Title 48, Environmental Protection and Conservation

The eleventh member appointed to the Mining Council of South Carolina, authorized by this chapter, shall be the Governor's alternate or designee on the Interstate Mining Commission as provided by the Interstate Mining Compact.

The South Carolina Geological Survey Unit is established under the Department of Natural Resources. The State Geologist must be hired by the Director of the Department of Natural Resources. He must have graduated from an accredited college or university with a full curriculum in …

(A) The State Geologist shall: (1) travel throughout the State so as to make himself familiar with the geology, geologic hazards, and mineral resources of each section; (2) undertake field and laboratory work his time permits; (3) perform other duties that properly pertain to his…

In addition to other duties assigned to it, the unit: (1) shall conduct field and laboratory studies in geologic reconnaissance, mapping, evaluating mineral resources, and related gathering of surface and subsurface data. Investigative areas include offshore and onshore lands in …

The unit shall maintain all unpublished information in its files which must be open to the public, except in cases where the investigator still has work in progress on a project leading to a publication or where an industrial firm, interested in possibly locating in the State, as…

The unit shall work impartially for the benefit of the public, and no person, firm, or governmental agency may call upon or require the State Geologist or unit staff to enter upon a special survey for his or their special benefit.

There is created and established a State Commission of Forestry to consist of nine members, each of whom shall be a resident of this State and shall be appointed by the Governor. Of this commission, two members shall be practical lumbermen, one member shall be a farmer who is a l…

The State Commission of Forestry may grow and sell tree seedlings and transplants to landowners desiring to plant them for reforestation, wildlife, and Christmas tree purposes. No trees may be sold by the commission under the provisions of this section that are to be planted for …

The State Fiscal Accountability Authority shall convey to the State Commission of Forestry certain wastelands now owned by such authority or hereafter owned by the State, as in the judgment of the authority may be to the interest of the State for forestry development, reforestati…

The State Commission of Forestry may acquire, by purchase, gift or otherwise, submarginal agricultural lands and cut over forest lands in this State at an average price not to exceed five dollars per acre and in no event above ten dollars per acre and use such lands for timber pr…

The State Commission of Forestry may enter into agreements with the Federal Government or other agencies for acquiring by lease, purchase or otherwise such lands as in the judgment of the Commission are desirable for State forests. When lands are acquired or leased under this sec…

Revenue received from hunting privileges, rentals, fuel wood sales, the marketing of pine straw, merchantable timber, forest tree seed, and miscellaneous products on commission lands, excluding Sand Hills State Forest, must be retained by the commission to be used for reforestati…

In order to finance the cost of acquiring land for use as a second generation tree seed orchard, additional seedling production facilities, and field offices, the State Forestry Commission may borrow from one or more financial institutions or from whatever other source is appropr…

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for the payment of the loan and the interest thereon, there is annually pledged all revenues derived from the sale of timber from Forestry Commission lands which exceed the amount of one hundred eight thousand, six hundred seventy dolla…

The State Commission of Forestry may accept and hold gifts, donations or contributions from individuals, associations, corporations, counties, municipalities, the Federal Government or other agencies and may acquire real estate for purposes within the powers and duties of the Com…

Compensation supplements paid commission personnel by counties or other political subdivisions, or both, must not be extended to additional employees nor increased.

All of such funds shall be disbursed by the State Treasurer upon warrants drawn by the State Commission of Forestry.

The Commission may sell, exchange or lease lands under its jurisdiction when in its judgment it is advantageous to the State to do so for the most orderly development and management of State forests, except that no such sale, lease or exchange shall be contrary to the terms of an…

Whenever it shall become necessary to execute deeds, mortgages or contracts to carry out any of the provisions of this chapter the Commission may, by resolution duly adopted, delegate the execution and delivery of any such documents to the chairman of the Commission and the State…

The State Commission of Forestry may mark or tally trees under approved forestry practices preparatory to the cutting or using of such trees for lumber, veneer, poles, piling, pulpwood, cordwood and all other forest products when and if requested by the landowner or his agent. Th…

The State Commission of Forestry may permit telephone line attachments to its poles under such terms and conditions as the Commission deems advisable and charge standard rental rates therefor. But before the Commission shall grant authority for such attachments it shall require t…

The terms of office of the present members of the State Commission of Forestry are hereby extended from the thirtieth day of May to the thirtieth day of June of the year in which their present terms expire. The successor to the member whose term expires hereunder on June 30, 1953…

The State Commission of Forestry may make such rules and regulations as it deems advisable for the protection, preservation, operation and maintenance, and for the most beneficial service to the general public, of the State forests in this State.

(A) For purposes of this section: (1) "Development" means any activity, including timber harvesting, that is associated with the conversion of forestland to nonforest or nonagricultural use. (2) "Forestland" means land supporting a stand or potential stand of trees valuable for t…

The Commission may pledge fifty per cent of the net income from lands acquired under SECTION 48-23-120 for the repayment of labor costs incurred under Federal laws pertaining to reforestation, should such be made a requisite by the Federal Government.

The State Commission of Forestry may borrow from time to time sums of money not exceeding five hundred thousand dollars from any source available and issue evidences of indebtedness therefor in the form of notes or bonds, as may be determined by the Commission, at a rate of inter…

The State is in no manner liable for any debt incurred under the terms of SECTION 48-23-220 but all such obligations shall be met by the State Forestry Commission out of moneys coming into its hands from the property pledged and at least fifty per cent of its income from sales, i…

Obligations for the acquisition of land incurred by the Commission under the authority of SECTION 48-23-130 shall be paid solely and exclusively from revenues derived from such lands and shall not impose any liability upon the general credit and taxing power of the State.

The revenues derived from lands owned by the Commission shall be segregated by the State Treasurer for the use of the Commission in the acquisition, management, development and use of such lands until all obligations incurred have been paid in full. Fifty per cent of all net prof…

The State Treasurer must pay to a county containing state forest lands an amount equal to twenty-five percent of the gross proceeds received by the State in each fiscal year from the sale of timber, pulpwood, poles, gravel, and other privileges on state forest lands within the co…

(A)(1) A person who purchases forest products directly from a landowner possessing lands in this State, and who has received payment for the forest products from a sale to a third party, must make payment in full to the landowner within forty-five days of the receipt of payment. …

(1) The State Commission of Forestry is hereby authorized to expend annually an amount not to exceed one half the total receipts derived annually from the State parks (sale of timber products only) under the administration of the Commission in order to commence a program not exce…

The Commission may expend annually an amount not to exceed the total receipts derived annually from the State forests under the administration of the Commission in order to commence a program not exceeding seven years to carry out scrub oak eradication operations on the Mancheste…

The State Commission of Forestry may use the income from the Sand Hills State Forest, with the approval of the State Department of Administration, for the operation, development, and obligations of the forest and other purposes. Income not expended in one year must be retained by…

(A) The State Commission of Forestry may make available forestry services consisting of scientific, technical, and practical services to landowners of the State to assist them in the afforestation, reforestation, and maximum production of their woodland. These services consist of…

The members of the Commission shall from their number select a chairman whose duty shall be to call the Commission together as often as the public interests and need demand. The place of the meeting shall be designated by the chairman, who shall likewise designate a place for the…

A major facility project as defined in Section 48-52-810(10) requesting third-party certification shall not be allowed to seek a rating point that would discriminate against wood products of this State derived from forest lands certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative or …

The members of the Commission shall be paid their actual expenses while in attendance upon the meetings of the Commission or while going to and from such meetings.

The Commission shall appoint and employ a State Forester, who shall be a technically trained forester with at least two years' experience in technical, practical and administrative work, and shall fix his compensation. The State Forester shall perform all such duties as shall be …

The State Forester shall serve as the secretary of the Commission and shall be custodian of the books, records and papers of the Commission which he shall keep at the headquarters designated by the Commission.

(A) It is unlawful for a person to: (1) remove a shrub, tree, or forest product or attempt to do so, from State Commission of Forestry land without the permission of the commission; (2) cut or mutilate a shrub or tree growing on State Commission of Forestry land without the permi…

The State Commission of Forestry may acquire, own, sell, lease, exchange, transfer, rent, pledge and mortgage real and personal property and cooperate with all agencies of the Federal Government in all matters pertaining to reforestation and providing employment for the benefit o…

The Forestry Commission may negotiate agreements with Federal Agencies for providing fire, detection, presuppression, and suppression services on Federal lands. The charges for these services must be no less than the cost to the Commission for rendering the services. All receipts…

The State Forester shall take immediate action upon report of a forest disaster to determine the extent of damage by conducting ground and aerial surveys including photography if necessary. When conditions warrant, the State Forester shall declare that a forest disaster exists an…

The Commission shall inquire into and make an annual report to the General Assembly upon the forest conditions in the State, with reference to the preservation of forests, the effect of the destruction of forests upon the general welfare of the State and other matters pertaining …

The State Commission of Forestry shall prescribe and prepare a special official summons form to be used exclusively by its law enforcement officers in making arrests for misdemeanors triable in magistrate's court. A person charged with these offenses, upon service of the commissi…