SC Forest Resource Assessment and Strategy

Statewide Forest Resource Strategy

Overarching Issues

Population Growth
The population of South Carolina is predicted to grow from four million in 2000 to over five million by 2030. As the population grows, more forest land will be converted to housing and commercial development, stormwater runoff will increase, public demand on forest attributes will rise, and the number of wildfires that threaten structures will increase.

Climate Change
Increased incidence of droughts and storms, increased number and severity of wildfires, and more numerous and severe insect and disease outbreaks are possible if climate change predictions hold true. Sustainable management of forests can help reduce the negative effects of this change.

Public Perceptions about Forestry
Many South Carolina residents value the environmental role of forests, such as protecting water quality, as more important than their role as the provider of raw materials for the number one manufacturing industry in the state. With increased urbanization, many citizens also do not have a close connection with the land. As a consequence, restrictive regulations such as outdoor burning ordinances and tree protection ordinances are proposed with little or no consideration of the potential effects of this legislation on forestry operations.

Goal: Mitigate the potentially negative effects of population growth and climate change and encourage the public to adopt a more favorable attitude about forestry.

Note: many of the objectives and strategies listed here are repeated elsewhere in this document because of the all-inclusive nature of these issues.

Objective 1.1: Develop, promote, and deliver forestry education programs to all audiences.

Performance Measures: Desired outcome is an increase in the number of educational programs conducted and the number of participants in these programs. Metrics include number of programs developed or updated, number of requests for educational programs, number of participants trained, and overall positive evaluations.

Resources Needed: Funding for the development of educational materials, cooperator support, and staff to deliver programs.

Strategy 1.1.1: Continue to develop Harbison State Forest and Piedmont Forestry Center for forestry education centers, and expand programs to other suitable Forestry Commission properties.
National Objectives Supported (see Appendix 4)	SCFC Program Areas	Stakeholders (see Appendix 5)	Priority Areas	Key Findings Supported (see Appendix 6)
1.2	Information & Education	SC Forestry Association	Conserve Working Forests	OA 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8
3.4, 3.5, 3.6	State Forests	SC Department of Education	Community Forestry	CWF 6, 9, 10
		Clemson Extension Service	Wildfire Risk
		Conservation Organizations	Threats to Forest Health
		SC DNR	Water Quality and Quantity
		Society of American Foresters
		Clemson University
		Natural Resource Associations
		USDA Forest Service

Strategy 1.1.2: Promote conservation education programs such as Wood Magic, Protect Learning Tree, and Teaching KATE (Kids About The Environment). Increase SC Forestry Commission personnel participation in education programs.
National Objectives Supported	SCFC Program Areas	Stakeholders	Priority Areas	Key Findings Supported
1.2	Information & Education	SC Forestry Association	Conserve Working Forests	OA 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8
3.4, 3.5, 3.6	State Forests	Clemson Extension Service	Community Forestry	CWF 6, 9, 10
	Fire Management	Conservation Organizations	Wildfire Risk
	Forest Stewardship	SC DNR	Threats to Forest Health
		Society of American Foresters	Water Quality and Quantity
		Clemson University
		SC Department of Education
		Natural Resource Associations
		USDA Forest Service

Strategy 1.1.3: Continue annual teacher's tour and development of forestry education material.
National Objectives Supported	SCFC Program Areas	Stakeholders	Priority Areas	Key Findings Supported
1.2	Information & Education	SC Forestry Association	Conserve Working Forests	OA 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8
3.4, 3.5, 3.6	State Forests	Clemson Extension Service	Community Forestry	CWF 6, 9, 10
		Conservation Organizations	Wildfire Risk
		SC DNR	Threats to Forest Health
		Society of American Foresters	Water Quality and Quantity
		Clemson University
		SC Department of Education
		Natural Resource Associations
		USDA Forest Service

Objective 1.2: Improve contacts and communication with state and local levels of government concerning forestry-related issues
Performance Measures: Desired outcome is an improved outreach plan that targets specific audiences and ensures that relevant information is shared. Metrics would include number of meetings attended, number of lawmakers contacted, number of issues in which the agency participated, inquiries responded to, and number of employees trained in communication skills.
Resources Needed: Funding to support adequate staffing levels.
Strategy 1.2.1: Encourage active participation in forestry issues at all organizational levels. Identify specific audiences to be reached by each program and/or operating segment of the SC Forestry Commission.
National Objectives Supported	SCFC Program Areas	Stakeholders	Priority Areas	Key Findings Supported
1.2	All program areas (Executive Leadership to lead)	General Assembly	Conserve Working Forests	OA 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
3.4, 3.5, 3.6		SC Forestry Association	Community Forestry	CWF 2,4,6,9,10
		Clemson Extension Service	Wildfire Risk
		Conservation Organizations	Threats to Forest Health
		SC DNR	Water Quality and Quantity
		Society of American Foresters
		Clemson University
		SC Department of Education
		Natural Resource Associations
		USDA Forest Service

Strategy 1.2.2: Invite legislative staff to participate in high profile forestry events, and plan periodic field trips for legislative staff and the Governor's office staff, focusing on all services provided to citizens of the state. Involve key legislators as available.
National Objectives Supported	SCFC Program Areas	Stakeholders	Priority Areas	Key Findings Supported
1.2	Information & Education	General Assembly	Conserve Working Forests	OA 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
3.4, 3.5, 3.6	Executive Leadership	Governor's Office	Community Forestry	CWF 2,4,6,9,10
	State Forests	SC Forestry Association	Wildfire Risk
	Forest Management		Threats to Forest Health
	Fire Management		Water Quality and Quantity

Strategy 1.2.3: Address regulatory and liability issues associated with forest management practices such as prescribed burning, use of pesticides, and timber harvesting.
National Objectives Supported	SCFC Program Areas	Stakeholders	Priority Areas	Key Findings Supported
1.2	Information & Education	General Assembly	Conserve Working Forests	OA 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
3.1, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6	Executive Leadership	Governor's Office	Community Forestry	CWF 2,4,6,9,10
	Fire Management	SC Forestry Association	Wildfire Risk
	Forest Health		Threats to Forest Health
	Forest Management		Water Quality and Quantity

Strategy 1.2.4: Train personnel to be effective communicators.
National Objectives Supported	SCFC Program Areas	Stakeholders	Priority Areas	Key Findings Supported
1.2	Information & Education	USDA Forest Service	Conserve Working Forests	OA 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
3.4, 3.5, 3.6	Executive Leadership	SC Forestry Association	Community Forestry	CWF 2,4,6,9,10
			Wildfire Risk
			Threats to Forest Health
			Water Quality and Quantity

Objective 1.3: Utilize all media to reach targeted audiences with relevant forestry information.

Performance Measures: Desired outcomes are identification of targeted audiences and development of appropriate materials.

Resources Needed: Funding for adequate staffing to allow the development and delivery of information and purchase of materials.

Strategy 1.3.1: Research potential audiences for which to develop targeted information and/or education campaigns.
National Objectives Supported	SCFC Program Areas	Stakeholders	Priority Areas	Key Findings Supported
1.1, 1.2	Information & Education	General Assembly	Conserve Working Forests	OA 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
3.4, 3.5, 3.6	Executive Leadership	SC Forestry Association	Community Forestry	CWF 2,4,6,9,10
	Forest Management	Clemson Extension Service	Wildfire Risk
		Conservation Organizations	Threats to Forest Health
		SC DNR	Water Quality and Quantity
		Society of American Foresters
		Natural Resource Organizations
		USDA Forest Service

Strategy 1.3.2: Develop audio-visual, print, and exhibit material, promoting forestry and forest management, for use by agency personnel in their communities.
National Objectives Supported	SCFC Program Areas	Stakeholders	Priority Areas	Key Findings Supported
1.1, 1.2	Information & Education	SC Forestry Association	Conserve Working Forests	OA 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
3.4, 3.5, 3.6	Executive Leadership	Clemson Extension Service	Community Forestry	CWF 2,4,6,9,10
	Forest Management	Conservation Organizations	Wildfire Risk
		SC DNR	Threats to Forest Health
		Society of American Foresters	Water Quality and Quantity
		Natural Resource Organizations
		USDA Forest Service

Objective 1.4: Increase interaction, cooperation, and communication with other state agencies, local governments, forestry organizations, universities, professional societies, and environmental and conservation groups.

Performance Measures: Desired outcome is increased collaboration with other organizations. Metrics include number of informal and formal partnerships developed, increased participation by SC Forestry Commission personnel in partner organizations, and number of assists to other state agencies.

Resources Needed: Information about projects that collaborative partners are engaged in, time for SC Forestry Commission personnel to participate in meetings, and funding for personnel to assist other agencies.

Strategy 1.4.1: Partner with the South Carolina Forestry Association (SCFA), American Forest and Paper Association (AF&PA), Association of Consulting Foresters (ACF), Clemson University, the National Association and Southern Group of State Foresters (NASF, SGSF) and other sister organizations to identify common messages and deliver to targeted audiences.
National Objectives Supported	SCFC Program Areas	Stakeholders	Priority Areas	Key Findings Supported
1.1, 1.2	Information & Education	SC Forestry Association	Conserve Working Forests	potentially ALL
2.1, 2.2	Forest Health	AF & PA	Wildfire Risk
3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7	Forest Management	ACF	Threats to Forest Health
	Resource Development	Clemson University	Water Quality & Quantity
	Executive Leadership	NASF	Community Forestry
	Community Forestry	SGSF
	Forest Stewardship	Natural Resource Assoc.
	Forest Legacy	Conservation Organizations
	Fire Management

Strategy 1.4.2: Improve contacts and communication with local governments.
National Objectives Supported	SCFC Program Areas	Stakeholders	Priority Areas	Key Findings Supported
1.1, 1.2	Information & Education	SC Forestry Association	Conserve Working Forests	potentially ALL
2.1, 2.2	Forest Health	Clemson Extension Service	Wildfire Risk
3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7	Forest Management	Conservation Organizations	Threats to Forest Health
	Resource Development	SC U&CF Council	Water Quality & Quantity
	Executive Leadership	Forest Landowners	Community Forestry
	Community Forestry	Natural Resource Associations
	Forest Stewardship	USDA Forest Service
	Forest Legacy	SC DNR
	Fire Management	SC Fire Chief's Assoc.

Strategy 1.4.3: Increase SCFC personnel participation in landowner associations and other forestry and conservation-related organizations.
National Objectives Supported	SCFC Program Areas	Stakeholders	Priority Areas	Key Findings Supported
1.1, 1.2	Information & Education	SC Forestry Association	Conserve Working Forests	potentially ALL
2.1, 2.2	Forest Health	Clemson Extension Service	Wildfire Risk
3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7	Forest Management	Conservation Organizations	Threats to Forest Health
	Resource Development	SC Urban & Community Forestry Council	Water Quality & Quantity
	Executive Leadership	Forest Landowners	Community Forestry
	Community Forestry	Natural Resource Associations
	Forest Stewardship	SC DNR
	Forest Legacy
	Fire Management

Strategy 1.4.4: Provide leadership for state agencies to cooperatively provide forest conservation information to landowners in forest management, recreation, wildlife management and wildland/urban interface concerns.
National Objectives Supported	SCFC Program Areas	Stakeholders	Priority Areas	Key Findings Supported
1.1, 1.2	Information & Education	SC Forestry Association	Conserve Working Forests	potentially ALL
2.1, 2.2	Forest Health	Clemson Extension Service	Wildfire Risk
3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7	Forest Management	Conservation Organizations	Threats to Forest Health
	Resource Development	SC Urban & Community Forestry Council	Water Quality & Quantity
	Executive Leadership	Forest Landowners	Community Forestry
	Community Forestry	Natural Resource Associations
	Forest Stewardship	SC DNR
	Forest Legacy	State Land Management Agencies
	Fire Management

Objective 1.5: Manage and restore trees and forests to mitigate and adapt to global climate change.

Performance Measures: Desired outcome is to update SC Forestry Commission Strategic Plan to reflect the best available scientific data for response to the effects of climate change.

Resources Needed: Accurate and reliable data that quantifies the effects of climate change.

Strategy 1.5.1: Increase tree planting to mitigate the effects of climate change.
National Objectives Supported	SCFC Program Areas	Stakeholders	Priority Areas	Key Findings Supported
1.1, 1.2	Forest Management	USDA Forest Service	Conserve Working Forests	EB 6, 7
2.1, 2.2	Nursery	NRCS	Community Forestry
3.2, 3.3, 3.5, 3.7	Tree Improvement	FSA
	Community Forestry	State Land Mgt. Agencies
	Forest Health	Clemson Extension Service
	Information and Education	Natural Resource Associations
		SC U&CF Council

Strategy 1.5.2: Promote forest management and arboriculture practices such as thinning, prescribed burning, and favoring of resistant species to address the increased risk of insect attacks that is predicted due to climate change.
National Objectives Supported	SCFC Program Areas	Stakeholders	Priority Areas	Key Findings Supported
1.1, 1.2	Forest Health	USDA Forest Service	Conserve Working Forests	CWF 6, 7, 8, 10
2.1, 2.2	Forest Management	NRCS	Community Forestry	PF 9, 10, 11
3.4, 3.5, 3.7	Community Forestry	FSA
	Information and Education	State Land Mgt. Agencies
		Clemson Extension Service
		Natural Resource Associations

Strategy 1.5.3: Increase wildfire mitigation efforts, especially in wildland-urban interface areas, to address the increased number and intensity of wildfires that is predicted due to climate change.
National Objectives Supported	SCFC Program Areas	Stakeholders	Priority Areas	Key Findings Supported
1.1, 1.2	Fire Management	SC State Fire Chief's Assoc.	Wildfire Risk	OA 5, 9, 10
2.1	Community Forestry	SC Urban & Community Council	Community Forestry	PF 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8
3.3, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7	Information & Education

Strategy 1.5.4: Seek additional resources to increase the SC Forestry Commission's capacity to respond to the increased number and intensity of wildfires that is predicted due to climate change.
National Objectives Supported	SCFC Program Areas	Stakeholders	Priority Areas	Key Findings Supported
1.1, 1.2	Fire Management	SC State Fire Chief's Assoc.	Wildfire Risk	PF 1,2,3,4,5, 6, 7, 8
2.1	Executive Leadership	SC EMD		OA 10
3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.7	Information Technology	SC DHEC
	Information and Education	General Assembly
		Forest Industry
		TIMOs and REITs

Strategy 1.5.5: Increase monitoring of forestland to address the increased threat of invasive species that is predicted due to climate change.
National Objectives Supported	SCFC Program Areas	Stakeholders	Priority Areas	Key Findings Supported
1.1, 1.2	Forest Health	USDA Forest Service	Threats to Forest Health	OA 10, 12
2.2	Forest Management	USDA APHIS	Conserve Working Forests	EB 8,9,10,11,12,13
3.4, 3.5, 3.7	State Forests	State Land Mgt. Agencies	Community Forestry	CWF 3,6,7,8,11
	Community Forestry	Federal Land Mgt. Agencies		PF 11, 13, 15
	FIA	TMOs and REITs
	Information and Education	Clemson DPI

Strategy 1.5.6: Increase the amount of urban canopy cover to mitigate the increased heat island effect and CO2 production that is predicted due to climate change.
National Objectives Supported	SCFC Program Areas	Stakeholders	Priority Areas	Key Findings Supported
1.1, 1.2	Community Forestry	USDA Forest Service	Community Forestry	PF 11, 13, 15
2.2	Information and Education	SC U&CF Council
3.4, 3.5, 3.7

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