Nearly half of South Carolina is covered with trees. You'd think that with millions of acres of forests we wouldn't need to worry about protecting them. But over the years, things like urban encroachment— you know, building restaurants, shopping centers and highways— have replaced thousands of acres of valuable woodlands and wildlife habitat. As these forests disappear, it becomes more important to care for the trees that remain. That's what they call forest management. 

Trees are a renewable resource, right?  That means there is virtually an unlimited supply if we take care of our forests. Here are a few ways foresters manage forests: Harvests are staggered over many years. While new trees are growing in one part of the woods, another is cut and quickly replanted with seedlings. Forest managers sometimes use fire to help keep the forest healthy. Small controlled fires get rid of dead brush which could fuel massive forest fires. They also open new habitat for wildlife and new plant growth and return nutrients to the soil.

With responsible forest practices we enjoy the environmental benefits that forests bring and the products that trees provide.