SCDNR Blog

The official blog of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources

Make it a “Complete Count” for Natural Resources Conservation in South Carolina

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Participation in the 2020 Census will benefit fish and wildlife species and the habitats we all rely upon.

 By David Lucas

Knowing how the populations of fish and wildlife are faring is a critical part of the S.C. Department of Natural Resources’ conservation mission, and SCDNR biologists spend an enormous amount of time and effort determining the health and approximate population of many species in South Carolina. “Counting Critters” is an important part of what they do. But believe it or not, counting people is also extremely important for wildlife conservation efforts.

In addition to determining our state’s number of Congressional seats (S.C. gained a 7th Congressman as a result of the 2010 Census), The U.S. Census also impacts the distribution of federal tax dollars aimed at improving our environment, supporting outdoor recreation and protecting wildlife. Beginning in mid-March of 2020, households in South Carolina and other states will begin receiving Census information in the mail. The Census will help guide federal spending for the next decade, and if our population is under-counted by just 1 percent, the total loss of federal funds over the next decade could exceed $400 million! Please take time to fill out the Census for your family household to ensure that our people (and our wildlife and wild places) get all the support due to them.

SCDNR supports the 2020 “Complete Count South Carolina” census effort led by Lt. Governor Pam Evette, and you should too!  You’ll find more information and links on the SCDNR website or the website of the United Way of South Carolina.  April 1, 2020 is “Census Day” nationwide, and by this date, every home should have received an invitation to participate in the 2020 Census. During May – July, Census takers will begin visiting homes that haven’t responded to the 2020 Census to help make sure everyone is counted, and in December, The Census Bureau will deliver apportionment counts to the President and Congress as required by law.

The U.S. Department of Commerce estimates that more than $675 billion in federal funds across 132 programs were distributed using Census Bureau data in fiscal year 2015 [source: Uses of Census Bureau Data in Federal Funds Distribution] Doing your part to participate in the 2020 Census will benefit conservation in the Palmetto State by ensuring that we get our fair share of federal funding for activities such as Wildlife Restoration, State Wildlife Grants, Cooperative Extension Services, Water Pollution Control, Coastal Zone Management, support for Land-Grant Colleges, Hunter Education and Safety, Fighting Wildland Fires, Water and Waste Disposal Systems for Rural Communities, and more.

Wildlife Restoration: Now thriving on the South Carolina coast, at one time, brown pelican populations were in real trouble. Federal Wildlife Restoration funds distributed by the U.S. Department of Interior helped save the pelicans, and this ye Wildlife Restoration: Now thriving on the South Carolina coast, at one time, brown pelican populations were in real trouble. Federal Wildlife Restoration funds distributed by the U.S. Department of Interior helped save the pelicans, and this ye

Wildlife Restoration: Now thriving on the South Carolina coast, at one time, brown pelican populations were in real trouble. Federal Wildlife Restoration funds distributed by the U.S. Department of Interior helped save the pelicans, and this year, matching funds provided by the U.S Army Corps of Engineers will be used to restore the SCDNR’s Crab Bank Seabird Sanctuary in Charleston Harbor, a critical nesting spot for these and other coastal birds.

State Wildlife Grants: SWG-funded projects in South Carolina target threatened or endangered species identified as priorities in our S tate Wildlife Action Plan . The plan itself outlines strategies to protect or enhance the recove State Wildlife Grants: SWG-funded projects in South Carolina target threatened or endangered species identified as priorities in our S tate Wildlife Action Plan . The plan itself outlines strategies to protect or enhance the recove

State Wildlife Grants: SWG-funded projects in South Carolina target threatened or endangered species identified as priorities in our State Wildlife Action Plan. The plan itself outlines strategies to protect or enhance the recovery of these species and guides the use of federal grant funds available to SCDNR biologists and researchers. The work done to aid the recovery of gopher tortoises on the SCDNR-managed Aiken Gopher Tortoise Heritage Preserve with partners such as the Savannah River Ecology Lab, the Longleaf Alliance and Columbia’s Riverbanks Zoo has benefitted from the State Wildlife Grants Program.

Hunter Education and Safety: The dollars spent by hunters and anglers play a critical part in the preservation of wildlife habitats, research and management programs. A portion of South Carolina’s share of federal excise taxes paid on gun Hunter Education and Safety: The dollars spent by hunters and anglers play a critical part in the preservation of wildlife habitats, research and management programs. A portion of South Carolina’s share of federal excise taxes paid on gun

Hunter Education and Safety: The dollars spent by hunters and anglers play a critical part in the preservation of wildlife habitats, research and management programs. A portion of South Carolina’s share of federal excise taxes paid on guns, ammunition, archery equipment and fishing tackle goes toward programs designed to provide young (and not-so-young) people with the skills and safety training necessary for a lifetime of outdoor experiences, fostering the next generation of South Carolina sportsmen- and sportswomen-conservationists.

Coastal Zone Management: Under the federal Coastal Zone Management Act, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) annually provides coastal states, including South Carolina, with grants that support coastal habitats in num Coastal Zone Management: Under the federal Coastal Zone Management Act, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) annually provides coastal states, including South Carolina, with grants that support coastal habitats in num

Coastal Zone Management: Under the federal Coastal Zone Management Act, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) annually provides coastal states, including South Carolina, with grants that support coastal habitats in numerous ways, including: public access to beaches, erosion management, oversight of development, pollution control and protection of coastal wetlands.  These program benefit both the human and animal residents of the South Carolina Coast, a key part of the state’s multi-billion-dollar tourism economy.

Wildlife Restoration: Now thriving on the South Carolina coast, at one time, brown pelican populations were in real trouble. Federal Wildlife Restoration funds distributed by the U.S. Department of Interior helped save the pelicans, and this ye

State Wildlife Grants: SWG-funded projects in South Carolina target threatened or endangered species identified as priorities in our S tate Wildlife Action Plan . The plan itself outlines strategies to protect or enhance the recove

Hunter Education and Safety: The dollars spent by hunters and anglers play a critical part in the preservation of wildlife habitats, research and management programs. A portion of South Carolina’s share of federal excise taxes paid on gun

Coastal Zone Management: Under the federal Coastal Zone Management Act, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) annually provides coastal states, including South Carolina, with grants that support coastal habitats in num