South Carolina and Forestry

/ Johnson Land & Timber/

According to the South Carolina Department of Agriculture, the industry of forestry ranks No. 1 among South Carolina's manufacturing industries in jobs and payroll. The Palmetto state has 13.1 million acres of forestland, and that is actually about 68% of South Carolina's total land area! As a proud player in the agriculture "big picture" of the state, forestry contributes more than 44,000 jobs to the economy. Here is something else you may not know: South Carolina exports about $1 BILLION in forest products each year. I know there's a lot of facts and numbers here, but all together, the forestry industry has a more than $17 billion annual impact on the state's economy. Cam Crawford, president of the SC Forestry Association has been quoted as saying: "We're proud of our forestry industry. It's a huge, long-term industry in our state." 

Stack of logs. Photo credit Russel Wills.

Stack of logs. Photo credit Russel Wills.

The location of the port of Charleston in our state is another reason forestry is such a huge bolster to the state's economy. Forest products are the number one export moved through the port. Let's face it: our world is getting smaller every day. South Carolina forestry products are shipped to places like Turkey, the Netherlands, Germany, South Korea, and the United Kingdom, and that is only a handful of places. Exporting opportunities will continue to get more numerous. In preparation for larger marine vessels to travel, the Charleston, SC harbor is being deepened; a new facility at the former Navy base is also being constructed. 

Here a just a few more bits of info about forestry in South Carolina that you may not have already known: 

  • Forests cover two-thirds of SC
  • The average South Carolina "family forest" is 66 acres
  • SC's top forestry products are paper and paperboard-related products
  • Also among top forestry products in SC are wood pulp
  • "Green Power" can be made using woody biomass from forestry by-products

South Carolina has extremely STRONG ROOTS in its forestry industry. It is surely something for South Carolinians to take pride in.