U.S. Forest Service - Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests

U.S. Forest Service - Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests
Blue Springs Road (FSR153) on the Francis Marion National Forest will be closed for road maintenance through the end of December. We will update this site with an alert when the road is reopened. Thank you.

Check out this video from our Arbor Day event!

Watkins-Nance Elementary Students Plant a Tree for Arbor Day Students at Watkins-Nance Elementary School celebrated South Carolina’s Arbor Day by planting a tree outside the school. The holiday, celebrated every year ...

Calling all my superfans! In the comments, I want to see how you've been channeling your .

For nearly 80 years, I've been educating the public on how to prevent human-caused wildfires—through countless PSAs, posters, memorabilia, events, and more. Leave a comment with your favorite Smokey Bear photo or personal connection to the campaign. It could be a vintage poster, a childhood photo with me, or your favorite Smokey item.

I can't wait to read all your stories!

Today, members of the Recreation and Natural Resource departments teamed up with our partners Richland County Soil and Water Conservation District, The South Carolina Forestry Commission, and South Carolina Department of Natural Resources to assist with a tree-planting program at a local elementary school. The first Friday in December is South Carolina's Arbor Day and so we partnered with our friends to help share the message of why protecting trees is important. Students from Kindergarten through 5th grade participated in tree planting with each one taking turns shoveling dirt, watering, and mulching their new Southern Red Oak. We had a wonderful time talking to students and we are so thankful for Watkins-Nance Elementary School and our wonderful partners for allowing us to be a part of such a fun celebration!

Last week, the Long Cane Ranger District welcomed Women In Unity to their new office for a fire safety and prevention program. The group of 14 K-5's learned about prescribed burning, Smokey Bear's 5 rules, local wildlife, and even took home gift backs filled with Smokey swag. Thank you to Women in Unity for allowing us to speak to such a wonderful group!

*Frost Flower Alert* 🥶

If your overnight low is getting down into the low 20s F tonight, tomorrow morning will be a great time to go look for frost flowers! Also called ice flowers, they aren’t real flowers, even though they do grow from a plant. Instead, frost flowers are a unique phenomenon that occurs when the air temperature is below freezing and the soil is moist, but not frozen. They only form on a few dozen plant species in the world, two of which are found in the Piedmont. Frostweed (also called White Wingstem, Verbesina virginica) and Common Wingstem (Verbesina alternifolia) are both native to the eastern United States in bottomland forests, roadsides, and rights-of-way.

If you find one of these plants, keep track of its location and then head back to that spot in the early morning after the first overnight in the low 20s F. If you do, you might be rewarded with the sight of frost flowers. It’s true! Would I really send you on a wild frost flower chase? 🤷🏻‍♂️

Richland County, Soil and Water Conservation District to Celebrate Arbor Day (Richland PIO) – Richland County and the Richland Soil and Water Conservation District will hold an Arbor Day Celebration at Watkins-Nance Elementary School in Columbia on Friday, Dec. 1. Five classes will take part in an official tree planting that morning. Richland County Councilman Paul Livings...

Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests’ offices will close to observe Thanksgiving

Columbia, SC, November 20, 2023 — All Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests’ offices and ranger stations will be closed on Thursday, November 23, in observance of Thanksgiving. We will resume regular business hours on Friday, November 24, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. We look forward to seeing you then!

As you, your friends, and family enjoy the great outdoors, help us keep recreation areas clean by taking with you any trash from your visit. Also, if you arrive at your destination and there are too many people, we encourage you to have alternative destinations that you’ve always wanted to explore. We want you to have an enjoyable experience and to help mitigate overuse impacts to high traffic areas.

Deer season will be ongoing across Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests. Make sure to take extra precautions while out in the forest during the fall deer season and make sure that you and any animals accompanying you are wearing blaze orange.

Enjoy your National Forests!

Know Before You Go. Make sure to take extra precautions while out in the forest during the fall deer season and make sure that you and any animals accompanying you are wearing blaze orange.

You are responsible for your own safety and for the safety of those around you. Below are few recommended good habits. Please exercise due caution while out on trails or near waterfalls to help ensure a safe experience for everyone:

• Let someone know where you're going and when you expect to return.
• Bring a map and a compass and learn how to use them to navigate. Don’t rely only on your cell phone for navigation.
• Bring a first aid kit with you in case of emergencies.
• Bring plenty of water for you and everyone in your group, including pets, and remember to take frequent breaks.
• If traveling with pets do not leave them unattended in your car.
• Wear good hiking shoes and appropriate clothing for the season.
• Check current and expected weather conditions before reaching your destination, and plan accordingly. Hurricane season in South Carolina runs through November 30.
• Keep your distance from local wildlife.
• Pace yourself and know your limits; take breaks to prevent exhaustion.
• Heed all posted warning signs at waterfalls.
• Never jump off waterfalls or dive into waterfall pools, unseen hazards may lurk below the surface.
• Never go into the water upstream from a waterfall; the current can pull you over the edge.
• Enjoy waterfalls from a distance.

For more information about recreation opportunities on the Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests, visit our website at http://www.fs.usda.gov/scnfs or like us on Facebook at U.S. Forest Service - Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests.

REAL Smokey fans know my famous method to properly put out a campfire:
✅Drown: Pour lots of water on the fire, drowning all embers.
✅Stir: Using a shovel, stir dirt or sand into the embers to bury the fire.
✅Drown: Add more water until all material is cool.
✅Feel: Hover the back of your hand to feel if the embers are fully out. If it's too hot to touch, it's too hot to leave!

Remember, can prevent wildfires!

📷: hippychickuk on IG

Did you know, through collaboration, leveraging resources, and jointly setting management priorities between public and private partners, America’s Longleaf Restoration Initiative (ALRI) has become one of the most successful landscape-scale restoration initiatives in North America. On Nov. 15, 2023, in Washington D.C., we will be celebrating ALRI's success over the past 15 years and looking ahead to the next 15 years!

Effective immediately, the following are prohibited on the Andrew Pickens Ranger District:

Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire or campfire (including charcoal based fire whether contained in a grill or not).36 CFR 261.52(a)

Possessing, discharging, or using any kind of firework or other pyrotechnic device. 36 CFR § 261.52 (f).

For more information, see: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/scnfs/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD1151111

All Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests’ offices and ranger stations will be closed on Friday, November 10, in honor of Veterans Day. We will resume regular business hours on Monday, November 13, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

In honor of Veterans Day, we will be waiving fees at several day-use sites across the National Forests in South Carolina on November 11:

Francis Marion National Forest:

Wambaw Cycle Trail (OHV) unless closed for weather (check the Call Before You Haul Hotline before your visit at 803-561-4025.)

Buck Hall Recreation Area (day-use)

Sumter National Forest:

Enoree OHV Trail, Cedar Springs OHV Trail, Parsons Mountain OHV Trail unless closed for weather (check the Call Before You Haul Hotline before your visit at 803-561-4025.)

All six shooting ranges where fees are charged on the Long Cane and Enoree Ranger Districts www.fs.usda.gov/activity/scnfs/recreation/otheractivities

Buncombe Horse Trail parking area, Enoree Ranger District

Long Cane Horse Trail parking at Fell Camp

Lick Fork and Parsons Mountain day-use areas, Long Cane Ranger District

For additional information, visit: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/scnfs/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD1150816

Fire crews are currently taking suppression action on the approximately 50 acre Mill Mountain Fire located in the Chattooga River corridor on the Andrew Pickens Ranger District on the Sumter National Forest. Effective immediately, the Burrells Ford Campground and day use area and Foothills Trail will be closed to the public until further notice. The Foothills Trail closure will affect the section of trail between the fisherman’s access at Big Bend Road and Burrells Ford Campground. The Mill Mountain Fire was first detected on 11/04/23 and the cause is currently under investigation.

The Francis Marion Ranger District is planning a 1,124-acre prescribed fire for hazardous fuels reduction off of Wardfield Road (FSR 212) in Berkeley County today. The smoke is expected to drift to the south toward Highway 45 and McClellanville. Still Landing will be closed tomorrow starting approximately 10 am through the duration of the burn. Roads immediately surrounding and within the burn unit will also be closed. Please call the Francis Marion Ranger District at 843-336-2200, if you have questions. Thank you.

Are you interested in a career with the Forest Service? Jobs are available in a variety of exciting and rewarding opportunities, such as forestry, natural resources and prescribed fire and fuels.

Join our webinars to learn how to apply. Visit fs.usda.gov/working-with-us/jobs/how-to-apply for details.

How to Apply | US Forest Service For most Forest Service jobs, you must apply at USAJOBS.gov. For special programs such as certain internships or for special hiring authorities such as certain veterans, the application process options may differ. Be sure to read the information on those programs carefully.

As Bat Week ends, let's remember that these incredible animals need our help. Learn how you can contribute to bat conservation and protect their habitats. https://batweek.org/take-action/

Even our forests get into the spirit of the season. Remember, nature has its own mysteries waiting to be discovered. Check out how Ghost forests haunt the Southern Atlantic Coast here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r8/?cid=FSEPRD1070165
📷 Matt Kirwan, Virginia Institute of Marine Science

We're hiring students and recent graduates in various positions across the nation as part of our Forestry and Timber Career Opportunities hiring event!

Apply on USAJOBS.gov October 24 through November 1, 2023.
Visit fs.usda.gov/working-with-us/careers for details.

Careers | US Forest Service Current and Future Openings

Did you know there is a real-time map to show your risk by location here in the South? Simply type in your address and find out now. https://www.southernwildfirerisk.com/Map/Public/ -your-risk

Did you know that bats are nature's pest controllers and pollinators? Let's celebrate their crucial contributions to our ecosystems this . https://batweek.org/why-bats-matter/