LAND OF PLENTY, LAND OF LOSS
Between the 17th and early 20th centuries, the ecosystem of the Charleston area changed drastically, with declining animal species and decimated forests. But in the 1970s, concerned citizens and government leaders united to make a difference through the federal Endangered Species Act of 1973.
The virgin forests of 17th-century Carolina can never be restored... and extinct species such as the Carolina parakeet are gone forever. But conservation efforts have restored many once-endangered plants and animals to sustainable levels. Other species still face major threats.