SFC and WEA Present Landscape Management Plan to South Carolina Stakeholders
Wiregrass Ecological Associates (WEA) and Southern Forestry Consultants (SFC) staff were in Columbia, South Carolina last week to present the South Carolina Landscape Management Plan (LMP) for stakeholder review. Stefan Bourgoin (Senior Scientist and Project Manager) and Austin Carroll (WEA President and SFC Partner) were on hand to present the draft LMP document and geodatabase they composed. The meeting was held at the South Carolina Forestry Commission (SCFC) headquarters in Lexington, SC. SCFC Forest Management Chief Russell Hubright and State Stewardship Coordinator Chisolm Beckham hosted the event and have been instrumental in development of the South Carolina LMP. The diverse group of attendees represented stakeholders from 40 various national and state organizations, including Audubon of South Carolina, the Center for Heirs’ Property Preservation, South Carolina Forestry Commission, International Paper Company, Longleaf Alliance, National Wild Turkey Federation, and South Carolina Tree Farm Committee, among many others. South Carolina is one of multiple states for which SFC and WEA are currently developing LMPs including Florida, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Georgia.
The LMP is a document produced through the American Forest Foundation (AFF) geared toward increasing landowner engagement in the American Tree Farm System (ATFS). Streamlining the process for landowners to meet with a forester and enroll their property in ATFS is essential in conserving, protecting, and harvesting timber land throughout South Carolina. The LMP provides comprehensive details on various ecological and silvicultural topics (ecoregions, state forest types, landowner objectives, landscape objectives, conservation incentives, etc.) to give landowners options for managing their land within the ATFS guidelines.