Forest Management
South Carolina's national forests offer a rare variety of resources from the mountains to the sea. The USDA Forest Service manages these resources for their protection, as well as their enjoyment by the public. For more information on resource management on the Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests, please see the links below.
Aquatic Resources
Looking for some simple outdoor fun for your family? Did you know that the Forest Service actively manages more than a dozen freshwater fishing ponds on the Francis Marion National Forest near Charleston?
The ponds, which vary in size from a half acre up to 8 acres, are all easily accessible from Forest Service roads for fishing from the bank. The ponds also provide an excellent opportunity for anglers with small boats—including kayaks and canoes—to access pristine freshwaters surrounded by undeveloped forest.
- Special Use Permits
Various groups and individuals regularly approach the Forest Service with requests to use national forest lands for an array of diverse activities. The Forest Service must always weigh whether the proposed use is compatible with the values that make the national forest an irreplaceable forest – including plants, animals, beauty, clean air and water, recreation opportunities, and forest products. Applicants for special-use permits should note that the permitting process is time-consuming, may require multi-step National Forest Management Act (NFMA) analysis and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documentation, and ultimately may not be approved. The Forest Service will evaluate special use applications to see if they are in the public interest. At a minimum, these proposals should: be consistent with Forest Plan management area objectives, standards, and desired future conditions; be consistent with other applicable Federal, State, and local statutes and regulations; and not be undertaken on national forest land if they can be reasonably accommodated on private land.
- Easements and Grants for Roads and Trails
Under special circumstances, the Forest Service considers applications for road easements for access to private property. Easements are granted only if no other reasonable access is possible.
Ecosystem Management
- Timber
In the Organic Act of 1897, Multiple-Use Sustained-Yield Act of 1960, and National Forest Management Act of 1976, Congress directed that one of the purposes of national forests should be managing the ecosystem. This includes timber harvesting and removing merchantable trees for vegetative management.
Trees are important to the American people for scenic quality, recreation, wood for commercial and home use, wildlife habitat and watershed protection to name a few. One of our multiple goals is to manage a sustainable forest capable of producing high–quality wood products in perpetuity.
The Forest Service requires much time and planning using the latest scientific knowledge go into the preparation of a timber sale. It may take years to complete the treatment, from the start of the planning process through the completion of any prescribed harvesting. Funds from harvests are deposited into the National Treasury less a percentage that is returned to the specific county from which the trees were harvested. These returns are designated to be used for roads and schools.
- Silviculture
Silviculture is defined as the theory and practice of controlling forest establishment, composition, structure, and growth. More simply said, silviculture is about establishing, growing and tending stands of trees. A silviculturist is a forester who specializes in growing and managing trees that occur within the forest. Forests are not simply just trees but are made up of complex ecosystems. Therefore, regeneration is not simply planting trees but is a complex process affecting the entire ecosystem. It can include such management tools as prescribe burning, scarification, chopping and thinning.
Using knowledge about individual trees species (silvics), silviculturists are able to manage forests for various objectives. These objectives vary according to the landowner’s goals, such as timber production, wildlife habitat and recreational enjoyment.