The land owned and managed by the Conestee Foundation, Incorporated, a private nonprofit conservation organization, located in Greenville County, and known as Lake Conestee Nature Park, is declared to be a wildlife sanctuary for the protection and conservation of game, songbirds, waterfowl, fish, amphibians, other animals, and plant life.
It is unlawful to hunt, trap, take, gather, harvest, or molest any plants, animals, or artifacts on the lands of Lake Conestee Nature Park, except for purposes of habitat management or research. The Conestee Foundation may at its discretion issue permits for research and site management activities related to wildlife and habitat management. It is unlawful to release any nonnative plants or animals, including pets and domesticated animals on the lands of Lake Conestee Nature Park.
The Conestee Foundation shall post signs along the outer boundaries of its lands and at locations where streams and creeks enter into Lake Conestee Nature Park, notifying the public that the area is a wildlife sanctuary and is closed to hunting, trapping, taking and collection of plants, animals, and artifacts, except as permitted by the Foundation.
No animals, flowers, shrubs, trees, plants, or artifacts shall be damaged or removed from the park without a permit from the Conestee Foundation.
Any person convicted of violating the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars, or imprisoned for not more than thirty days.
Designation as a wildlife sanctuary does not alter existing rights held or conveyed under the conservation easement agreement applying to Lake Conestee Nature Park.
HISTORY: 2016 Act No. 177 (H.4743), Section 1, eff May 23, 2016.