H3872 Advances Through South Carolina Legislature
A bill that would require South Carolina to maintain existing hunting acreage on state-owned Wildlife Management Areas has cleared a major hurdle in the General Assembly. House Bill 3872 passed the full House by a 110-0 vote and cleared the Senate Fish, Game and Forestry Committee unanimously on April 1, 2026. If signed into law, the measure would establish a no-net-loss standard for hunting acreage across the roughly 293,000 acres of state-owned WMA land managed by SCDNR.
The bill was introduced by Representatives Bobby Cox and Heather Bauer, who argued that South Carolina hunters deserve a guarantee that public land acquired and managed for hunting will remain available for that purpose. The legislation would require SCDNR to replace any WMA acreage that is sold, transferred, or removed from hunting access with equivalent land, maintaining the state’s total public hunting footprint.
What It Means for Public Land Hunters
South Carolina’s WMA system represents the primary hunting access point for hunters who do not own or lease private land. With approximately 293,000 acres in the system, the state provides significant opportunity — but the threat of gradual acreage reduction through land sales, easements, or land use changes has been a concern in the hunting community for years. H3872 directly addresses that concern by codifying a floor below which public hunting land cannot fall without being offset by new acquisitions.
For hunters in Spartanburg County and the broader Upstate, the bill’s passage is significant. The Cliff Pitts WMA in Spartanburg County and the Tyger River Complex — a network of properties covering thousands of acres across Union and Cherokee counties — are among the key public hunting grounds in the region. Both properties provide deer, turkey, and small game hunting for hunters who rely on WMA access as their primary option each season.
Local Hunter Perspective
Upstate hunters have watched development pressure increase around many WMA buffer areas over the past decade, making the no-net-loss guarantee more relevant than ever. The Tyger River Complex, in particular, sits in an area where surrounding land use is shifting, and hunters who frequent the property have expressed concern about long-term access. H3872 would not expand the current acreage but would ensure that what exists today remains protected from reduction.
The bill still awaits a full Senate vote and the governor’s signature before becoming law. Given its unanimous committee passage and lopsided House vote, the measure appears well-positioned to cross the finish line before the current legislative session ends.
What’s Happening
Q: What does H3872 actually require?
A: The bill would require SCDNR to maintain a no-net-loss policy for hunting acreage on state-owned WMAs. Any land removed from hunting access would need to be replaced with equivalent acreage.
Q: How many acres of WMA land does South Carolina currently manage?
A: SCDNR manages approximately 293,000 acres of state-owned WMA land available to public hunters.
Q: Which Spartanburg-area WMAs could be affected?
A: Cliff Pitts WMA in Spartanburg County and the Tyger River Complex in neighboring Union and Cherokee counties are among the public hunting areas that would benefit from the no-net-loss protection.
Q: Has the bill been signed into law yet?
A: As of early April 2026, H3872 had passed the full House 110-0 and cleared the Senate Fish, Game and Forestry Committee unanimously. A full Senate vote and governor’s signature are still required for it to become law.
