Timber is a major industry in South Carolina – in fact, it is the number one cash crop, creating over 90,000 jobs and bringing in $17 billion annually to the state’s economy. With numbers of that size, one would be quick to assume that the industry in unsustainable. Anyone who has taken an economics class would immediately consider the models of renewable natural resources in which the resources are quickly exploited. With such a large timber demand from South Carolina, both nationally and internationally, shouldn’t we be worried about depletion?
The answer, I found, is no, not for the time being. One reason for this comes as a result of the recession. With the declining economy, the housing market (as we know) took a hit which led to a decreasing market in timber for building new houses. Because less trees were being harvested, many forests were able to replenish and grow back. In fact, the forests are fuller than they have been in the past 100 years. This has led to an increase in harvesting, but at a more sustainable rate for the forest.
Furthermore, it was interesting to find out that 88% of South Carolina’s forests are privately owned, and 64% of the private forests are family owned. With this in mind, it is in the family and private land owners’ best interests to maintain the sustainability to maintain their personal welfare. If they exploit the forests too fast, they will compromise the future of their business and livelihood. For that reason, implementation of safe and sustainable practices such as controlled burns help to maintain the health of the forests.
Forest and timber industries perhaps are more sustainable that I had initially imagined, yet this comes at a price, and for us to continue in a sustainable manner we must maintain safe, non-exploitable practices.
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