Celebrating South Carolina’s Sustainable Forests

1. Celebrating South Carolina’s Sustainable Forests SCFA/SFI Legislative Luncheon The Summit Club Columbia, South Carolina April 10, 2002

2. Abandoned crop fields of the 1930s… often left the landscape eroded.

3. While much of the landscape began recovery through reforestation programs, emerging logging systems created benefits and problems. Manufacturing created wood waste and lacked environmental protection.

4. Dangerous and labor intensive logging systems within our life … have been replaced with efficient logging systems requiring less labor and many safety features. Future… environmentally friendly systems that merchandize trees in the woods.

5. LAND USE (Million Acres) Forest 12.5 Agriculture 3.6 Water 0.7 Urban 2.5 TOTAL 19.3 Wetlands 4.5 (Included in Land Uses) Sources: USDA Forest Service and SC Forestry Commission, FIA Data Strom Thurmond Institute, Image

6. SC Ownership Classes 12.3 Million Timberland Acres Private 74% Industry USFS Public 16% 5% 5%  3 of 4 acres are Private Landowners Only 1 out of 10 acres are USFS/Public Source: USDA Forest Service, and SC Forestry Commission, FIA Data

7. South Carolina Forest Type Distribution 12.3 Million Acres Hardwood Pine Bottomland Plantations 20.3% 24.8% Upland Hardwood Natural Pine 19.4% Oak-Pine 23.8% 11.7% Diversity of the forests Source: USDA Forest Service, and SC Forestry Commission, FIA Data

8. Historical Forest Inventory - SC 10 Softwood 9 Hardwood 8 7 6 Billion Cubic Feet 5 4 3 2 1 0 1958 1968 1978 1986 1993 2000 Years Source: USDA Forest Service, and SC Forestry Commission, FIA Data Doubled+ the volume of softwood and hardwood (sustainability). Remarkable recovery, since Hugo destroyed the equivalent of 4 years of harvesting in one night.

9. Forest Ownership Trends in SC 6,000 Farmer 5,000 Individual 4,000 Area (000 acres) 3,000 Industry 2,000 1,000 Corporate 0 Source: USDA Forest Service, FIA Data 1968 1978 1986 1993 Year Trend - the conversion of farm land to forests for last 20 years. Biggest gains for individuals, while industry has begun divesting timberland to corporate (pension fund – John Hancock, Wachovia).

10. Soil Bank Program Conservation Reserve Program Source: SC Forestry Commission Potential “wall of wood” available in the next 20 years for rural economic development.

11. Million Timber $876 Broilers $342 Greenhouse $200 Turkeys $137 Tobacco $131 Cattle $106 Cotton $ 84 Eggs $ 65 Milk $ 60 Soybeans $ 46 Top 10 Ag Products $2 Billion/Year Source: 1999 S.C. Agricultural Statistics Service Cash receipts for farms and delivered value for timber

12. Economic Value of Wildlife $1.5 billion annual economic impact Wildlife recreation, hunting, fishing $6-8 million/year to McCormick & Jasper Rural economic impact $30 million/year for land-use access fees to private landowners Timber $876 Million Million Colleton $45 Horry $44 Fairfield $32 Georgetown $31 Florence $30 Source: 1999 S.C. Agricultural Statistics Service Cash receipts for farms and delivered value for timber

13. # of People Per Square Mile* > 800 400 - 800 200 - 400 100 - 200 0 - 100 * 1999 population estimates by CACI International, Inc. based on 1990 US Census At approximately 45 people/square mile, there is a 50:50 chance of practicing forestry. At 150 people/square mile, forestry approaches zero Virginia Study (D. Ware, et al., USDA Forest Service,1998).

14. Forestry ranks 3rd in total employees in manufacturing. Forestry ranks 2nd in capital expenditures in manufacturing. Textile Mills Chemical Forestry Industry Transportation Equipment Plastics & Rubber Products

15. Abundant forest inventory Poised for global market Rural Economic Development Engineered wood products Renewable and recyclable resource Environmentally friendly Recreation benefits Future Opportunities:

16. Let’s Celebrate South Carolina’s Forests Healthy Productive Sustainable