South Carolina's
Forest Resource Assessment
and Resource Strategy
(Forest Action Plan)
| Assessment & Strategy | Getting Involved |
| Background | Project Calendar |
| Project Scope | Support Documents & Links |
| Process Overview & Project Goal | Steering Committee |
South Carolina's Statewide Forest Resource Assessment and Strategy (Forest Action Plan)
View the entire document (9.6 MB pdf)
ASSESSMENT
Executive Summary, Introduction and Acknowledgements
Overarching Issues
- Population Growth
- Public Perceptions about Forestry
- Climate Change
Conserving South Carolina’s Working Forests
- Forest Area
- Forest Ownership
- Timber Supply
- Economic Impact
- Forest Regulation
- Critical Habitats
Protecting South Carolina’s Forests From Harm
- Wildfire Risk
- Prescribed Fire
- Threats to Forest Health
Enhancing the Benefits of South Carolina’s Trees and Forests
- Water Quality and Quantity
- Air Quality
- Community Forests in South Carolina
- Stormwater Management
STRATEGY
- Introduction
- Overarching Issues
- Conserving South Carolina's Working Forests
- Protecting South Carolina's Forests from Harm
- Enhancing the Benefits of South Carolina's Trees and Forests
- SC Forestry Commission Programs
BACKGROUND
In 2008, the USDA Forest Service implemented a “Redesigned” State and Private Forestry (S&PF) program. The S&PF Redesign effort was conceived in response to the combined impacts of increasing pressures on our nation’s forests and decreasing S&PF resources and funds. Significant threats to forests, such as insect and disease infestations, catastrophic fire, and the loss of critical forested landscapes to development, coupled with the pressure placed on local economies by the increasingly global nature of the forest products industry, pointed to the need for more progressive strategies for conserving our nation’s forest resource.
Under Redesign, each state is required to analyze forest conditions and trends in the state and delineate priority rural and urban forest landscape areas. From this assessment, a statewide forest resource strategy will be developed as the basis for formulating competitive proposals for S&PF funds.
The three S&PF National Themes are:
- Conserve working forest landscapes,
- Protect forests from harm
- Enhance public benefits from trees and forests
In South Carolina, the SC Forestry Commission is the state agency that will lead the process of the development of the assessment and resource strategy.
PROJECT SCOPE
To ensure that federal and state resources are being focused on important landscape areas with the greatest opportunity to address shared management priorities and achieve meaningful outcomes, the SC Forestry Commission will work collaboratively with key partners and stakeholders to develop a statewide assessment of the forest resources. The statewide assessment should provide a comprehensive analysis of the forest-related conditions, trends, threats, and opportunities within the state. At a minimum, the statewide assessment will:
- Provide an analysis of present and expected future forest conditions, trends, and threats on all ownerships in the state.
- Identify forest-related threats, benefits, and services consistent with the S&PF redesign national themes.
- Delineate priority rural and urban forest landscape areas to be addressed by the state resource strategy.
- Work with neighboring states to identify any multi-state areas that are a regional priority.
PROCESS OVERVIEW & PROJECT GOAL
The Goal of this project is to produce:
- Statewide Assessment of Forest Resources – provides an analysis of forest conditions and trends in the state and delineates priority rural and urban forest landscape areas.
- Statewide Forest Resource Strategy – provides long-term strategies for investing state, federal, and other resources to manage priority landscapes identified in the assessment, focusing where federal investment can most effectively stimulate or leverage desired actions and engage multiple partners.
- Annual Report on Use of Funds – describes how S&PF funds were used to address the assessment and strategy, including the leveraging of funding and resources through partnerships, for any given fiscal year.
GETTING INVOLVED
See information at the top of this page regarding Forestry Commission efforts at soliciting public input in this process.
If you would like to receive updates, please provide us with your contact information by sending us an Email. Please put Forest Resource Assessment in the subject line and include your e-mail address in the body. If you do not receive a reply within 5 business days, please contact us by phone at 803-896-8800 with your request.
PROJECT CALENDAR
Project Timeline (pdf)
Calendar of Events
April 28, 2010 – Stakeholders Meeting
June 18, 2010 – Complete State Assessment and Resource Strategy
SUPPORT DOCUMENTS AND LINKS
Documents
State Assessments and Strategies and Appendices
Resource Strategy Outline (pdf)
State & Private Forestry Redesign – National Themes
State & Private Forestry Redesign – National Outcomes and Objectives
Web Sites
State Assessment and Strategy Resource Center
National Resource Inventory, USDA NRCS
Forest Inventory & Analysis Data
Southern Forest Futures Project
Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment
Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy for South Carolina
USFS Environmental Threat Assessment
Steering Committee
Russell Hubright, Forest Management Chief, SC Forestry Commission
Joel Felder, Deputy State Forester, SC Forestry Commission
Liz Gilland, Urban Forestry Coordinator, SC Forestry Commission
Scott Phillips, Reforestation/Stewardship Coordinator, SC Forestry Commission
Paul Watts, Fire Chief, SC Forestry Commission
Guy Sabin, Environmental Program Manager, SC Forestry Commission
Scott Hawkins, Public Information Director, SC Forestry Commission
Jeff Baumann, Technology Division Director, SC Forestry Commission
Emily Cope, Forest Legacy Coordinator, SC Department of Natural Resources
Judy Barnes, Farm Bill/Ag Liaison, SC Department of Natural Resources
Contractor: Office of Human Resources
Nathan Strong, Project Manager
- this group will help facilitate steering committee and stakeholder meetings, coordinate public surveys, and edit the assessment and strategy reports
| Aiken Land Conservancy American Forest Foundation American Tree Farm System - SC Army Corps of Engineers Association of Consulting Foresters Beaufort County Open Land Trust Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Government Black Creek Land Trust Bureau of Land Management Catawba Indian Nation Catawba Regional Planning Council Central Midlands Council of Government Clemson Extension Service Clemson University Coastal Conservation League Community Open Land Trust Congaree Land Trust Conservation Voters of SC Ducks Unlimited Edisto Island Land Trust Environmental Defense Fund Foresters Council Hilton Head Island Land Trust Katawba Valley Land Trust Longleaf Alliance Lowcountry Open Land Trust Lower Savannah Council of Government Municipal Association of South Carolina Nation Ford Land Trust National Arbor Day Foundation National Audubon Society National Park Service National Rifle Association National Wild Turkey Federation National Wildlife Federation Naturaland Trust Palmetto Agribusiness Council Palmetto Conservation Foundation Palmetto Conservation Foundation Partnership for the Blue Ridge Pee Dee Land Trust Pee Dee Regional Council of Government Quail Unlimited S.C. Appalachian Council of Government Santee Indian Organization Santee Lynches Council of Government | SC Department of Health & Environmental Control SC Department of Natural Resources SC American Planning Association SC Association of Conservation Districts SC Association of Counties SC Association of Realtors SC Camo Coalition SC Chamber of Commerce SC Conservation Bank SC Department of Agriculture SC Farm Bureau SC Forestry Association SC Home Builders Association SC Land Trust Network SC Landscape & Turfgrass Association SC Native Plant Society SC Nursery & Landscape Association SC Prescribed Fire Council SC Sportsmen's Association SC State Park Service SC Timber Producers Assoc. SC Tourism Council SC Tree Farm Committee SC Urban & Community Forestry Council SC Wildlife Federation SCANA SFI Committee Sierra Club Stewardship Coordinating Committee Strom Thurmond Institute - Jim Self Center Sustaining Family Forests The Conservation Fund The Land Trust Alliance The Nature Conservancy Trout Unlimited Trust for Public Land Upper Savannah Council of Government Upstate Forever Urban Land Institute US Fish & Wildlife Service USDA Farm Services Agency USDA Forest Service USDA NRCS Waccamaw Regional Planning & Development Council Wildlife Action, Inc. |
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