South Carolina's Statewide Forest Resource Assessment and Strategy
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South Carolina’s Statewide Forest Resource Assessment and Strategy Conditions, Trends, Threats, Benefits, and Issues June 2010 Funding source Funding for this project was provided through a grant from the USDA Forest Service. USDA Nondiscrimination Statement “The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.” A Message from the State Forester South Carolina is blessed with a rich diversity of forest resources. Comprising approximately 13 million acres, these forests range from hardwood coves in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains to maritime forests along the Atlantic Coast. Along with this diversity comes a myriad of benefits that these forests provide as well as a range of challenges that threaten their very existence. One of the most tangible benefits is the economic impact of forestry, contributing over $17.4 billion to the state’s economy and providing nearly 45,000 jobs. South Carolina’s forests also provide recreational opportunities for her citizens, diverse habitat for numerous wildlife species, and scenic beauty for all to enjoy. In addition, trees sequester carbon, provide for clean air and water, and soften the impact of streets and parking lots. The state’s forests also face many challenges. Some of these are biological, such as attacks by insects and diseases, while others are weather-related, such as drought and storms. Still other perils are due to man’s activities, the most notable of which are wildfires and conversion of forestland to other uses. The South Carolina Forestry Commission is charged with protecting and developing the forest resources of our state. Unfortunately, the agency is facing many challenges itself. Dramatically reduced state funding has resulted in reduced financial resources with which the Forestry Commission can provide the staffing and equipment needed to carry out its mission. The agency has had to greatly downsize its staffing and adjust in an effort to continue to be able to accomplish its mission provide the level of service that the citizens of South Carolina have come to expect and our forest resources deserve. This Statewide Forest Resource Assessment was developed as a first step in identifying and quantifying the issues that face our state’s forests and to assist in focusing reduced Commission capacity on the most important tasks. During this process, resource management experts and forestry-related organizations came together and prioritized these challenges so that strategies could be formulated. This type of collaborative, partner-based approach will be crucial as the SC Forestry Commission moves ahead in the 21st century and embraces the challenges that lie ahead. We invite you to go with us on this journey and work with us to ensure that our forests are able to continue providing the economic, environmental, and social benefits that are critical to our quality of life. Best regards, Gene Kodama State Forester South Carolina Forestry Commission 4 Table of Contents List of Figures………………………………………………………………………………………..………...7 List of Tables and Maps……………………………………………………………………………...……....8 Acknowledgements …………………………………………………………………...……………………. 9 Executive Summary…………………………………………………………………...……………………..10 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………...………………………12 ASSESSMENT Overarching Issues……….……………………………………………...………………………...……….17 Population Growth…………………………………………………...18 Public Perceptions about Forestry………………………………..22 Climate Change…………………………………………………...….24 Conserving South Carolina’s Working Forests……………………...……………………….………27 Forest Area…………………………………………………………….28 Forest Ownership…………………………………………………….28 Timber Supply………………………………………………………...31 Economic Impact…………………………………..………………...32 Forest Regulation………………………………………….………...34 Critical Habitats…………………………………………………..…..37 Protecting South Carolina’s Forests From Harm……………………………………..……………..43 Wildfire Risk………………………………………………………….44 Prescribed Fire…….…………………………………………………52 Threats to Forest Health…………………………………………...55 Enhancing the Benefits of South Carolina’s Trees and Forests……………………………….…73 Water Quality and Quantity…………..………………………....74 Air Quality…………………………………………………….….…78 Community Forests in South Carolina………………….….…84 Stormwater Management……………………………………..…89 Table of Contents (cont.) STRATEGY Introduction…………………………………………………………………………..……………….94 Overarching Issues………………………………………………………………..…………………95 Conserving South Carolina’s Working Forests…………………………………………….….109 Protecting South Carolina’s Forests From Harm……………………………………………...122 Enhancing the Benefits of South Carolina’s Trees and Forests…………………………...135 SC Forestry Commission Programs……………….………………………..………………….144 APPENDIX Appendix 1 – Development of Priority Areas…………………………………………………………...154 Appendix 2—Priority Area Maps…………………………………………………………………………..178 Appendix 3 – Multi-State Issues……………………………………………………………………...…...196 Appendix 4 – National Objectives………………………………………………………………………...197 Appendix 5– Stakeholders …………………………………….………………………….……………....198 Appendix 6– Key Findings…………………………...…………………………………….………….…...202 Appendix 7– Forest Legacy Assessment of Need……………………………………...………….….206 List of Figures Figure 1: Population Growth in South Carolina from 1960 – 2000 18 Figure 2: Population Growth – 1900-2005 19 Figure 3: Ownership of Forest Land in South Carolina 29 Figure 4: Acres of Tree Planting in South Carolina 32 Figure 5: Counties in South Carolina with Tree Protection Ordinances 35 Figure 6: Counties in South Carolina with Outdoor Burning Ordinances 36 Figure 7: Wildfire Risk in South Carolina 44 Figure 8: FireWise Communities/USA and Communities at Risk from Wildfire 46 Figure 9: Five-Year Wildfire Occurrence (2005 – 2009) 49 Figure 10: 1989 Suppression Unit Still in Use by the Agency 50 Figure 11: 1997 Pickup with Pumper 51 Figure 12: Southern Pine Beetle Hazard Map for South Carolina 57 Figure 13: Distribution of Cogongrass by County in South Carolina 58 Figure 14: Hemlock Wooly Adelgid Potential in South Carolina 62 Figure 15: Fusiform Rust Hazard for Loblolly Pine 68 Figure 16: Fusiform Rust Hazard for Slash Pine 69 Figure 17: Distribution of Counties with Laurel Wilt Disease by Year of Initial Detection 70 Figure 18: Counties in South Carolina where Oak Wilt Disease has been Identified 71 Figure 19: Compliance with BMPs related to Forest Harvesting Operations 75 Figure 20: Concentration of Ozone 80 Figure 21: Concentration of Particulate Matter 81 Figure 22: Impervious Surfaces in South Carolina Summarized by 12 Digit Watersheds 90 List of Tables Table 1: Size of Ownership of Forest Land in South Carolina 30 Table 2: Property Damaged or Destroyed by Wildfire 45 Table 3: Wildfires by Cause 47 Table 4: South Carolina Wildfires by Month 2005 -2009 48 Table 5: Prescribed Burning by Year 52 Table 6: Sources of Sediment by Land Use Type 74 List of Maps Map 1a: Priority Areas for Conserve Working Forests 179 Map 1b: Priority Landscapes for Conserve Working Forests 180 Map 2a: Priority Areas for Wildfire Risk 181 Map 2b: Priority Landscapes for Wildfire Risk 182 Map 3a: Priority Areas for Early Detection Rapid Response 183 Map 4a: Priority Areas for Major Threats to Forest Health 184 Map 5a: Priority Areas for Threats to Forest Health 185 Map 5b: Priority Landscapes for Threats to Forest Health 186 Map 6a: Priority Areas for Protect Forests from Harm 187 Map 6b: Priority Landscapes for Protect Forests from Harm 188 Map 7a: Priority Areas for Water Quality and Quantity 189 Map 7b: Priority Landscape for Watershed Quality and Quantity 190 Map 8a: Priority Areas for Community Forestry 191 Map 9a: Priority Areas for Enhance Benefits from Trees and Forests 192 Map 9b: Priority Landscapes for Enhance Benefits from Trees and Forests 193 Map 10a: Overall Priority Areas for South Carolina’s Statewide Forest Resource Assessment 194 Map 10b: Overall Priority Landscapes for South Carolina’s Statewide Forest Resource Assessment195 Acknowledgements Authors This document is a product of the combined effort of a diverse team of natural resource professionals. As shown below, these individuals represent several organizations and brought a varied perspective to each of the issues that they addressed. Russell Hubright Project Leader SC Forestry Commission Nathan Strong Advisor SC Office of Human Resources Tanika Bryant Advisor SC Office of Human Resources Kris Mayer Advisor SC Office of Human Resources Carla Harkness Advisor SC Office of Human Resources April Stockton Advisor SC Office of Human Resources Darryl Jones Advisor SC Forestry Commission Judy Barnes Working Group Leader SC Dept. of Natural Resources Paul Watts Working Group Leader SC Forestry Commission Guy Sabin Working Group Leader SC Forestry Commission