With Labor Day behind us, we’re getting closer to cooler weather with every passing day – the kind of days that make a bike ride at Harbison State Forest, a hike at Congaree National Park, or a hunt in the Sumter National Forest not just tolerable but even inviting.
South Carolina has more than three million acres of public lands, owned by local, state, and federal agencies, along with a handful of non-profits. These special places give our state a unique and diverse character and are a significant part of our enviable quality of life. We have these public lands for the enjoyment of the people. By using them, you’re showing decision-makers that these places matter to you.
Here in District 71, we’re blessed with one of the state’s most popular state forests right in our backyard, Harbison State Forest. Harbison was the first state forest I visited with my family for picnics nearly twenty years ago. Years later, I looked forward to meeting up with my F3 friends for fellowship and exercise in nature. On any given day, the Harbison parking lot is nearly full of bikers, hikers, trail runners, birdwatchers, and young families, stepping away from screen time and getting outdoors on any of the 30 miles of maintained trails, including some that reach the banks of the Broad River.
Just up the road in Newberry, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources owns and manages the Broad River Wildlife Management Area. While I do not personally own or lease hunting land, I can enjoy the opportunity to deer hunt through the state’s WMA program. For me, the time in the deer stand is less about harvesting a deer and more about unwinding from a busy week. Sometimes I use the solitude of the deer stand to appreciate God’s creation and many times read my devotional. This experience is one for which I am tremendously grateful, and I encourage others to explore it.
Public land can also take the form of urban oases that support kids’ sports, like Friarsgate Park in Irmo, home to the Irmo Little League. These kids may be lacing cleats instead of hiking shoes, but they are exchanging screen time for a natural dose of Vitamin D. Further, the park brings together generations of families to cheer on their favorite teams, sharing moments that create memories from the backdrop of a public park.
With grown children of my own, I find myself reflecting on my own childhood. We rode our bikes all day and came home only when it was dark because we couldn’t see the wiffle ball any longer. Getting outside seemed easier then, and unstructured time was commonplace. That is no longer the case. Our community has become more urban, and our lives more structured and scheduled, making publicly accessible lands an even more critical component of our community. If you care about these spaces, reach out to our South Carolina leaders in Washington to let them know that supporting public lands matters to you, and be sure to get out and enjoy them yourselves, too. Call a friend, pack a picnic, and hit the road for a day trip to explore a national forest, state park, or heritage preserve that you may not have visited before; or better yet, take a break from errands to enjoy a park right here in Richland and Lexington Counties. Public lands enrich our lives in so many ways, and there’s no better way to show your support of them than to use them.
See you outside.
Representative Nathan Ballentine represents South Carolina House District 71, Lexington and Richland Counties.
