Mark is a child of the Lowcountry of South Carolina, and as such believes there is something unique and special about this part of the world. Formative work and life experiences came for him with his brothers and sister on their family farm on the Coosaw River - and it was from there that he launched Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn adventures as a boy with his brothers in the woods and waters of the Lowcountry. It’s given him an appreciation for the area and a strong belief that some of what has kept so many here, and invited so many others, should be preserved and protected.
In short, in a world where so many places blend to look like the next place, he believes that maintaining the unique look and feel of the Lowcountry is good for both the soul and the economy. It’s a competitive advantage of this part of the world that should be played to as strength – and he would work to do this as Congressman.
He’s done it before. As Governor, Mark worked with Senator Chip Campsen and was instrumental in the initial funding for the Conservation Land Bank, which in using free market principles has preserved more than 152,000 acres of land in South Carolina since its inception. More significantly 254,000 acres were preserved during his tenure, more than during any other governorship in South Carolina history.