1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 10 11 TO CELEBRATE SIXTYFIVE YEARS OF TREE FARMING IN 12 THE PALMETTO STATE AND SALUTE THE SOUTH 13 CAROLINA TREE FARM PROGRAM. 14 15 Whereas, the State of South Carolina is celebrating sixtyfive years 16 of tree farming in 2011; and 17 18 Whereas, the American Tree Farm System is a nationwide 19 program that gives public recognition to more than ninety 20 thousand private forest landowners who are managing their forests 21 for wood, wildlife habitat, recreation, aesthetics, and clean water; 22 and 23 24 Whereas, the American Tree Farm System is sponsored by the 25 nation’s woodusing industries through the American Forest 26 Foundation with the assistance of forestry organizations, public 27 agencies, consulting foresters, and others; and 28 29 Whereas, the Tree Farm Program in South Carolina is sponsored 30 by the South Carolina Forestry Association, South Carolina 31 Forestry Commission, and Clemson Extension Service with 32 assistance from forestry organizations, consulting foresters, and 33 others; and 34 35 Whereas, South Carolina has more standing timber volume than 36 ever previously recorded in this great State, covering twothirds of 37 our land, or 13.1 million forested acres, supporting expanding 38 industry investment, clean watersheds, beautiful landscapes, and 39 abundant wildlife; and 40 41 Whereas, eightyeight percent of South Carolina’s forests are 42 privately owned, sixtyseven percent of this amount by family

[3776] 1 1 forest owners and twentyone percent by industry, with the 2 remaining twelve percent publicly owned; and 3 4 Whereas, forestry has emerged as the numberone manufacturing 5 industry in South Carolina in employment and wages paid to 6 support South Carolina families; and 7 8 Whereas, timber is the state’s largest cash crop, with a delivered 9 value of $784 million, and the annual total economic impact of 10 South Carolina’s forestproducts industry is more than $17 billion, 11 providing 90,624 jobs in the Palmetto State, supporting families, 12 and providing $4.1 billion annually in labor income; and 13 14 Whereas, the South Carolina Forestry 20x15 Project, which has as 15 its aim growing forestry’s annual economic impact to $20 billion, 16 relies upon private timber production; and 17 18 Whereas, landowners and industry must have adequate protection 19 from wildfire for their forests and investments, and prescribed fire 20 is an essential, costeffective forestmanagement tool that maintains 21 healthy forests, reduces the occurrence and intensity of wildfires 22 by controlling hazardous underbrush, controls insects and disease, 23 enhances wildlife habitat, protects plant species that are dependent 24 on fire, and prepares lands for reforestation; and 25 26 Whereas, private forests fulfill a critical role in providing biomass 27 for renewable energy, with the potential to supply the energy needs 28 for onethird of all homes in the state; and 29 30 Whereas, the sixtyfifth anniversary of tree farming in South 31 Carolina is an occasion deserving of special recognition, and the 32 members of the Senate take great pleasure in honoring it and in 33 extending best wishes to the South Carolina Tree Farm Program 34 for much continued success in years to come. Now, therefore, 35 36 Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate 37 concurring: 38 39 That the members of the South Carolina General Assembly, by this 40 resolution, celebrate sixtyfive years of tree farming in the Palmetto 41 State and salute the South Carolina Tree Farm Program. 42

[3776] 2 1 Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be provided to 2 the South Carolina Forestry Association, the South Carolina Tree 3 Farm Committee, the South Carolina Forestry Commission, and 4 Clemson Extension Service. 5 XX 6

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