Upper Savannah River Basin Council Planning Meeting
Visit our Upper Savannah Basin Planning Meetings webpage a draft agenda and information on past meetings.Celebrate Arbor Day in South Carolina!
Do you love trees? J. Sterling Morton certainly did! In 1872, he founded Arbor Day as a holiday dedicated to planting trees and fostering appreciation for their incredible contributions to our environment. More than 150 years later, Arbor Day continues to inspire individuals and communities worldwide to make a lasting impact on our planet through the simple yet profound act of planting trees.…, Cleaner Air, : Trees filter pollutants and produce oxygen., Better Water Quality, : Root systems prevent soil erosion and filter water., Habitat for Wildlife, : Trees provide food and shelter for countless species., Natural Beauty, : They enhance our landscapes and provide shade, reducing energy costs. By planting a tree or attending a local event, you contribute to a healthier, more sustainable future for South Carolina. How to Celebrate Here are a few ways you can join the Arbor Day festivities:, Plant a Native Tree, : Enhance your yard or community space by planting a tree that’s native to South Carolina. Learn how to plant a tree properly ., Attend an Event, : Check out local Arbor Day celebrations and tree giveaways. (See the list below!), Spread the Word, : Share your Arbor Day activities on social media using #ArborDay, #PlantATree, and #SCForestry. Local Arbor Day Events & Tree Giveaways Participating in a community event is a great way to meet fellow tree enthusiasts and make a tangible impact. Visit the links below for details about Arbor Day happenings near you: Andrew Jackson State Park – Lancaster, SC Beaufort Arbor Day Celebration –…WaterSC to Meet Dec. 12, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Dec. 10, 2024 COLUMBIA, S.C. – The WaterSC Water Resources Working Group will hold its next meeting on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, from 1 p.m.-4 p.m. at Brookland Banquet & Conference Center, 1066 Sunset Blvd., West Columbia., The meeting will be livestreamed by SCETV on, scetv.org, ., A copy of the agenda and additional information are available at des.sc.gov/WaterSC . On Sept. 24, 2024, Governor Henry McMaster issued Executive Order 2024-22 , establishing the WaterSC Water Resources Working Group (WaterSC), with the S.C. Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) serving as the lead agency of the initiative. WaterSC is working across state agencies and with key…S.C. Mining Council to Meet Dec. 12, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Dec. 10, 2024 COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Mining Council will meet at 1 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12, at the S.C. Department of Natural Resources - Geological Survey, 5 Geology Road, Columbia, S.C. The agenda is available here. ###Santee River Basin Council
South Carolina Mining Council Meeting
The South Carolina Mining Council will meet at 1 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12, at the S.C. Department of Natural Resources - Geological Survey, 5 Geology Road, Columbia, S.C. AgendaDraft Pee Dee River Basin Plan Public Meeting
SCDES invites residents to attend an upcoming meeting that will introduce the draft Pee Dee River Basin Plan. Public input is an integral part of the development of the plan, which will help identify best management practices for ensuring the Pee Dee River basin has water resources available for all future users. This plan is the third of eight River Basin plans to be finalized over the next year…, South Carolina State Water Planning Framework, published in 2019., The public meeting is 6 p.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, at the Clemson Pee Dee Research and Education Center, 2200 Pocket Road, Darlington. A copy of the agenda is available, here., It serves as an opportunity for the Pee Dee River Basin Council to solicit residents’ input about the draft plan, which is available on the, Draft Pee Dee River Basin Plan webpage, . Public comments will be accepted from Jan. 14-Feb. 13, 2025.SCDES Encourages Residents to Reduce Food Waste and Recycle Right this Holiday Season
Household waste can increase by 25% from Thanksgiving to New Year’s, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Dec. 13, 2024 COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) encourages residents to do their part to be good stewards of the environment this holiday season by making the effort to recycle materials and help reduce food waste. Celebrations this time of year tend to include packaging, decorations, and lots of holiday parties and meals…, said Richard Chesley, Section Manager with SCDES’s Office of Solid Waste Reduction & Recycling., “We encourage South Carolinians to consider using reusable bags or boxes for gift-giving instead of wrapping paper and to be conservative in how much food they purchase to prevent food waste during the holidays.” Luckily, recycling right this holiday season is easier than ever with the new Recycle Here SC mobile phone app that recently launched in South Carolina through a partnership between…, ,, and the South Carolina Beverage Association. The app, which is available for free, consolidates information for South Carolina residents on what, where, and how to recycle different items at different locations across the state. These important tips can help have the biggest impact with recycling: , Make sure to recycle right., Items placed in the recycling bin that can't be recycled in your local program are called “contamination.” If a load of recyclables has too much contamination, it gets thrown away instead of being recycled. Download the Recycle Here SC mobile phone app to get rid of the confusion about what to recycle. , Be mindful of hard-to-manage items., Some common items like lithium-ion batteries, electronics, and household hazardous waste can be recycled but should not go into your recycling bin. These items require special handling to make sure they don’t hurt people or the environment. For help with these items, visit SCDES's webpage about recycling hard-to-manage items or call 1-800-768-7348. For more info on safely handling and recycling…, Keep it clean., Make sure items you recycle are empty and relatively clean. No liquids, food or residue should go in your recycling bin. , Reducing and reusing support recycling., Recycling can be supported by reducing the amount of household waste that’s generated and by reusing or repurposing items. The Don’t Waste Food SC public education campaign, which is coordinated by SCDES, the S.C. Department of Commerce and many ambassadors around the state, provides helpful resources to prevent food waste. The campaign also encourages residents to donate perishable food and…, Meal planning., Only buying the amount of ingredients you need for each dish helps reduce food waste. , Do a head count., Knowing how many people to prepare food for helps reduce the amount of prepared but unneeded food. , Reusable containers for leftovers., Send your guests home with leftovers in a reusable container. This helps eliminate single-use materials like plastic wrap and keeps large quantities of food from going unused and spoiling in your fridge. , Composting., If you can’t donate or reuse your leftovers, another option is composting. Sending food waste to a composting facility or composting at home can improve soil health and structure, increase water retention, support native plants, ,, and reduce the need for fertilizers and pesticides. “We can all take steps to reduce the amount of household waste that’s created during the holiday season, and doing so can help bring us closer to achieving our goal of having 50% of the state’s municipal solid waste be recycled by 2030,”, Chesley said., “Proper recycling and food waste reduction also supports SCDES in its everyday mission of protecting and preserving our state’s air, land, water and coastal resources now and for future generations.” More information about local recycling programs, proper recycling tips, and food waste reduction efforts are all available at des.sc.gov/recycling. ###SCDES Announces Public Meeting to Introduce Draft Pee Dee River Basin Plan
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Dec. 16, 2024 COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) invites residents to attend an upcoming meeting to review and provide comments about the draft Pee Dee River Basin Plan. Public input is an integral part of the development of the plan, which will help identify best management practices for ensuring the Pee Dee River basin has…, said Scott Harder, Hydrology Section Manager with SCDES’s Bureau of Water., “With the draft plan complete, we’re ready to present it to the public so we can begin receiving comments that will be reviewed and considered as the plan is finalized.” The public meeting is, 6 p.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, at the Clemson Pee Dee Research and Education Center, 2200 Pocket Road, Darlington., It serves as an opportunity for the Pee Dee River Basin Council to solicit residents’ input about the draft plan, which is available online at des.sc.gov/hydrology . Public comments will be accepted from Jan. 14-Feb. 13, 2025. “Public involvement is critical to the goal of ensuring that future generations of South Carolinians have secure, well-managed supplies of our most critical natural…, Harder said., Learn more about water planning in South Carolina and the South Carolina State Water Planning Framework and river basin planning process at des.sc.gov/hydrology. ###Recycle Here SC App