The Grand Strand is one of the largest tourist spots in all of South Carolina. Coastal towns within the Grand Strand like Myrtle Beach, Surfside, Garden City and more all bear the burden of increasing tourism. The beautiful coastal landscape has been plagued with high-rise hotels, amusement parks, housing developments and parking lots spread down the shoreline. While this image is ideal for a major tourist destination it is becoming increasingly troublesome for the few natural environments left in the Grand Strand.

As tourism increases so will the development of the area to accommodate for these future changes. As these towns expand they begin to alter the natural environments around including forests, wetlands, rivers and beaches. Keeping these habitats are vital for ecosystem health. Waste/runoff pollution from communities are filtered before entering waterways with these natural areas. As well as maintaining ecosystem health protecting land keeps native animals in the area. Fragmentation/clearing of land decreases biodiversity by pushing animals out which makes ecosystems more unstable. Aside from ecosystem health and animal protection, the natural beauty of the area is incredibly important. The Grand Strand looks better with green areas, pristine beaches and vibrant marshlands, not crowded dirty streets and trashy beaches.

Advocating for the protection of the remaining natural areas is crucial now more than ever. If we wait too long there will be nowhere else to protect and the Grand Strand will become a lost cause. The area we love will be ruined and slowly degrade from the impacts of having no more natural areas.