scholarly journals Quantifying the Impact of a Flood and Hurricane Event on Tree Farms in South Carolina: A Survey

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 546
Author(s):  
Patrick Hiesl ◽  
Shari L. Rodriguez

Natural disturbances in forested landscapes are increasing in frequency. Hurricanes and flooding events can cause extreme damages to forested ecosystems and the forest products industry. The state of South Carolina experienced four major hurricanes and flooding events between 2015 and 2018. A survey was sent out to the members of the American Tree Farm System (ATFS) in South Carolina in 2017 to better understand the impact of two of these events—the historical flood of October 2015 and hurricane Matthew in October 2016—on family forest operations. Forty-eight percent of surveys were returned. Surveys were received from all counties except one. Average losses of $6.21/acre and $6.48/acre for flood and hurricane damage, respectively, were reported across all of the respondents. Major damage from the flood was reported to be on forest roads, while uprooted and broken trees were the most reported damage from the hurricane. Extrapolating damages to the state level indicated total estimated damages that were in excess of $80 million for each event. The responses also showed that only one-third of respondents were aware of disaster relief programs and less than 2% actually received financial aid. The results from this survey provide forest managers, policy makers, and extension personnel with information regarding the damages that were associated with the 2015 flood and the 2016 hurricane. Events such as these are bound to happen again in the future and information from this survey may allow foresters, policy makers, and forestry associations to refine the ways that financial aid information is distributed to increase the awareness of these programs.

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (21) ◽  
pp. 6071 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiong Wang ◽  
Ru Yang ◽  
Ruyue Zhao ◽  
Chengyuan Wang

Among China’s existing state-level High-tech Industry Development Zones (HIDZ), the number of upgraded ones account for more than 65%, which are supposed to fulfill the important mission of leading innovation. However, while the upgraded state-level HIDZ enjoy more opportunities than before, they also face major challenges such as the significant inter-generational differences between them and the born state-level HIDZ. Based on the panel data of Chinese (prefecture-level) cities from 2007 to 2015, the paper empirically examines the impact of the state-level upgrade of HIDZ on urban innovation efficiency by using a difference-in-differences propensity score matching approach (PSM-DID). The results show that the upgraded state-level HIDZ has significantly improved urban innovation efficiency, and this positive effect has gradually increased with the implementation of the upgrade policy. The further heterogeneity analysis shows that the higher the scientific research level of higher education institutions in the cities, the greater the promotion effect of the state-level upgrade. The paper evaluates the policy effect of the upgraded state-level HIDZ from their stated mission, which is a powerful complement to the existing research and provides more effective guidance for policy-makers.


2019 ◽  
Vol 118 (12) ◽  
pp. 32-48
Author(s):  
Mr. Arun Gautam ◽  
Dr. Saurabh Sharma ◽  
CA Narendra Kumar Bansal

GST that is Goods and Services Tax has been in compel since first July, 2017 and which is, in constrain on numerous countries globally and they all were thinking about it as their business assessment framework. The principle reason for GST is to realize single tax on products at both centre and the state level in the nation.


Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 309
Author(s):  
Elena A. Mikhailova ◽  
Hamdi A. Zurqani ◽  
Christopher J. Post ◽  
Mark A. Schlautman ◽  
Gregory C. Post ◽  
...  

Sustainable management of soil carbon (C) at the state level requires valuation of soil C regulating ecosystem services (ES) and disservices (ED). The objective of this study was to assess the value of regulating ES from soil organic carbon (SOC), soil inorganic carbon (SIC), and total soil carbon (TSC) stocks, based on the concept of the avoided social cost of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions for the state of South Carolina (SC) in the United States of America (U.S.A.) by soil order, soil depth (0–200 cm), region and county using information from the State Soil Geographic (STATSGO) database. The total estimated monetary mid-point value for TSC in the state of South Carolina was $124.36B (i.e., $124.36 billion U.S. dollars, where B = billion = 109), $107.14B for SOC, and $17.22B for SIC. Soil orders with the highest midpoint value for SOC were: Ultisols ($64.35B), Histosols ($11.22B), and Inceptisols ($10.31B). Soil orders with the highest midpoint value for SIC were: Inceptisols ($5.91B), Entisols ($5.53B), and Alfisols ($5.0B). Soil orders with the highest midpoint value for TSC were: Ultisols ($64.35B), Inceptisols ($16.22B), and Entisols ($14.65B). The regions with the highest midpoint SOC values were: Pee Dee ($34.24B), Low Country ($32.17B), and Midlands ($29.24B). The regions with the highest midpoint SIC values were: Low Country ($5.69B), Midlands ($5.55B), and Pee Dee ($4.67B). The regions with the highest midpoint TSC values were: Low Country ($37.86B), Pee Dee ($36.91B), and Midlands ($34.79B). The counties with the highest midpoint SOC values were Colleton ($5.44B), Horry ($5.37B), and Berkeley ($4.12B). The counties with the highest midpoint SIC values were Charleston ($1.46B), Georgetown ($852.81M, where M = million = 106), and Horry ($843.18M). The counties with the highest midpoint TSC values were Horry ($6.22B), Colleton ($6.02B), and Georgetown ($4.87B). Administrative areas (e.g., counties, regions) combined with pedodiversity concepts can provide useful information to design cost-efficient policies to manage soil carbon regulating ES at the state level.


2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 385-395
Author(s):  
Richard Cebula ◽  
James E. Payne ◽  
Donnie Horner ◽  
Robert Boylan

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of labor market freedom on state-level cost of living differentials in the USA using cross-sectional data for 2016 after allowing for the impacts of economic and quality of life factors. Design/methodology/approach The study uses two-stage least squares estimation controlling for factors contributing to cost of living differences across states. Findings The results reveal that an increase in labor market freedom reduces the overall cost of living. Research limitations/implications The study can be extended using panel data and alternative measures of labor market freedom. Practical implications In general, the finding that less intrusive government and greater labor freedom are associated with a reduced cost of living should not be surprising. This is because less government intrusion and greater labor freedom both inherently allow markets to be more efficient in the rationalization of and interplay with forces of supply and demand. Social implications The findings of this and future related studies could prove very useful to policy makers and entrepreneurs, as well as small business owners and public corporations of all sizes – particularly those considering either location in, relocation to, or expansion into other markets within the USA. Furthermore, the potential benefits of the National Right-to-Work Law currently under consideration in Congress could add cost of living reductions to the debate. Originality/value The authors extend the literature on cost of living differentials by investigating whether higher amounts of state-level labor market freedom act to reduce the states’ cost of living using the most recent annual data available (2016). That labor freedom has a systemic efficiency impact on the state-level cost of living is a significant finding. In our opinion, it is likely that labor market freedom is increasing the efficiency of labor market transactions in the production and distribution of goods and services, and acts to reduce the cost of living in states. In addition, unlike previous related studies, the authors investigate the impact of not only overall labor market freedom on the state-level cost of living, but also how the three sub-indices of labor market freedom, as identified and measured by Stansel et al. (2014, 2015), impact the cost of living state by state.


2013 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 437-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Weston ◽  
Lauren Epstein ◽  
Lisa E. Davidson ◽  
Alfred DeMaria ◽  
Shira Doron

Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) are critically important for combating the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. Despite this, there are no regulatory requirements at a national level, which makes initiatives at the state level critical. The objectives of this study were to identify existing antimicrobial stewardship practices, characterize barriers to antimicrobial stewardship implementation in acute care hospitals throughout Massachusetts, and evaluate the impact on these hospitals of a state-sponsored educational conference on antimicrobial stewardship.In September 2011, a state-sponsored educational program entitled “Building Stewardship: A Team Approach Enhancing Antibiotic Stewardship in Acute Care Hospitals” was offered to interested practitioners from throughout the state. The program consisted of 2 audio conferences, reading materials, and a 1-day conference consisting of lectures focusing on the importance of ASPs, strategies for implementation, improvement strategies for existing programs, and panel discussions highlighting successful practices. Smaller breakout sessions focused on operational issues, including understanding of pharmacodynamics, business models, and electronic surveillance.


Author(s):  
Nancy Kleniewski

Institutions of higher education must respond to the changing landscape of federal and state expectations. This chapter explores how that landscape has changed over the past two decades and how some institutions are responding. At the federal level, changes have affected financial aid, research funding, and government regulation. Changes at the state level include significant reductions in state support and increases in tuition. These changes are occurring as higher education becomes more of a marketplace than a public service. The chapter offers some strategies for institutions hoping to garner increased support, particularly at the state level.


Author(s):  
K. L. Datta

Describing the manner in which poverty is incorporated as a parameter in planning, this chapter delineates the use of poverty estimates in policy-making, and in tracking progress of development over time and space. It dwells on the methodological issues related to measurement of poverty, and identification of poor households, comprehensively summarizing the debates surrounding it. Viewing the pace of poverty reduction as the ultimate test of planning, it quantifies the level and change in poverty since the 1970s. It analyses the state of poverty at national and state level, and assesses the impact of economic growth and income redistributive measures on poverty reduction. It brings out that the phenomenal decline in poverty in the reforms-era took place exclusively due to increase in income, eventuated by high rate of economic growth. Finally, it states that despite the decline, poverty remains a major concern.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Eleanore Alexander ◽  
Lainie Rutkow ◽  
Kimberly A Gudzune ◽  
Joanna E Cohen ◽  
Emma E McGinty

Abstract Objective: To understand the different Na menu labelling approaches that have been considered by state and local policymakers in the USA and to summarise the evidence on the relationship between Na menu labelling and Na content of menu items offered by restaurants or purchased by consumers. Design: Proposed and enacted Na menu labelling laws at the state and local levels were reviewed using legal databases and an online search, and a narrative review of peer-reviewed literature was conducted on the relationship between Na menu labelling and Na content of menu items offered by restaurants or purchased by consumers. Setting: Local and state jurisdictions in the USA Participants: Not applicable. Results: Between 2000 and 2020, thirty-eight laws – eleven at the local level and twenty-seven at the state level – were proposed to require Na labelling of restaurant menu items. By 2020, eight laws were enacted requiring chain restaurants to label the Na content of menu items. Five studies were identified that evaluated the impact of Na menu labelling on Na content of menu items offered by restaurants or purchased by consumers in the USA. The studies had mixed results: two studies showed a statistically significant association between Na menu labelling and reduced Na content of menu items; three showed no effects. Conclusion: Data suggest that Na menu labelling may reduce Na in restaurant menu items, but further rigorous research evaluating Na menu labelling effects on Na content of menu items, as well as on the Na content in menu items purchased by consumers, is needed.


Author(s):  
Jaclyn M. Johnson ◽  
Clayton L. Thyne

The devastating Syrian civil war that began after the Arab Spring in 2011 has reminded the international community of the many consequences of civil war. However, this conflict is simply one of many ongoing conflicts around the globe. Civil war has a number of effects on individual lives, the country experiencing the conflict, as well as the international system more broadly. The humanitarian costs of civil war are steep. Individuals are negatively impacted by civil war in a myriad of ways. Three main areas of research are of interest: mortality, physical and mental trauma, and education. Several factors increase the number of deaths in a civil war, including a lack of democracy, economic downturns, and foreign assistance to combatants. Even if civilians survive conflict, they are likely to endure trauma that affects both mental and physical health. Strong evidence indicates that civil war spreads infectious diseases and severely diminishes life expectancy. Mental health is also likely to suffer in the face of conflict, as individuals often must overcome debilitating trauma. Finally, children are particularly susceptible in civil war settings. Children are often unable to continue their education as a consequence of civil war because combatants often target schools strategically or the state is unable to fund education as a result of funneling resources to the conflict. Civil wars also pose a number of threats to the state itself. First, a state that has experienced a civil war is much more likely to have another civil war in its future. Conflict recurrence has been explained through the type of settlement that concludes the initial civil war, institutions that may prevent recurrence like proportional representation, and the role of third parties in providing peace-ensuring security guarantees. Beyond recurrence of war, scholars have looked at the impact that civil wars have on state-level institutions, including democratization. While most state-level effects of civil war seem to be deleterious, there may also be positive effects, specifically in terms of female representation. Civil war in sub-Saharan Africa has been shown to increase the number of female representatives, perhaps providing an avenue for gender equality. Civil wars have ripple effects that impact neighboring countries and the international system more broadly. Proximate states are often challenged with an influx of refugees that may burden social programs or facilitate the spread of diseases and illicit arms. However, positive consequences of hosting refugees may include trading opportunities or economic growth from remittances. Moving beyond proximate states, civil wars have consequences for the entire globe. For example, civil wars have been demonstrated to spur international terrorism. The civil war literature has explored the various effects of conflict at the individual, state, and interstate level.


2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Y. Blount ◽  
Jay Seetharaman ◽  
Trevor L. Brown

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of program strategy on the implementation of the efficacy of a procurement set-aside program at the state level. Design/methodology/approach This study examines the impact of program implementation strategy across two administrations considering the most compelling alternative arguments for what drives agency purchasing through contracts with MBEs. Findings The results of mixed effects linear regression models on the procurement expenditures of 70 state agencies in Ohio from 2008-2015 show significantly higher rates of procurement expenditures with MBEs under the Kasich administration. Originality/value These results provide support for the argument that changes in program implementation strategy led to substantive increases in the use of MBEs by state agencies in Ohio.


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