-0590
www.palmettoconservation.org
Contact: Natalie Britt, Executive Director
natalie@palmettoconservation.org
May 31, 2018—FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Photo at end of article)
Dominion Energy gives to Palmetto Trail and Conservation Corps
Columbia, SC — An environmental grant from Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation will help to refurbish pedestrian bridges on the Palmetto Trail’s Peak to Prosperity Passage and support the work of the Palmetto Conservation Corps. Palmetto Conservation Foundation (PCF) announced receipt of the grant today.
Dominion Energy funds will purchase lumber and supplies to redeck and add hand rails to wooden trestle bridges across Crims Creek on the popular Newberry County hiking and mountain biking trail. Dominion Energy employees will work side-by-side with a Corps crew and PCF staff to rebuild the bridges. The grant will also help support the Corps’ ongoing work refurbishing trails in parks, forests, schools and communities across the state, as well as assisting state agencies and FEMA with disaster recovery as needed.
“We are thrilled to receive Dominion Energy’s continuing support for the Palmetto Trail and the Conservation Corps,” PCF Executive Director Natalie Britt said. “Maintaining the wooden bridges on the Palmetto Trail is a constant challenge because of wood-damaging heat, high humidity, and insects,” Britt said. “Long-term partnerships create big changes through grants and employee volunteer programs, and support for the Corps is essential to trail maintenance.”
“Dominion Energy is pleased to help enhance accessibility along the Palmetto Trail passages,” said Kristen Beckham, external affairs representative for Dominion Energy. “Dominion Energy is proud to support the Palmetto Conservation Foundation’s efforts to protect the environment while enabling the public to get out and enjoy the tremendous natural beauty across South Carolina.” Dominion Energy also has supported work on Enoree Passage in Newberry County and Fort Jackson Passage in Richland County.
A PCF program, the Palmetto Conservation Corps is South Carolina’s only trail-based state AmeriCorps program for young adults. In addition to helping build and maintain the Palmetto Trail, Corps crews work on other trails and projects in public parks, forests, schools and communities, and they assist state agencies and FEMA with disaster recovery in the state as needed.
Peak to Prosperity Passage is a 10.8-mile rails-to-trail conversion of a Norfolk Southern Railroad right of way. The passage runs from the Alston trailhead in Fairfield County, crosses the spectacular Broad River trestle, and spans Crims Creek multiple times as it follows the rail line from the town of Peak through Pomaria and on to Prosperity. Most of the passage is in Newberry County, the heart of historic Dutch Fork. Bridges are decked for pedestrian and bicycle use only.
The scenic and visitor-friendly Palmetto Trail is one of 16 cross-state trails in the United States and is a designated National Millennium Trail. The Palmetto Trail inspires active, healthy living and show off the state’s diverse natural beauty, fascinating history, and rich rural and urban cultures. For information and downloadable maps of the 28 Palmetto Trail passages, and to become a supporter, visit www.palmettoconservation.org.
Palmetto Conservation Foundation Executive Director Natalie Britt (right) accepts a check from Kristen Beckham of Dominion Energy for work on the Palmetto Trail’s Peak to Prosperity Passage and to support the Palmetto Conservation Corps.
About Palmetto Conservation
The mission of Palmetto Conservation Foundation (PCF) is to conserve South Carolina’s natural and cultural resources, preserve historic landmarks, and promote active outdoor recreation on trails and greenways. Founded in 1989, PCF is a statewide nonprofit organization with headquarters in Columbia. PCF’s largest and best-known project is building and maintaining the mountains-to-sea Palmetto Trail. In 2016, PCF inaugurated the Palmetto Conservation Corps to help interested young adults in South Carolina learn skills in trail maintenance and construction, assist with disaster recovery, and develop as the next generation of conservation stewards and leaders. The Palmetto Conservation Corps is South Carolina’s only trail-based AmeriCorps service program for young adults. To learn more about Palmetto Conservation, the Palmetto Trail and the Palmetto Conservation Corps, visit www.palmettoconservation.org and Facebook/palmettoconservation, or call 803-771-0870.
About Dominion Energy
Nearly 6 million customers in 19 states heat and cool their homes and power their businesses with electricity or natural gas from Dominion Energy (NYSE: D). The company’s record of reliable, safe and clean energy regularly places it among American’s most-admired utilities. One of the nation’s leading operators of solar energy, Dominion Energy is one of just three companies to have reduced carbon intensity by more than 40 percent since 2000.
Dominion Energy’s Environmental Education and Stewardship grants support a variety of initiatives that benefit schools, organizations and communities across the country. In 2018, Dominion Energy is awarding $1 million in grants to 129 organizations in 12 states working to improve natural spaces or encourage environmental stewardship. Since 2003, Dominion has donated nearly $32 million to a wide variety of environmental projects across its footprint. To learn more, please visit www.dominionenergy.com, Facebook or Twitter.
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