South Carolina has Reason to Protect Conservation, Celebrate Earth Day

Matthew D’Onofrio /Dogwood Alliance

Since 1970, we have celebrated our planet and its precious lands, air, water, and wildlife. That is why Dogwood Alliance continues to draw attention to pressing environmental and social issues, such as climate change, resource destruction, and biodiversity loss. Especially forests in America, which continue to face degradation due to logging and industrial pollution. Protecting them is vital to solving ecological crises and restoring the economy

South Carolina is home to 3.1 million worth of wetland forests, including the natural gem that is Congaree National Park. The economic value of these forests equates to $39.6 billion, which is broken down by $11.9 billion through protection from extreme events, $9.8 billion in aesthetics, tourism, and recreation, $9 billion from water supply and waste treatment, $5.7 billion via food and pollination, $3.4 billion per regulating services, and $180 million with raw materials. Overall, the total number would increase by $5.1 billion under the aegis of further investment in state conservation.

It is imperative to protect our forests for the sake of ecology, culture, and economy. However, this country, despite being one of the world's largest consumers of wood and paper products, has a poor history of protecting its trees. Forests offer a range of essential ecological, cultural, and economic benefits, such as providing clean water, wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities, and even jobs in the industry. By promoting conservation, implementing better regulations on industrial logging practices, and supporting sustainable forestry methods, the United States can safeguard our invaluable trees while balancing both economic and ecological concerns.

For more than 25 years, Dogwood Alliance has fought threats to our forests and frontline communities. The group promotes forest protection as the best solution to climate change, partnering with communities to develop economic solutions that work with and for forests.