Forest Health Highlights 1997
South Carolina
The South Carolina Forestry Commission provides forest health protection assistance to state and private land managers within the State. This program is funded cooperatively by the State and the USDA Forest Service Forest Health Protection unit.
South Carolina Forest Facts
Over
2/3 of the entire state of South Carolina is forested (more
than 12.5 million acres).
Over
90% of forested acreage in South Carolina is privately owned.
The
Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests (560,000 acres) provide
recreational and wildlife benefits as well as timber products and jobs
to thousands of people.
The
southern pine beetle (SPB) is South Carolina's most destructive
forest insect pest. In 1995, the State suffered the worst outbreak on
record when over $100 million worth of timber was killed. Beetle populations
have declined since that time. In 1997, SPB populations were at outbreak
levels in the western part of the state early in the year. Those populations
declined in the spring and by mid summer the beetle activity increased
dramatically along the coast. Throughout the year there were 1,990 infestations
affecting almost 850,000 acres of host type. The outlook for 1998 is for
increasing SPB population levels.
Fusiform
rust is the most destructive disease of southern pines in South Carolina.
The fungus has severely infected pine stands on an estimated 1.4 million
acres in 1997.
Forest
tree nurseries are closely monitored and destructive insects and diseases
are rapidly controlled.
The
gypsy moth threatens South Carolina's hardwood forests. Using a
statewide network of traps, the Forestry Commission and USDA Forest Service
work closely together to monitor for any accidental introductions of the
gypsy moth. An introduction of the Asian gypsy moth was successfully eradicated
in 1995 north of Myrtle Beach.
Dogwood
anthracnose is a disease that occurs in the forest environment at
higher elevations and in moist areas. This disease is currently found
in 6 counties in the western part of the State. Mortality of the native
dogwoods ranges from 5% to 50% in these areas.
The South Carolina Forestry Commission
and USDA Forest Service
In spite of the relatively good health of South Carolina's forests, a variety of insects and diseases (both native and introduced), and human-caused impacts such as air pollution, continue to threaten the State's resources. To deal with this constantly changing mix of challenges, the Forestry Commission and the Forest Health Protection unit of the USDA Forest Service cooperate to prevent, detect, suppress and manage this multitude of threats. The partnership between the two agencies has worked for three decades to maintain and improve the health of South Carolina's forests.
Forest Health Protection contributions (dollars) to South Carolina Forestry Commission Cooperative Forest Health program, cooperative suppression projects, and Francis Marion/ Sumter National Forest suppression projects, 1995-98.