Charles Ruth, service to DNR

2025-2026 Bill 4947: Charles Ruth, service to DNR - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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H. 4947
STATUS INFORMATION
House Resolution
Sponsors: Reps. G.M. Smith, Alexander, Anderson, Atkinson, Bailey, Ballentine, Bamberg, Bannister, Bauer, Beach, Bernstein, Bowers, Bradley, Brewer, Brittain, Burns, Bustos, Calhoon, Caskey, Chapman, Chumley, Clyburn, Cobb-Hunter, Collins, Cox, Crawford, Cromer, Davis, Dillard, Duncan, Edgerton, Erickson, Ford, Forrest, Frank, Gagnon, Garvin, Gatch, Gibson, Gilliam, Gilliard, Gilreath, Govan, Grant, Guest, Guffey, Haddon, Hager, Hardee, Harris, Hart, Hartnett, Hartz, Hayes, Henderson-Myers, Herbkersman, Hewitt, Hiott, Hixon, Holman, Hosey, Howard, Huff, J.E. Johnson, J.L. Johnson, Jones, Jordan, Kilmartin, King, Kirby, Landing, Lastinger, Lawson, Ligon, Long, Lowe, Luck, Magnuson, Martin, McCabe, McCravy, McDaniel, McGinnis, C. Mitchell, D. Mitchell, Montgomery, J. Moore, T. Moore, Morgan, Moss, Neese, B. Newton, W. Newton, Oremus, Pace, Pedalino, Pope, Rankin, Reese, Rivers, Robbins, Rose, Rutherford, Sanders, Schuessler, Scott, Sessions, M.M. Smith, Spann-Wilder, Stavrinakis, Taylor, Teeple, Terribile, Vaughan, Waters, Weeks, Wetmore, White, Whitmire, Wickensimer, Williams, Willis, Wooten and Yow
Document Path: LC-0395VR-RM26.docx
Introduced in the House on January 15, 2026
Adopted by the House on January 15, 2026
Summary: Charles Ruth, service to DNR
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

1/15/2026

House

Introduced and adopted (
House Journal-page 12
)

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VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
01/15/2026

A
house
RESOLUTION

TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR CHARLES RUTH FOR HIS
THIRTY-ONE YEARS OF EXEMPLARY SERVICE TO THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND TO
COMMEND HIM FOR HIS OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP IN WILDLIFE CONSERVATION,
SCIENCE-BASED MANAGEMENT, AND PUBLIC SERVICE.

W
hereas, Charles Ruth
devoted thirty-one years of distinguished service to the South Carolina
Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division,
retiring after a career defined by integrity, professionalism, and unwavering
dedication to the conservation and stewardship of the state's natural
resources; and

W
hereas, throughout his
career, Charles Ruth served in progressively more responsible positions,
culminating in his role as big game coordinator, in which he provided statewide
leadership for the management of South Carolina's deer, wild turkey, and black
bear populations; and

W
hereas, Charles Ruth
played a significant role in providing technical expertise, drafting support,
and testimony on more than one hundred pieces of legislation that became law,
addressing complex issues involving wildlife conservation, public safety, private
property rights, hunting traditions, and wildlife disease management; and

W
hereas, he
demonstrated a strong commitment to public engagement and transparency by
conducting numerous public meetings and stakeholder forums across the State to
ensure that wildlife policies were informed by sound science, public input, and
responsible management principles; and

W
hereas, Charles Ruth
was instrumental in the development and implementation of cooperative research
initiatives with leading universities and federal partners, directing millions
of dollars toward research projects focused on wildlife ecology, population
dynamics, predator-prey relationships, and disease prevention, thereby
positioning South Carolina as a national leader in science-based wildlife
management; and

W
hereas, his service
extended beyond policy and research to include extensive public education and
outreach, participation in hundreds of public presentations and media
interviews, maintenance of a law enforcement commission for more than two
decades, and service as a qualified expert witness in state and federal courts;
and

W
hereas, prior to, and
upon, his retirement, Charles Ruth was the only state agency wildlife biologist
in the Eastern United States coordinating a comprehensive big game program that
included deer, wild turkey, and black bear, reflecting the extraordinary scope
of his responsibility and professional stature; and

W
hereas, Charles Ruth's
career has left a lasting legacy of strengthened conservation practices,
protected outdoor traditions, and responsible stewardship of South Carolina's
wildlife resources for current and future generations. Now, therefore,

B
e it resolved by the
House of Representatives
:

T
hat the members of the
South Carolina
House of Representatives
,
by this resolution, recognize and honor Charles Ruth for his thirty-one years
of exemplary service to the State of South Carolina and commend him for his
outstanding leadership in wildlife conservation, science-based management, and
public service.

B
e it further resolved
that a copy of this resolution be presented to Charles Ruth.

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This web page was last updated on January 15, 2026 at 11:24 AM