2005-2006 Bill 1179: Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests - South Carolina Legislature

1 South Carolina General Assembly 2 116th Session, 2005-2006 3 4 S. 1179 5 6 STATUS INFORMATION 7 8 Concurrent Resolution 9 Sponsors: Senators Grooms, Campsen, Cleary, Richardson and Alexander 10 Document Path: l:\council\bills\nbd\12192ac06.doc 11 Companion/Similar bill(s): 4718 12 13 Introduced in the Senate on February 23, 2006 14 Introduced in the House on March 9, 2006 15 Adopted by the General Assembly on March 15, 2006 16 17 Summary: Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests 18 19 20 HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS 21 22 Date Body Action Description with journal page number 23 2/23/2006 Senate Introduced SJ-2 24 2/23/2006 Senate Referred to Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources SJ-2 25 3/1/2006 Senate Recalled from Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources SJ-14 26 3/9/2006 Senate Adopted, sent to House SJ-39 27 3/9/2006 House Introduced HJ-8 28 3/9/2006 House Referred to Committee on Invitations and Memorial Resolutions HJ-8 29 3/14/2006 House Committee report: Favorable Invitations and Memorial Resolutions HJ-41 30 3/15/2006 House Adopted, returned to Senate with concurrence HJ-19 31 32 33 VERSIONS OF THIS BILL 34 35 2/23/2006 36 3/1/2006 37 3/14/2006 38 1 COMMITTEE REPORT 2 March 14, 2006 3 4 S. 1179 5 6 Introduced by Senators Grooms, Campsen, Cleary, Richardson and 7 Alexander 8 9 S. Printed 3/14/06--H. 10 Read the first time March 9, 2006. 11 12 13 THE COMMITTEE ON 14 INVITATIONS AND MEMORIAL RESOLUTIONS 15 To whom was referred a Concurrent Resolution (S. 1179) to 16 urge the South Carolina Congressional Delegation to oppose the 17 sale of land in the Francis Marion, etc., respectfully 18 REPORT: 19 That they have duly and carefully considered the same and 20 recommend that the same do pass: 21 22 ROBERT W. LEACH, SR. for Committee. 23

1 [1179-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 10 11 TO URGE THE SOUTH CAROLINA CONGRESSIONAL 12 DELEGATION TO OPPOSE THE SALE OF LAND IN THE 13 FRANCIS MARION AND SUMTER NATIONAL FORESTS. 14 15 Whereas, the sale of more than 300,000 acres of national forest 16 land, an amount of land roughly equal to the size of the Francis 17 Marion National Forest, has been proposed; and 18 19 Whereas, in South Carolina, the proposed sale of land includes 20 selling 4,665 acres in 45 tracts in the Francis Marion National 21 Forest and Sumter National Forest; and 22 23 Whereas, conservationists contend that the sale of this forested 24 property sets a bad precedent for the federal government selling 25 such properties in the future; and 26 27 Whereas, the Francis Marion National Forest is a 250,000 acre 28 ecological treasure home to some of the most important habitat 29 remaining in South Carolina due to its extensive longleaf pine and 30 savannah habitat on which animals, birds, and plants depend for 31 their existence; and 32 33 Whereas, the Francis Marion National Forest is already under 34 threat from development with a proposed road through the heart of 35 the forest and suburban development threatening to encroach upon 36 the forest; and 37 38 Whereas, selling this national forest land will open South Carolina 39 up to more uncontrolled growth, sending a negative message that 40 could undermine local attempts to restrain suburban sprawl 41 adjacent to the Francis Marion National Forest and diminish the 42 ongoing efforts of the United States Forest Service, which has

1 [1179] 1 1 been restoring this land since Hurricane Hugo devastated the area 2 in 1989; and 3 4 Whereas, after centuries of logging, farming, and development, the 5 State has very few areas left where stands of native forest can 6 grow, and the Francis Marion and the Sumter National Forests are 7 home to some of the these few remaining native forests, an 8 irreplaceable resource that must be protected. Now, therefore, 9 10 Be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives 11 concurring: 12 13 That the members of the South Carolina General Assembly, by this 14 resolution, urge the South Carolina congressional delegation to 15 oppose the sale of land in the Francis Marion and Sumter National 16 Forests. 17 18 Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to 19 each member of the South Carolina Congressional Delegation. 20 ----XX---- 21

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