Study: S.C.'s natural resources generate $30 billion

Image by Flickr user ReelladyImage by 20090527-resources.jpg There's gold in them ripples.

Study titled "Underappreciated Assets: The Economic Impact of South Carolina’s Natural Resources."

Business tied to South Carolina’s natural resources account for almost $30 billion annually to the state’s economy and account for more than 230,000 jobs, according to a studa by the USC Moore School of Business.

Read more stories on this subject in our economic impact topic page.Beaches, fishing and hunting rake in the most money; here's the full breakdown from the study:

Beaches and ocean surf – added about $3.5 billion to the state’s economy and supported nearly 81,000 jobs.
Fishing, hunting and wildlife viewing added about $2.2 billion to the economy and supported nearly 59,000 jobs.
The state’s forestry industry exported more than $1 billion in forest products and supported nearly 84,000 jobs.
The boat-building industry added nearly $400 million to the state’s economy and supported more than 9,500 jobs.
Mining activities added nearly $219 million to the state’s economy and supported more than 2,500 jobs.
Commercial marine fisheries in South Carolina added about $14 million to the state’s economy and supported 661 jobs.

Go take a look at the whole study.

For comparison, the port is estimated to be responsible for $45 billion in economic impact in the state.

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