Spotted Lanternfly inRichland County, SCSPOTTED LANTERNFLY GUIDE

Richland County is the heart of the Columbia metro and a major inland freight hub where I-20 and I-26 intersect — corridors that carry cargo directly from SLF-infested zones in the Mid-Atlantic and down the I-85 spine. As the state capital, Columbia hosts significant government, university, and military traffic from across the country, elevating the risk of accidental SLF introduction via vehicles or shipped goods. Fort Jackson, the U.S. Army's largest basic training installation, generates enormous personnel and equipment movement from quarantine states year-round. The Congaree River corridor and Broad River margins provide riparian Tree of Heaven habitat that could sustain SLF populations once introduced. SC Dept of Agriculture considers Richland County a priority watch zone given its role as a regional transportation and logistics hub.