HAMPTON, S.C. --- Anyone who says that money doesn't grow on trees has never been to Hampton County.

Located in the heart of South Carolina's "Wood Basket" -- and with 70 percent of its acreage covered by forests -- Hampton County now delivers more wood to South Carolina mills than any other county in the state -- $58,030,954 worth a year, to be exact.

"In our most recent survey (2005) of South Carolina lumber mills, Hampton County was ranked first in the state in the value of harvested timber delivered to mills," said Tim Adams, a South Carolina Forestry Commission Economic Development specialist.

"Y'all have done a lot of tree planting over the last few years."

The Wood Basket is a densely-forested area that includes Hampton, Allendale, Barnwell, Clarendon and Florence counties, which produce a large chunk of the state's forest products.

Each year South Carolina exports about $1 billion in forest products, and the forest industry's impact on the state's economy is now more than $17 billion annually.

"We have recovered from the damage of Hurricane Hugo and we now have more wood in South Carolina right now than we have ever had since we started recording in the 1930s," Mr. Adams said.

The forest industry's total contribution to Hampton County's economy is $168 million a year, Mr. Adams said.

This includes the financial contribution of each forestry company and their suppliers, and the household spending of all their employees.

"When we examine the expanded uses of wood products it is easy to see the actual and potential value of the industry to our economy," said Dr. William Small, Hampton County's economic development director.

"Wood product development and wood waste management are areas where South Carolina would be wise to invest research dollars and explore ways to further improve our economy," Dr. Small said.