When Boston Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey died in 1976, he left three large coastal islands to the state of South Carolina for protection as a wildlife sanctuary, free of hunting and the disruptions caused by sportsmen.
Now, a little known plan in the state Legislature would allow hunting on part of the Yawkey Wildlife Center, a 20,000-acre complex of islands, marshes and maritime forests near Georgetown that make up one of the most significant nature preserves in South Carolina.
The change would be a big deal, because if approved by the Legislature in the state budget, it could drive away thousands of ducks, ruin world-renowned alligator research — and, ultimately, cause the state to lose control of a natural area it has managed since the baseball club owner’s death, say critics of the budget plan.