by Piedmont Region Urban Forestry Specialist Ann Huyler and Urban Forestry Coordinator Frances Waite
The South Carolina Forestry Commission has a mission to get the right tree in the right place in South Carolina cities. The cities of Dillon and Camden applied for and received the Trees4SC Grant from the Forestry Commission in 2024. The non-profit agency, the Green Infrastructure Center (GIC), will partner with each city and the Forestry Commission to implement the grant over two years, 2025 and 2026. During this time, the GIC will create a tree canopy cover map for each city and provide the estimated percent tree canopy cover and locations where trees can be planted. Then, the GIC will hold open house workshops for the community to choose the public areas where they want new trees planted. Afterwards, over 100 trees will be planted in public areas by city crew and community volunteers, with assistance from GIC and the Forestry Commission.
City of Dillon
Dillon’s first public tree planting was Monday, Feb. 9.
Dillon Public Works Director James Jacobs and his crew planted a total of 25 trees, a mix of:
- ‘Eagleston’ hollies (Ilex × attenuata ‘Eagleston’)
- Crepe Myrtle ‘Scarlet’ (Lagerstroemia ‘JM1’ PP31585 ‘Colorama™ Scarlet Crape Myrtle’)
along East and West Main Street with four Eastern redbuds (Cercis canadensis) to be planted at the Dillon County Office Building.
Almost 50 trees, a mix of:
- Bald cypress (Taxodium distichum)
- Tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica)
- Red oak (Quercus rubra)
- Live oak (Q. virginiana)
will also be planted along the median between N. Railroad Ave. and N. MacArthur Ave. and at the City Sports Complex.
City of Camden
Camden’s first Community Tree Planting Day was Monday, Feb. 16, at Scott Park and City Arena Park.
The event welcomed a record number of volunteers, with a total of 90 people, including employees from Camden, the GIC, the Forestry Commission and many families with children and grandparents who showed up to help expand the city’s urban tree canopy.
At Scott Park, volunteers installed, watered and mulched 37 15-gallon trees.
An additional seven 15-gallon trees were planted at City Arena Park.
The trees planted were a mix of:
- ‘Nellie R. Stevens’ holly (Ilex ‘Nellie R. Stevens’)
- Nuttall oak (Q. texana)
- Dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides)
- Tupelo (N. sylvatica)
These species were selected for their long-term environmental and aesthetic benefits.
Looking ahead
Even more public tree plantings for Dillon and Camden will occur through our Trees4SC grant. Besides coordinating public tree plantings, GIC will host free tree giveaways so citizens of Dillon and Camden can plant trees on their own property. In addition, GIC will assist the cities to improve their tree ordinances in ways that fit each city’s resources and needs. Partnering with the Forestry Commission and GIC, the cities of Dillon and Camden are working hard to properly establish and protect the trees in their cities so citizens and visitors can reap the benefits.
The Trees4SC grant project aims to build capacity for urban forestry management while supporting tree-planting initiatives in 12 South Carolina municipalities. As part of the project, participating communities hold workshops to gather public input and guide local planning efforts. During this process, local codes are reviewed, land cover is mapped and potential planting sites are identified. These planning steps ultimately help determine where trees can be planted to maximize environmental and community benefits.