About Us
The Mission
For a Sound Future
The Port Royal Sound Foundation’s mission is to conserve the Port Royal Sound for the environmental, cultural, and economic well-being of our area.
1970
Port Royal Sound Environmental Study
Port Royal Sound Environmental Study was commissioned by the governor as a result of BASF’s plans to build a chemical plant on the Colleton River.
1995
Beaufort County & Clean Water Task Force Formed
In reaction to the state’s closure of 500 acres of shellfish beds in various Beaufort County waterways
1997
The Task Force Published…
A Blueprint for Clean Water: Strategies to Protect and Restore Beaufort County’s Waterways
1999
Beaufort County’s Special Area Management Plan Developed
To focus on implementing 10 (out of 50) recommendations from “A Blueprint for Clean Water: Strategies to Protect and Restore Beaufort County’s Waterways”.
2000
Friends of The Rivers Formed…
As a stewardship group in response to the Special Area Management Plan to carry on the mission of water-quality protection and land planning.
2011
Name Change to The Port Royal Sound Foundation
After 11 years of successfully educating the county and municipalities on the importance of protecting the marine waters of Beaufort County, the board of directors of Friends of the Rivers chose to expand its effort to include all of the natural, cultural and historical resources of the Port Royal Sound system. Because the mission, bylaws and directors were to stay and due to the need to maintain a tax-exempt status, the IRS and the state of South Carolina approved a simple name change to the Port Royal Sound Foundation.
2014
The Foundation’s Maritime Center Opened
As a storefront and education center for the nonprofit organization.
2021
The Maritime Center is renamed
The Maritime Center is renamed the “Sharon and Dick Stewart Maritime Center” after years of generosity and leadership from the Stewart family
To view Port Royal Sound Foundation’s most recent 990, click here.
To view Port Royal Sound Foundation’s most recent audit, click here.