Existing comment:
Government Steps In:
The last years of the 19th century and the first two decades of the 20th brought economic and political reforms that expanded the role of state and federal governments in many areas of American life. Although slower to respond to this trend than other regions, the South became more active in protecting its forests and waters. Meanwhile, the federal government launched programs of national significance.
National forests provide many benefits for the public and preserve for plant and animal species, some of which are endangered. People benefit from the forests' natural beauty, recreational opportunities and timber products, while habitats are actively managed.
National forest of the eastern United States were established by federal law in 1911 to protect the headwaters of navigable streams from soil erosion caused by excessive logging and careless agricultural practices.
Two national forests were created in South Carolina, the Sumter National Forest in the piedmont and mountains, and the Francis Marion National Forest in the coastal plain. These "lands nobody wanted" had been cut over, burned over, or abandoned. The government bought them for less than $4.00 an acre in the 1930s. |