Friends of Congaree News www.friendsofcongaree.org Summer 2012 Save the date Swartout’s departure Big Bird Hike Come search for migrating warblers, thrushes and other will be bittersweet migratory birds as they make Tracy Swartout leaves their way back to Central the superintendent’s post at America for the winter. Congaree with The hike will be Saturday, a tear in her eye and a flutter September 24, 8:30 a.m.– of excitement in her heart. Noon, starting from the She reports to her new duties Harry Hampton Visitors as deputy superintendent of Center at the park. Mount Rainier National Park During the hike, we will have the opportunity to near Ashford, Washington, practice audio identification in mid-September. skills (mostly of resident “It’s an opportunity to learn Tracy Swartout species), and should be the operation of a very large able to observe several park [almost 250,000 acres] D.C. Her long-term goal was species up close. with a supervisor known as a to increase the visibility of the The event will be part very good leader,” she said. park in , the of the North American “I’ll also be learning about a Southeast and the nation. Migration Count and our new area of the country.” “I want folks to build But Columbia is home for connections; turn them into observations will be part of Tracy and her husband Tom, a statewide compilation. stewards and spokespeople” for so leaving is tough. They both We plan to cover other areas the park, she said at the time. grew up and graduated from of the park following the She’s done that and a lot different high schools here, See Save the date, page 4 more. although they did not meet until Her proudest achievements later through mutual friends. Inside are completing the acquisition Congaree gave Tracy an of the 1,800-acre Riverstone opportunity to work in the President’s Corner...... 2 Tract in 2011 and laying field and build her leadership Wetlands designation...... 3 the groundwork for the skills after seven years of Annual meeting...... 3 acquisition of Smith Fork administrative duties at the Flood insurance study...... 4 Swamp (the 270-acre Phillips ’s Butterfly count...... 5 headquarters in Washington, Fort Motte reunion...... 6 See Swartout, page 7

Advocating for Congaree National Park and its unique environment. Park media Congaree National Park’s interpretive staff has President’s exploded onto the social media scene! You can find them on Facebook, Twitter (http://twitter.com/ Corner CONGAREENPS), and Flickr (http://www.flickr. com/congareenps). If you’re a fan of the Friends of Congaree Swamp facebook page (950 fans and counting!), be sure to “like” the park Facebook Dr. John Grego page as well. On both Twitter and Facebook, you will find updates of park events, park trivia, and Tracy Swartout enthusiastic reviews by fans of the park. The park’s I would like to add a short personal note to Flickr page contains a wide variety of photos Sharon Kelly’s excellent interview with Tracy collected over the years, and forms an interesting Swartout. It has been a great privilege working complement to work by an existing group of with Tracy on advocacy issues over the years. Her photographers that posts park-related material passionate, seemingly off-the-cuff eloquence to http://www.flickr.com/groups/congaree. has enlivened many Richland County Council LWCF and Cayce City Council public hearings over The Longleaf Collaborative (see the President’s the years…and given fits to SCDOT’s engineers Corner from Spring 2012) was well poised to and consultants during mediation hearings. receive appropriations from the Land and Water I know that Tracy expressed dismay that she still Conservation Fund for Fiscal Year 2013 in the encounters lifelong residents of the Midlands who federal surface transportation bill. Unfortunately, have not visited the park, or don’t know that we $1.4 billion that the Senate had voted to dedicate have a national park in our backyard. I felt similar to the LWCF program over a two-year period was dismay sometimes about Tracy’s visibility. In spite struck from the bill at the last minute. Instead, of her outreach efforts, she still was not as widely only $68 million was set aside for LWCF in the known in the local community as she merited. House Interior Appropriations Bill, representing Efforts to promote the park and Tracy only an 80 percent cut from the previous year. The confirmed those concerns. I particularly remember Longleaf Collaborative is unlikely to receive FY an exchange with The State newspaper to arrange 2013 funding under this appropriation bill. a meeting with Tracy when my contact confirmed The park had proposed to buy the 263-acre they had never met “him,” in reference to Tracy! Philips (or Smith Fork ) tract with FY 2013 funds In the bigger scheme of things, these are minor for the collaborative, but will either have to defer regrets. Of course we’ll miss Tracy, but serious the acquisition or seek another source of funding. regrets are only possible if we squandered the In the interim, the Longleaf Collaborative, opportunity that her unique set of skills presented. which initially included federal property in South And I’m happy to say that the park and Friends Carolina alone, has been reformulated to have a of Congaree Swamp formed an effective alliance regional scope for its Fiscal Year 2014 request. on a wide range of issues during Tracy’s tenure. South Carolina parks, national wildlife refuges and national forests have joined with federal partners

Friends of Congaree Swamp News is published quarterly by Friends of in Georgia, North Carolina and Florida to form Congaree Swamp, P.O. Box 7746. Columbia, SC 29202-7746. It is distributed the Southeastern Longleaf Pine Focal Area. The free by mail to Friends members and other interested parties. All content is copyrighted and may not be reproduced except by express group has requested $50.5 million to acquire permission of Friends of Congaree Swamp. more than 29,300 acres and place an additional Subscription requests or changes of address may be sent to the above address or emailed to [email protected]. Please visit our Web site at 3,600 acres under conservation easement. Friends www.friendsofcongaree.org. of Congaree Swamp drafted a letter in support Friends of Congaree Swamp advocates for Congaree National Park and its unique environment. of the request and will be working throughout Dr. John Grego, President Sharon H. Kelly, Editor the year to support LWCF appropriations. 2 Summer 2012

Park earns international designation Congaree National Park was embodies the commitments Unlike the other global officially listed of its member environmental conventions, as a Wetland of countries to Ramsar is not affiliated with International maintain the the United Nations system of Importance by the ecological character Multilateral Environmental Convention on of their Wetlands Agreements, but it works very Wetlands in May. of International closely with the other MEAs Nominated in Importance and and is a full partner among the December 2011 to plan for the “biodiversity-related cluster” by the U.S. Fish “wise use”, or of treaties and agreements. and Wildlife sustainable use, of There are 34 sites in the Service following all of the wetlands United States listed as Wetlands a petition by in their territories. of International Importance. the National Park Service and Its chief objective is to Congaree National Park is Friends of Congaree Swamp, it “develop and maintain an only the second unit of the was supported by Sen. Lindsey international network of U.S. National Park System Graham, Rep. James Clyburn, wetlands which are important to receive the designation. former Gov. Mark Sanford for the conservation of and the S.C. Department global biological diversity in Florida was the first. of Natural Resources. and for sustaining human life Congaree National Park The Convention on Wetlands through the maintenance of also is the second site was signed in Ramsar, their ecosystem components, in South Carolina to be Iran, in 1971 and called the processes and benefits/ recognized by the convention. Ramsar Convention. It is an services,” according to the The intergovernmental treaty that Ramsar Strategic Framework. was listed in May 2008.

Annual meeting slated Oct. 28 Friends of Congaree Swamp will hold its annual meeting and oyster roast Sunday, Oct. 28, on the spacious grounds of the historic Harriet Barber House in Hopkins. The event will be preceded by tours of recently protected local natural and cultural sites. Robert Barber of Bowen’s Island will again provide South Carolina oysters and Friends members will provide chili, roast chicken, vegetarian selections, beverages and desserts. Harriet Barber House Look for registration materials soon.

Summer 2012 3 floodplain New flood insurance study under way

By John Grego County long with consultants in Zone D areas, lenders almost A new flood insurance from AECOM and Columbia surely would, which would study focusing on the Venture and representatives be quite expensive. In short, Congaree River floodplain from environmental the uncertainty associated in Richland and Lexington advocacy groups. with Zone D areas strongly counties is under way. FEMA is drafting a new discourages development. Marie Cox Lamm, director of policy for uncertified levees This classification has the Flood Mitigation Program based on demands from been described as FEMA for the S.C. Department of Congress to ease the current “thumbing its nose” at members Natural Resources, convened policy that removes the effect of Congress who sought to the first Congaree Stakeholders of uncertified levees when weaken floodplain standards. Group Meeting July 10 to conducting flood insurance Since the policy is not yet discuss the study, which studies. The landward side of final, no one will say how is a follow-up to the 1999 an uncertified levee is typically it would affect the ongoing Preliminary Flood Insurance designated as a high-hazard flood insurance study. study and rate maps. area and often included in That study and its maps led the floodway. By contrast, the landward side of a certified Save the date to years of appeals and lawsuits Continued from page 1 motivated by the Columbia levee is included in the Venture (Green Diamond) floodplain as Zone X, rated a Big Bird Hike and welcome effort to develop 4,500 acres of minimal to moderate hazard. additional volunteers. the Congaree River floodplain. It’s an open question whether Contact John Grego (803- Columbia Venture has since the earthen embankments 331-3366; jrgrego@mindspring. sold 75 percent of its property. in Richland County satisfy com). Please bring water, insect Working through DNR, FEMA’s definition of a levee. repellent and binoculars. Hiking FEMA (the Federal Emergency FEMA requires levees, certified footwear is recommended. Management Agency) has or uncertified, to be designed to Campfire Chronicles contracted with AECOM, a sound engineering principles. private company that provides The draft policy identifies The fourth annual Congaree management and technical several types of uncertified Campfire Chronicles will be services, to conduct the new levels with recommendations held Friday, Nov. 2, from 6 to study. Interestingly, AECOM on how to treat them in 8 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 3, has ties to the company flood insurance studies. from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. that conducted the 1998 Under FEMA’s proposal, The event provides a free, flood insurance studies that regardless of the levee family friendly living history preceded the 1999 study. classification, landward areas walk through stories of The stakeholders group of the levees initially would Congaree National Park’s past. includes floodplain managers be rated Zone D, which have For more information, for Columbia, Richland undetermined flood risk. call (803) 776-4396 or go County, Cayce and Lexington Though FEMA would not to www.nps.gov/cong. require federal flood insurance

4 Summer 2012 Butterfly count nets more than 1,150 By Terri Hogan Here’s the June count: Integrated Resource Manager American Lady 8 What a splendid time we American Snout 31 had and what a fantastic Appalachain Brown 30 opportunity to learn at the Black Swallowtail 2 Cabbage White1 June 2 butterfly identification Carolina Satyr 268 training conducted by Dr. Checkered Skipper 3 Theresa Thom and the June Checkered White 1 9 NABA butterfly count. Clouded Skipper 4 Our results are quite Cloudless Sulphur 16 Common Buckeye 39 amazing; our 17 participants Common Wood Nymph 1 counted 58 species and Creole Pearly-Eye 1 1,155 individuals. Crossline Skipper 1 Thank you so much to all Dun Skipper 80 Male Zabulon Skipper the volunteers who donated Duskywing spp. 2 Eastern Comma 7 Question Mark 3 their time to this effort. We Eastern Tiger Swallowtail 6 Red Admiral 6 recognize and appreciate the Eastern-tailed Blue 6 Red-Banded Hairstreak 16 knowledge, experience, and Eufala Skipper 1 Red-spotted Purple 16 spirit of adventure represented Fiery Skipper 61 Sachem 9 by the group. Thank you Gemmed Satyr 7 Silver-spotted Skipper 2 Gray Hairstreak 4 Silvery Checkerspo 1 also to the National Park Gulf Fritillary 2 Sleepy Orange 21 Service representatives who Hackberry Emperor 16 Southern Skipperling 20 guided us, contributed their Horace’s Duskywing 20 Spicebush Swallowtail 6 knowledge, and made sure Lace-Winged Roadside Skipper 19 Spring Azure 6 that everyone was safe. Least Skipper 3 Summer Azure 1 Little Wood Satyr 1 Swallowtail species 3 A seasonal count will be Little Yellow 2 Tawny Emperor 1 held in September. A butterfly Long-Tailed Skipper 1 Variegated Fritillary 32 identification training session Ocala Skipper, 1 Viceroy 2 was scheduled for Saturday, Painted Lady 1 White Checkered-Skipper 40 September 8 and the seasonal Swallowtail species 3 Yehl Skipper 1 Pearl Crescent 214 Zabulon Skipper 72 count is the following Pearly Eye spp. 1 Zarucco Duskywing Skipper 3 Saturday, September 15. Pipevine Swallowtail 8 Zebra Swallowtail 22

Tulip Tree Beauty Moth Female Zabulon Skipper

Summer 2012 5 Scenes from the Fort Motte reunion

Fort Motte resident Eliza Claxton stops by the Friends of It’s never too early to learn about the Congaree Swamp booth, which was staffed by Friends President Congaree River and its wonders. John Grego. The reunion was held July 7.

The old Fort Motte Post Office Friends board member Dick Watkins chats with some youngsters attending the reunion.

6 Summer 2012 the environmental movement “It’s been a terrific Swartout from the 1950s to the 1970s to six years,” she said. continued from page 1 save the Congaree Swamp. Before she leaves, there tract), which should be Started in 2009, the re- will be management and staff finalized in Fiscal 2013. enactment is held the first retreats to “set priorities, Now under a conservation weekend in November and determine the best use of easement, the Smith Fork involves the whole park staff resources and reconnect with Swamp tract will be the and a host of volunteers. the mission of the park. last acquisition connecting “Now is a good time the eastern and western to re-orient,” she said. portions of the park. “Tracy offers an outstanding Tracy is especially grateful to “I want that to be my lasting blend of management, the Friends group, particularly legacy,” Tracy said, “protecting leadership, business planning John Grego, Dick Watkins those lands for the park.” and interpersonal abilities and Carol Kososki. During her tenure, she’s that will greatly benefit “When you first come into worked with park partners, Mount Rainier.” a park [as a superintendent], you don’t know what kind of environmental groups and Superintendent group you’re going to get,” developers to provide greater Randy King protection of the area’s natural she said. “I’m thankful for the and cultural resources while Friends group we have. The encouraging the community folks have been incredible; to get involved with the park. “It’s been wildly successful,” so giving and knowledgeable She served four years on the Tracy said. “The feedback has and actively engaged. Richland County Development been 100 percent positive. “It’s been an open, honest Roundtable, helping to increase “It gets to the heart of relationship and constantly protection of the watershed that making the Park Service supportive,” she said. feeds into the Congaree River, relevant” for people whose Tracy, Tom and their which will have a lasting effect interests often do not children, Grayson, 4, and on water quality in the area. include the environment. Sierra, 1, will leave Columbia She’s worked with She also oversaw an active the week of Sept. 10. SERCO (the Southeast Research and Education Center Tom, an environmental Rural Community Outreach at the park and an Exotic Plant engineer, has been a stay-at- organization) to spearhead the Management Team that serves home dad for the last year, first focus groups to involve more than a dozen parks in the taking care of daughter Sierra. the park’s African-American Southeast. And she renewed Finding a job in the Northwest neighbors in addition to the park’s law enforcement shouldn’t be a problem initiating heritage tourism program, which had been because all the companies and oral history programs. dormant for several years. he’s worked for in the past With the help of former The “Roots in the River” are headquartered there. Ranger Justin Woldt, she documentary about the “Tracy offers an outstanding started Congaree Campfire movement to save the park’s blend of management, Chronicles, a cultural history re- land was developed during her leadership, business planning enactment depicting a 500-year tenure and the long-awaited and interpersonal abilities that timeline of the life of the park’s film about the park should be will greatly benefit Mount land, from Native American finished by next summer. Rainier,” said Superintendent encampments through loggers, She’s thankful for the support Randy King. “I very much look moonshiners and hunters to of a “wonderful” staff. forward to working with her.” Summer 2012 7 PRST STD U.S. Postage PAID Permit #1365 Columbia, SC

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