Clemson Extension’s CU in the Woods newsletter wins Notable State Document Award

Columbia – Clemson Cooperative Extension has won another award for its excellence in imparting the latest science-based information to South Carolina citizens.

The Clemson Extension newsletter CU in the Woods was named to the 2020 South Carolina State Library’s Notable State Documents list.

The quarterly newsletter is a key communications tool for Extension’s Forestry and Wildlife Program. It features information and videos on best practices for managing forestland and wildlife, the latest news on pests and diseases, lists upcoming Clemson Extension forestry events and includes a quarterly South Carolina forestry market report.

The newsletter is edited by Clemson Extension Agent Jaime Pohlman and distributed to subscribers by email and archived at https://www.clemson.edu/extension/forestry/newsletter/index.html.

“CU in the Woods is produced by a dedicated team of Clemson Extension agents who provide valuable content focused on making sure forestland owners have the very best science-based information for managing their forestland. We are honored to receive this award, and I could not be prouder of our team for producing such a valuable informational tool,” Pohlman said.

Winning documents for 2020 were selected by judges, including State Library staff members, document librarians from around the state and state employee representatives. The documents were graded based on design, writing style and breadth of information. Leesa Aiken, state library director, said the annual award showcases some of the strongest work completed by state agencies.

“South Carolina state documents awards began in 1991 to recognize exceptional documents published during each calendar year which add value and assist South Carolinians with their daily lives. It’s clear that our winners are passionate about what they do and the people who they serve,” Aiken said.

The Extension publication, Common Weeds and Wildflowers, written by Bert McCarty, was declared a Notable State Document in 2019 for the 2018 calendar year. In 2018, the Clemson Extension website, www.clemson.edu/extension, was named to the 2017 South Carolina State Library’s Notable State Documents list. Impacts Magazine was named to the list in 2015.

“Clemson Extension’s mission is to impart unbiased, research-based information to the citizens of South Carolina,” said Thomas Dobbins, director of Clemson Extension. “CU in the Woods is just another example of the many ways Clemson Extension has worked to continue meeting the needs of South Carolinians throughout the pandemic. I am proud of Jaime and the entire Forestry and Wildlife team for producing such high-quality information to help improve the lives of South Carolinians.”

The awards were presented remotely to the winning agencies and authors on April 28 from the South Carolina State Library in Columbia.

Documents declared Noble State Documents, as well as other state government publications, are available online through the State Documents Depository. State library staff also are digitizing paper records and saving born-digital documents available through state agency websites. These publications provide information about state government, including statistics, annual accountability reports and data on a wide variety of topics related to the state.