Hilton Head, S.C.: Chelsea Plantation set as state forest

HILTON HEAD, S.C. — Chelsea Plantation in Jasper County is permanently protected and slated to become a new South Carolina state forest open to the public near the Hilton Head and Beaufort area.

The Nature Conservancy of South Carolina announced an easement jointly held with the Open Land Trust and the Navy, and the subsequent sale of the Chelsea property to the South Carolina Forestry Commission. Plans call for the nearly 2,700-acre tract to become a future state forest.

TNC-SC acquired Chelsea in May 2025 after community opposition blocked a large residential and commercial proposal that had drawn Keep Chelsea Rural activism. Partners later funded a conservation easement and transfer so the Forestry Commission can manage the land for public use.

Coverage of the Lowcountry deal said the tract sits along the Beaufort and Jasper county lines and that the Forestry Commission is still evaluating the property and drafting a management plan before announcing an official opening date.

The South Carolina Forestry Commission is scheduling a December celebration recognizing the acquisition, while an adjoining 212-acre Chelsea West parcel is also expected to join the new state forest later.