The South Carolina Governor’s School for Agriculture at John de la Howe FFA chapter participated in an initiative launched by the South Carolina Floodwater Commission. This ambitious effort allowed for the planting of 3 million tree seeds – assisted by citizens, students, churches, non-profits, municipal governments, private sector partners, and other civic-minded organizations and volunteers –on Earth Day, Thursday, April 22, 2021.

Dubbed “Power Plant SC,” the statewide project is the largest single-day tree planting event in American history. The Commission assembled a coalition of public, private, and non-profit environmental partners to raise awareness about the importance of trees to human and environmental health, not the least of which is the mitigation of disastrous flooding. For each tree planted, 60 gallons of water run-off is avoided, 443 gallons of rainfall is intercepted, and 133 pounds of carbon dioxide is sequestered annually (estimates are based upon USDA Forest Service research).

Many regions across the Palmetto State – not only our unprotected coastlines, but equally vulnerable areas hundreds of miles inland – have frequently experienced severe flooding stemming from record-heavy rainstorms, hurricanes, and tides, all of which threaten our states citizens, our property, and our way of life.

The Floodwater Commission organized this historic planting event as a platform to bring attention to this issue of flooding and its causes while also offering solutions for easing its impact.

The South Carolina FFA Association is part of Clemson Cooperative Extension. Clemson Extension has joined a stellar lineup of state agencies, non-profits, corporate sponsors, media personalities, volunteers, and others which include the S.C. Department of Education, S.C. Department of Corrections, S.C. Forestry Commission, Palmetto Pride, and private sector executives. These organizations have taken the lead on everything from planning and communications to procurement and logistics. Working together, these partners have created an environmentally conscious, positive, and memorable learning experience around which all school-age children - and all South Carolinians - can rally.