One of the last stretches of undeveloped seashore near Myrtle Beach will be protected now that an extended court battle has been resolved, conservationists say.

The northern third of Waties Island, a sandy land formation in the shadow of the Grand Strand’s dense development, is expected to be purchased by the Open Space Institute, which will then deed the property to the S.C. Department of Natural Resources.

That’s according to the S.C. Environmental Law Project, a non-profit legal service representing a landowner who has been trying for years to sell her portion of the 2.5-mile long island for protection.

“The impediment that has been standing in the way of permanent conservation is now clear,’’ said Amy Armstrong, director of the S.C. Environmental Law Project, referring to a lawsuit against the landowner that was dropped recently.