Beaufort County banked 475 undeveloped acres at New Riverside at Palmetto Bluff this week through its Rural and Critical Lands Preservation Program.

The site is adjacent to the New River and includes land for the Bluffton Linear Trail. The remaining land will be preserved for wildlife habitat and open space.

The County Council approved spending $350,000 on the land. The final deal is contingent on $1.4 million from the federal government and $750,000 from the S.C. Conservation Bank to cover the $2.5 million purchase price.

The Trust for Public Land, the county's land-buying arm, negotiated the deal. The preserved land removes the possibility of 300 homes being built there.

The county has spent $42.5 million to buy 10,512 acres through its land-buying program. Taken together, the land has a value of $65.3 million, according to county spokeswoman Suzanne Larson.