Norfolk Southern + EPR Partnership
Several years ago, Sustain SC members Norfolk Southern and Ecosystem Planning and Restoration (EPR) engaged in a proactive partnership to restore a stream and wetland system that stretched throughout Norfolk Southern’s Brosnan Forest. Milliken Advisors, also a member of Sustain SC and trusted consultant to Norfolk Southern for more than 40 years, plays a crucial role in this joint venture and has continued to contribute to the wetland and stream restoration projects as the work has developed over time.
Since the partnership began, 34,000 linear feet of stream and 600 acres of wetlands have been restored, including the replanting of hundreds of thousands of native upland, wetland, and bottomland shrub and tree species. The resulting restoration has seen the return of numerous plants and animals to their native habitat in the 14,400-acre preserve in Dorchester County, SC, including Honeycup (Zenobia), river otters, waterfowl, wading birds, raptors, reptiles, and amphibians to name a few.
Norfolk Southern has owned and operated the land since the 1830s when it was originally purchased for timber to power steam locomotives. The preserve is home to the largest population of endangered red-cockaded woodpeckers on private property and one of the country’s most pristine remaining longleaf pine habitats. Because of its remarkable ecological makeup, the forest has been compared to the Amazon rainforest in species diversity.
Brosnan Forest Restoration Projects + Studies
To protect species in the Brosnan Forest, Norfolk Southern voluntarily began numerous natural resources conservation and restoration projects beginning in the early 2000s. Much of the land and its ecosystems had been altered or degraded by management and timbering practices over time like the planting of loblolly pines for profit. In 2017, Norfolk Southern completed its first wetland restoration project. The project included restoring a 289-acre Pocosin by reestablishing hydrology and native wetland and upland tree species such as pond cypress and longleaf pines as well as restoring lost waterfowl habitat. It has also donated three easements totaling over 12,900 acres to the Lowcountry Land Trust, permanently protecting the resilient ecosystem.
Following the initial successful restoration of the 289-acre Pocosin, Norfolk Southern began to work with EPR in 2017 to continue revitalization efforts throughout Brosnan Forest. EPR played a crucial role in determining the feasibility of projects that would improve the water and air quality of the forest and its neighboring communities.
In 2021, EPR broke ground on the Brosnan Forest Coldwater Branch Mitigation Project, restoring an entire stream and wetland system. The significant project concluded in 2023 and was incredibly successful in rehabilitating a critical functioning ecosystem and welcoming back countless species.
The collaboration between Norfolk Southern and EPR will be ever-evolving as they work to revive the remaining stream and wetland systems on Brosnan Forest. Norfolk Southern has extended its sustainability efforts beyond restoration also to include regenerative agriculture and silvopasture practices beginning in 2022 which have since discontinued applications of synthetic agriculture inputs restoring healthy soil.
Additionally, Norfolk Southern is conducting voluntary bat studies with EPR and in coordination with the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and SC Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The initial study focuses on inventorying bat species in Brosnan Forest, especially rare and federally protected species. Although there have been no previous bat surveys on the property and no records of the species, Brosnan Forest’s habitats and proximity to documented sightings warrant this study. Survey results will inform potential adjustments to future mitigation projects' engineering and construction plans, and provide valuable information to develop other forest management activities. The Lowcountry Land Trust was another critical partner in this work. LLT holds the land restrictions that ensure the permanent protection of the property, a required component of wetlands and stream restoration projects such as these.
Setting the Example for Sustain SC Members
Though the partnership was established before Sustain SC was founded, the members have found value in being able to demonstrate their work and how it is setting an example for natural resource restoration in South Carolina. They also learn something new with every project and can bring the gained knowledge to Sustain SC members and projects.
Norfolk Southern serves as a model for environmental stewardship and EPR has been instrumental in bringing Norfolk Southern’s long-term dreams of restoration to life. Their relationship emulates the mission of Sustain SC by meeting at the intersection of commerce and conservation and reviving a precious land for future generations.
As South Carolina capitalizes on the sustainable revolution, Sustain SC will continue to make meaningful connections between businesses, like Norfolk Southern and EPR, with sustainability goals that can and will be accomplished with local solutions.
