Clemson Extension Forestry and Wildlife

Pond Owner Assessment Checklist for Earthen Embankment Dams

Click here for a print-friendly pdf version This checklist is designed for use by all dam owners in South Carolina. It is recommended that pond owners perform dam assessments semi-annually and after large storm events. Dams regulated as part of the SC DHEC Dam Safety Program may have additional requirements for inspection, maintenance, and/or repair. […]

Stumpage Price Trends and Logging Industry in South Carolina

graph with red and blue lines showing the difference in prices in pine and hardwood pulpwood stumpage prices.

Pulpwood Stumpage Trends in Q4, 2023: South Carolina statewide average pine pulpwood prices were $7.59/ton, and the hardwood pulpwood prices were $7.84/ton in the 4th quarter. Compared to pine and hardwood pulpwood prices in the previous quarter (3rd), it is an increase of 7% and 24%, respectively. Pulpwood prices were doing relatively better at the beginning […]

The Story of the Longleaf Ecosystem

tall longleaf pine trees in rows with understory grasses.

The Longleaf PineAmong the Southern pines, longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) has several key characteristics that have allowed it to grow on some of the harshest sites in the southeastern United States. One is its fire tolerance. Fire is a critical component of the longleaf pine ecosystem, and longleaf evolved with understory species, like the bunchgrasses, […]

Personal Protective Equipment for Chainsaw Users

orange chaps laying on the ground

In the first part of this series on chainsaw safety, Patrick Hiesl talked about the safety features of modern chainsaws (https://blogs.clemson.edu/fnr/2023/09/05/the-safety-features-of-a-modern-chainsaw/). Now, we are telling you about the personal protective equipment available to protect you from most major injuries. For chainsaw users, Personal Protective Equipment, or PPE, includes leg, foot, eye, hearing, face, and hand […]

Stumpage Price Trends and Forest Industry Hot-Spots in South Carolina

graph with blue line showing pine pulpwood price trending down to $8.89/ton and red line showing hardwood pulpwood price trending down to $8.54/ton

Pulpwood Stumpage Trends in Q2, 2023: In the second quarter of 2023, statewide pine pulpwood stumpage prices averaged $8.89/ton, while the average hardwood rates were $8.54/ton in South Carolina. It is a dramatic decline in pulpwood prices from the first quarter of 2022 when pine and hardwood pulpwood stumpages were above $14/ton. Graph of S.C. statewide […]

Conservation Burial: Turning Your Haunt into Hallowed Ground

wooded area with ferns and an engraved rock as a grave marker.

Land is a legacy, something you pass on to your children and your children’s children. Historically, when someone passed away, family members managed all of the affairs, including the care of the body. But somewhere along the way, we lost parlors in our homes, funeral parlors took over, and we were left with just the […]

English Ivy Control — Basal Bark Treatment Research & Existing Recommendations

trees with a lot of vines growing on them

Aerial form of English ivy vines within a closed canopy, mixed pine/hardwood stand on the Clemson Experimental Forest. Photo credit: Stephen Peairs, Clemson University. In numerous urban forest settings and isolated patches of rural forestland, English ivy (Hedera helix) persists as either groundcover or aerial vines (different life stages) attached and extending up into the canopy […]

TICK TALK

round brown tick with spot on its back

Anybody who has spent time in the woods or other wild surroundings is familiar with ticks, those blood-sucking arachnids that seek out creatures, including we humans, on which to feed. Most of us also know that ticks are carriers of numerous diseases, the most known being Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. However, many […]