2021 Notable State Documents Award Winners

The South Carolina State Library is pleased to announce the selection of the most notable South Carolina State Documents of 2021. Government documents come in a variety of formats and winning categories include state agency monographs, serials, and websites or apps. Winners of the South Carolina Notable State Documents awards are announced in honor of Freedom of Information Day, which occurs annually on March 16. These noteworthy publications call attention to the most informative documents released by state agencies in 2021. Awards will be presented to the winning agencies and authors in a virtual ceremony on a date soon to be announced. 

Nominations for the Notable Documents Awards were submitted throughout the year, with final candidates being judged by a panel of librarians and state employees. Candidates were judged based on their designs, writing styles, and breadth of information. The judges chose a unique group of twelve documents for recognition, including a workbook style publication which assists with the farm transfer process, a book of quick and healthy recipes with a Southern flare, a long running and popular wildlife magazine, and a website which assists with protection during a severe weather event.  

Leesa Aiken, South Carolina State Library director said, "South Carolina state documents provide a wealth of information, statistics, and share a broad range of knowledge about our state. I am pleased that we are able to publicly recognize these important publications and websites as notable documents and it is my hope that all South Carolina state agencies continue to produce high quality documents such as these."

Monographs (physical or born digital)

• South Carolina Strategic Highway Safety Plan Target Zero | South Carolina Department of Public Safety. South Carolina Department of Transportation.

The purpose of the 2020–2024 SHSP is to lay out a strategic approach to further the state’s goal of eliminating fatalities and reducing serious injuries on South Carolina roadways. The plan provides a comprehensive and coordinated framework for safety partners to unite around in reducing fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads in South Carolina.

• Final Report on the Resiliency of South Carolina’s Electric and Natural Gas Infrastructure Against Extreme Winter Storm Events | Office of Regulatory Staff

Governor Henry McMaster requested the ORS undertake a comprehensive review of South Carolina’s public and private power grid to evaluate its ability to withstand potential ice storms and other dangerous winter weather. The resulting final report indicates that, given the information provided by 65 participating utility providers, South Carolina’s energy system and utility providers are adequately prepared to prevent and respond to outages caused by ice storms and other winter weather events.

• Business Transfer Guide: Senior Generation | Clemson University, Cooperative Extension Service.

Often, farm transfer decisions can be complicated, but they don’t have to be. This workbook takes you through the farm transfer process step-by-step at your own pace. The steps in this workbook are a guide, and you may use them in a different order if you wish.

• Eating Healthy in a SNAP! Recipe Book | South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, SNAP-Education Team

Eating Healthy in a SNAP is a recipe book designed by your South Carolina DHEC SNAP-Education Team. These dishes are easy, healthy, budget-friendly, and will keep that tasty Southern flare that we all enjoy! All the It’s Your Health Take Charge participants will explore some of these recipes in our classes. Each recipe follows recommendations for improving your plate: increasing fiber and limiting added sugars, salt, and saturated fat intake. Eating healthy doesn’t have to be hard!

• Pinnacle Mountain Fire: A Five-Year Retrospective of the Largest Wildfire in Upstate History | South Carolina Forestry Commission.

This describes the Pinnacle Mountain wildfire of 2015, its origin and the 26 day effort to contain it. The retrospective marks the fifth anniversary of the longest, largest and costliest fire in Upstate history. Photography from the front lines, maps and graphics detailing the movement of the fire and the personnel mobilized to fight it, and informative sidebars explaining key concepts of wildland firefighting, fire prevention and incident management coordination round out this retelling of the fire. The publication also documents the strategies and efforts of hundreds of firefighters from across the country.

Serials

• South Carolina Wildlife | South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.

The South Carolina Wildlife Magazine, published by the Department of Natural Resources, is dedicated to the conservation, protection and restoration of our state’s wildlife and natural resources, and to the education of our people to the value of these resources. It includes conservation success stories, heartwarming reflections, humorous tales, intriguing field notes, hunting and fishing instruction and guidance, firearm safety skills, delectable recipes, and awe-inspiring outdoor adventures.

• 2020-2021 Annual Report | South Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority.

Each year the South Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority publishes a report with summary of agency-related legislation passed, descriptions of grants, application processes, and yearly statistics.

• Agritourism Passport | South Carolina Department of Agriculture.

The Agritourism Passport provides an exciting way to experience participating farms across South Carolina. This program highlights a variety of farm opportunities in each region, including crop mazes, u-picks, hayrides, wineries, and petting zoos. Users may visit the farms to gain passport stamps which lead to prizes that can be won at the close of the passport year.

• Annual State Debt Report: An Overview and Summary of South Carolina Debt Outstanding, Limitations, Constraints and Capacity as of June 30, 2020 | South Carolina Office of the State Treasurer.

The South Carolina Office of the State Treasurer publishes an annual report to provide an overview and summary of South Carolina’s debt profile, constraints, and limitations. This revamped edition, which includes a State Debt Snapshot infographic and a Legal Margin Summary Document depicting debt classes and category limitations, reflects the Office’s ongoing efforts to furnish government officials, taxpayers and investors with a transparent view of the State’s long-term financial obligations. 

Websites

• South Carolina Hurricane Guide Website | SC Emergency Management Division.

South Carolina residents have a new, state-of-the-art tool to help them be better prepared for hurricanes. The South Carolina Emergency Management Division launched hurricane.sc, an interactive website designed to guide people through the fundamentals of being prepared for hurricanes and tropical storms. Designed to be a quick, adaptive and flexible online reference, hurricane.sc is accessible on a desktop computer, a smartphone or a tablet. “People in potentially vulnerable areas will be able to use this new site along with our other resources to update their emergency plans, know what evacuation zone they’re in and make informed decisions about their personal safety,” SCEMD Director Kim Stenson said. “Hurricane.sc is another tool in the toolbox for people to use when becoming their own emergency managers and being personally prepared for hurricanes.” 

• South Carolina Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office Website | South Carolina Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office. 

In 2014, the South Carolina General Assembly established the Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office (RFA) as part of restructuring the Budget and Control Board. RFA is responsible for providing diverse sets of fiscal and statistical analyses, reports, and other services to the Governor, General Assembly, state and local government entities, the private sector, and the citizens of the state. The agency has a staff of approximately seventy-five comprised of analysts, statisticians, epidemiologists, database administrators, web developers, GIS analysts, economists, surveyors, and project and program managers.

• South Carolina Forestry Commission Website | South Carolina Forestry Commission.

This new web presence is the product of a complete makeover. Everything from the design and the content to the responsiveness and functionality are significant improvements over the site the agency had for more than 20 years. The website is engineered to present the best possible viewing experience for users, regardless of the device, be it a phone, tablet or desktop computer. The development keyed in on the main functions of the agency. Users will immediately notice a slimmed-down main menu corralling all previously available information into five primary solos. All of the changes amount to a very user-friendly experience. 

Source: South Carolina State Library