01/30/2009
D
R
A
F
T
CSE
–S&W–DEW [DRAFT]
Accreted Land Management Plan
152
2253 [30 JANUARY 2009]
Town of Sullivan’s Island, SC
The Team’s analysis of the AL and review of the literature on barrier island evolution and vege-
tation succession confirms that the Sullivan’s Island situation is not typical of most East Coast
barrier islands. However, in settings like South Carolina and Georgia, where there is abundant
sediment released from ebb-tidal deltas, prolonged periods of barrier-island accretion have
occurred. Accreting beach ridges have allowed maritime forest to evolve and provide a dense
cover over the land. The present review confirms that the land and its vegetation will not re-
main static into the future. This, of course, has direct implications for any management alter-
native for the area.
6.1 Management Approaches
Drawing on the results of Sections 2–5, the Team outlines four general management
approaches as presented in the beginning of the report:
1) Do nothing and allow the AL to evolve naturally.
2) Continue present practices which include vegetation controls such as pruning to
maintain the views (at the discretion of individual property owners subject to exist-
ing Town ordinance – Appendix 2).
3) Implement more extensive management of vegetation to address goals and objec-
tives of the community.
4) Modify the topography for purposes of reducing potential storm damages and imple-
ment expanded management of vegetation to address the goals and objectives of
the community.
Each of the above-listed management approaches has advantages and disadvantages de-
pending on the objective to be emphasized.
In the following sections, the Team outlines a number of potential impacts of each approach
with respect to nine variables including: barrier-island ecology, storm-damage reduction,
ocean views, beach access and public safety, fire, pests, property values, relative cost of
implementation, and construction requirements. Also described in detail are some specific
management alternatives that could be implemented (eg – dune enhancement, fire manage-
ment, creation of ponds, etc).
While the Team does not believe there is one ideal management approach for the AL, an ex-
ample natural area from another barrier island illustrates what Sullivan’s Island could look like