To say Hilton Head is not at all what I expected would be an understatement. I imagined an old Southern town along the Atlantic Coast. What I found was a quiet controlled modern esthetic beauty. The beauty is in the simplistic wooden buildings and tonal values that blend into the environment. This is obviouslly controlled by the Island Beautification Association. Yes, their name is on the welcome sign. On the island, you can't cut a limb larger than 6" without a permit. You know there is a reason and it is usually a good one. 

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The town of Hilton Head was incorporated in 1986, but the history of the island runs deep and is at the heart of the beginning of South Carolina. In the 1560s, the French Huguenots had temporarily lived here fleeing persecution in their homeland, but moved inland for better protection from the elements. It was first permanently inhabited by Europeans in 1663 and was named for English Sea Captain William Hilton, who lead the exploration.  

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With William Hilton, you saw the first successful plantations spring up. By 1860, there were 24 plantations on the Island. The plantations grew cotton, indigo, sugar cane, and rice. Soon the Civil War impacted the Island as Union soldiers landed. After the war, the island was plagued by bugs and became obsolete for use by any farmer. 

 

Entering the 20th century the first prospector stripped the island of most of its trees and in 1956 it was re-envisioned as a resort community by Charles Fraser. So that brings us to why in present day Hilton Head Island you can't cut down the pine trees. They are trying to return the island to it's natural beauty. I think they have succeeded.