Courtney Kimmel Named Director of Conservation at Port Royal Sound Foundation

Courtney Kimmel Named Director of Conservation at Port Royal Sound Foundation

Beaufort, SC — The Port Royal Sound Foundation (PRSF) is pleased to announce the appointment of Courtney Kimmel as its full-time Director of Conservation, which is also a new position for the organization. With a deep commitment to developing a strategic approach to research and institutional partnerships, Kimmel will lead PRSF’s efforts to advance environmental stewardship and conservation initiatives in the Port Royal Sound watershed.

As a social ecologist, Kimmel brings a transdisciplinary perspective to her work, emphasizing the factors that drive effective environmental management. Her expertise spans diverse fields, combining a strong foundation in research with a passion for sustainable practices. Prior to joining the Port Royal Sound Foundation, Kimmel served as Vice President of the Captain Planet Foundation. She is also a Professor of Practice at Virginia Tech, where she earned her PhD in Human Dimensions of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability.

Kimmel’s background in both the academic and nonprofit sectors makes her uniquely qualified to further PRSF’s mission of conserving the natural beauty and ecological health of the Port Royal Sound region. In her new role, she will focus on fostering innovative partnerships and developing impactful conservation strategies that engage local communities and stakeholders.

Originally from the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Kimmel grew up immersed in complex environmental systems on the Chesapeake Bay, which sparked her lifelong dedication to environmental sustainability. She now resides on Battery Creek in Beaufort, SC, with her wife Jill, and their dog, Fisher.

“We are thrilled to welcome Courtney as our full-time Director of Conservation,” said PRSF Executive Director Jody Hayward. “Her experience, knowledge, and passion for conservation will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen our efforts to protect and conserve the Port Royal Sound and its surrounding ecosystems.”

Kimmel’s appointment marks an exciting new chapter for the Port Royal Sound Foundation, and she looks forward to working alongside the Foundation’s team and partners to advance their shared conservation goals.

At A Glance

Calendar

From creature feedings to nature hikes, we’ve got exciting events for the whole family to enjoy.

Directions

We are centrally located in Beaufort County, where S.C. 170 crosses the Chechessee River. Just take the right exit from either direction at the bridge.

Field Trips

Fun for all ages, field trips enhance students’ classroom curriculum and gives them a unique understanding of our coastal environment.

Volunteer

Truly the heart of our Foundation, volunteering is the perfect way to learn more about what makes the Sound so important to us.

Ways to Give

Help us make a more profound impact for generations to come, not only for the Sound but for our community too!

Donate

Forty Years of Land Cover Change

This video illustrates the change in land cover in the watershed since 1984 — so essentially in the last 40 years. The pins are for reference. Note how land cover changes in the areas we know to be pretty densely developed, illustrated by a transition from green to tan areas. The tan represents impervious surfaces — roads, roofs, parking lots, etc. You’ll notice that the tan areas creep out in all directions over time — what we refer to as urban sprawl. At the end of the video, the proposed Euhaw Overlay District is illustrated in bright green.

The Euhaw District

The Euhaw District, situated along the Broad River corridor, has retained its rural, Lowcountry character. With dirt roads winding through dense live oak canopies, expansive salt marshes laced with deep saltwater creeks, including its namesake Euhaw Creek, and old country stores with rocking chairs on the front porch, the area is a relic of a different era. It’s also comprised mainly of large, old family properties that have been passed down through generations — properties that could be sold, subdivided, and developed into thousands of homes if that’s what someone wanted to do.

Hitting Pause to Plan for the Future

In 2023, facing unprecedented demand from new residents seeking to move to the area, developers looking to build new communities, and a straining infrastructure system, the Jasper County Council made a bold decision to pause development in the Euhaw District. It placed a nine-month moratorium on approving new significant developments in the region to give itself time and space to revisit and carefully consider what future the County and its residents wanted.

Council members had only to look around to see what happens growth and development gets ahead of your ability to plan for it – you end up with sprawling development that increases traffic on road that can’t handle it, strains your public services, costs more than it yields, and can significantly and potentially irreperably degrade water quality in rivers and creeks.

The Proposed Euhaw Overlay District

With extensive community input and advice from experts across the region, Jasper County planners developed a proposal for the Euhaw Overlay District that encourages the concentration of development in already developed areas, while supporting low-density development and conservation in critical areas for habitat and water quality. An overlay district essentially superimposes another layer of zoning and regulations in a particular area. One hallmark of the Euhaw Overlay District is the designation of areas as Rural Preservation 10 (RP-10) zones, where development would be limited to one residential home per ten acres, with exceptions for homesteads that have been owned by families for more than 30 years.

Get More Specifics on Zoning Amendments

Why It Matters for the Port Royal Sound

The mission of the Port Royal Sound Foundation is to conserve the Port Royal Sound for the environmental, economic, and cultural well-being of the area. Key to this mission is supporting the conservation of critical lands and marshes that directly impact the water quality and habitat integrity of the watershed.

Researchers at SCDNR have demonstrated an indisputable correlation with the expansion of impervious surfaces (roofs, roads, etc.) and declines in water quality. The proposed Euhaw District spans eight critical subwatersheds in the upper Port Royal Sound watershed. Right now, it’s rural mainly with expansive tree cover and marshy shorelines — but it’s not guaranteed to stay that way.

With our partners at USCB and SCDES, PRSF is actively increasing the water quality monitoring in these upper subwatersheds because they are healthy now — but we need to be cautious of changes to come.

The Fate of the Proposed Euhaw District Overlay

Since the Jasper County Council first presented the Euhaw District Overlay last summer, the process has stalled, and now two of the five members who initially supported the building moratorium are no longer on the Council. New members who have less history in the area seem skeptical about the importance of conserving land in this critical region. County staff and advocates of the Euhaw District Overlay are working hard to educate and engage new Council members before a second reading takes place, likely on May 5th.

One group in particular – the Keep Chelsea Rural coalition – has been very active in advocating for the protection of this area of Jasper County. You can read more about their efforts and the status of the Council negotiations on their websites – https://keepchelsearural.com/.

Support Euhaw District Overlay

Interested in voicing your support for the Euhaw District Overlay? You can send the members of Jasper County Council a message (using the tool created by our friends at Coastal Conservation League), or you can show up and share your support in person at the next Jasper County Council meeting on Monday, May 5.

Ask Jasper Council Council to support RP-10 zoning