County experts urge balance as Horry County weighs limits on post-harvest development

Horry County’s INR subcommittee heard extended testimony about clear-cutting, tree protection and possible local ordinances aimed at slowing or deterring development that follows harvests.

An agency official who advised the committee cited the state law often raised in these discussions: "the state statute 48 23 2 0 5," and said municipalities face limits under the Right to Practice Forestry provisions. He and other forestry representatives warned that overly prescriptive requirements could have the unintended consequence of pushing landowners to convert forestland rather than keep it in active management.

Speakers outlined specific local options the county could consider. One example, used in other counties, is a short post-harvest prohibition on development: "Greenville County has in their ordinance that there's no development permitted after a final harvest where they remove substantially all of the trees within a year and 0.5," the advisor said. Another tactic described was deferring building permits for up to five years in cases where local development standards were willfully violated — an approach a panelist called "a pretty common tactic" elsewhere.

Councilmembers pressed staff on trade-offs between requiring forest management plans and protecting landowners. One councilmember urged a longer hold period than the county’s current 18 months, saying, "The 5 years sounds good, but 18 months is that's nothing to get a development going." Staff said a draft ordinance incorporating discussion points is being prepared for a future meeting.

The committee did not take a final action on a new ordinance at this meeting; members directed staff to continue drafting options that seek a balance between protecting forest resources and avoiding rules that might accelerate conversion.