Protecting What We Share

A Collaborative Future for Our Natural Resources

By Tom Mullikin

Earth Day is a time to reflect on the state of our natural resources. Across the U.S., especially here in South Carolina, we are confronting a new environmental reality defined by intensifying storms, rising waters, and historic growth. These forces are not theoretical. They are reshaping our rivers, our coastlines, and our communities in real time. Our state serves as a global model of protection of our natural resources, but challenges continue to grow larger and more complex.

For decades, the U.S. has relied primarily on government and a system known as “cooperative federalism” to protect our natural resources. It is a simple but powerful idea: federal, state, and local governments working together, each bringing their strengths to bear. Laws like the Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act were built on this foundation, recognizing that while national standards are essential, local knowledge and implementation are equally critical.

But today, that framework while still sound is being tested in ways its architects may not have fully anticipated. Extreme weather events are growing more frequent and more severe. Hurricanes do not simply pass through; they fundamentally alter landscapes. Floodwaters do not simply recede; they leave behind debris, instability, and long-term ecological consequences. At the same time, S.C. continues to grow at an historic pace. More people, more development, and more infrastructure mean greater pressure on natural systems that are already under strain.

Nowhere is this more evident than in our rivers and our wetlands. Consider the Lynches River, one of S.C.’s treasured scenic waterways. After major storm events, the river has become choked with debris massive logjams formed by fallen trees and flood-driven accumulation from riverbanks falling into the rivers. These are not minor obstructions. They block navigation, alter flow patterns, and create hazards for both ecosystems and communities.

Removing them is not simple and it is certainly not cheap. In some cases, clearing a single major logjam can cost hundreds-of-thousands of dollars. In others, that cost approaches-or exceeds $1-million when you account for equipment, labor, environmental compliance, and ongoing maintenance. These are not one-time costs. They are recurring, and increasing. This leads to an unavoidable conclusion: No single entity can shoulder this burden alone.

Local governments do not have the resources to address every river, every obstruction, every storm impact. State agencies, while essential, are similarly constrained. Federal programs provide critical support, but they are often limited in scope and timing. The scale of the challenge has simply outgrown the capacity of any one level of government. But South Carolinians have shown a remarkable tenacity to protect our state and our families.

This is where Earth Day can evolve from a moment of awareness into a call for a new kind of action. We need to continue to encourage broader coordination and one that fully embraces collaboration not only across governments, but across sectors.

The private sector must be part of the solution. This is not a departure from our legal framework. It is a realization of it. Environmental laws have long recognized that private enterprise plays a role in both creating and solving environmental challenges. Businesses own land, manage infrastructure, and possess both technical expertise and financial capacity. They are not bystanders. They are stakeholders. And increasingly, they are partners.

The work being done on rivers like the Lynches already reflects this reality. Cleanup efforts depend on a combination of local leadership, state oversight, federal support, and private funding. Each piece is necessary. Remove one, and the effort falters. We can and continue to go further.

On Earth Day 2021, more than 127,000 volunteers took part in PowerPlantSC, a major initiative led by the S.C. Floodwater Commission which planted 3.2-million loblolly pine trees across S.C.

Each tree absorbs roughly 50,000 gallons of water annually when mature. We are now building artificial reefs from North Carolina to Georgia with significant private sector support and volunteers, and our SDNR SCORE program has recycled more than 609,000 bushels of oysters over 57 acres of new reef habitat, protecting 50 miles of shoreline and filtering 15-billion gallons of water daily. These are great examples and we are welcoming more-and-more every day.

S.C. is well-positioned to continue to lead in this space and serve as a global model. Our history of stewardship, our state agencies, and our growing network of regional collaborations provide a solid foundation. This year the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) will again partner with the annual SC7 Expedition, from the mountains to the sea. This July trek across the Palmetto State serves to educate and collaborate with local communities that last year generated 407-million media impressions across various communications platforms. People see what is going on, and they are looking for good information and meaningful ways to help.

The pressures on our beautiful state are accelerating. What worked yesterday will not be enough tomorrow. The lesson of the cleanup on Lynches River is clear. A single logjam costing close to $1-million is not an anomaly: It’s a warning. It tells us that the economics of environmental management are changing, and that collaboration is no longer just good policy: It’s a fiscal necessity.

This Earth Day 2026, we will celebrate the progress we have made. But we should also recognize the scale of what lies ahead. Protection of our natural resources in the 21st century cannot be siloed. It must be shared across federal, state, and local governments, and with the private sector fully engaged as a partner. This is not a new idea. It is the full expression of one we already have.

The path forward is clear. S.C. serves as a global model. Please join us as we protect and define our state for decades to come. As the adage goes: “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.”

– Dr. Tom Mullikin is the director of the S.C. Department of Natural Resources. An acclaimed global expedition leader, attorney, documentary film producer, former U.S. Army officer and retired commanding general of the S.C. State Guard, Mullikin served as the founding chair of the gubernatorially established S.C. Floodwater Commission. He has led the 1,100-plus S.C. Department of Natural Resources since early February 2025.