BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - Berkeley County will soon be opening up its application period to help fund several greenbelt projects.

On Jan. 2, the county will begin accepting applications for projects that support greenbelt initiatives such as placing conservation easements on properties, passive and active park space, as well as protecting cultural heritage sites, scenic corridors and conserving natural resources.

The county is able to fund eligible projects with the help of the one-cent sales tax referendum that was passed by voters in 2022.

Approximately $58.7 million of the revenue collected from the penny tax will be used for greenbelt projects.

Those eligible to receive greenbelt funds include:

County officials say that landowners who think their property would be suitable for a greenbelt project can also apply to see if it is a project that the county or other partners may want to get involved with.

The Greenbelt Program Manager for Berkeley County, Nick Yoder, says that applications will be reviewed to determine the funding allocation for each project.

"Once we receive applications for the projects we will put together reports, we will make site visits, we will interview the landowners and we will present all of that information to the Greenbelt Advisory Commission and then on projects they will approve they will forward it on to the county council for further review and ultimate approval," Yoder says.

Yoder says that with the growth and development Berkeley County is seeing, it's crucial to preserve the character of the landscape.

"Make sure that we can still get out in public spaces. Making sure we can still enjoy nature and also the history that we have in Berkeley County, we need to make sure that is conserved, preserved and you know advertised out for tourism and you know just basically enjoyment of the outdoors in general," Yoder says.

The application period will be open from January 2 to April 30 at 5 p.m. Those interested can fill out an application here, once the period opens.