GEORGETOWN COUNTY, S.C. — The timber industry in South Carolina is grappling with significant challenges following the closure of major mills, including the International Paper mill in Georgetown and the WestRock plant in Charleston. These shutdowns have left local loggers scrambling to find new markets for their products. The forestry sector is a crucial part of South Carolina’s economy, contributing over $23 billion and being the top job provider in the state, according to the Forestry Commission. However, the loss of pulpwood markets due to mill closures has raised concerns among industry leaders. …Chip Campsen, chairman of the Senate Fish, Game, and Forestry Committee said when you have logging crews and timber owners who can’t bring their product to market, they’re going to have to just shut down, and he said they’re not going to come back. Industry leaders emphasize the need to find new markets for pulpwood quickly to sustain the state’s timber industry.