RICHLAND COUNTY, S.C. — A recently-passed law now allows South Carolinians to mark parts of their property with purple paint in place of no trespassing signs.
The markings must be painted to immovable, permanent objects that are not more than 100 yards apart and easily visible to anyone approaching the property.
It was a welcomed change for Cedar Creek Tree Farmer Patrick Dorn.
He is a member of the Forestry Association of South Carolina which advocated for the law and discussed the changes coming to his property as a result.
"All around the road out here... we gon' have purple paint," Dorn said. "Sometimes (trespassers) come in and steal your timber... hunt illegally... and throw trash around.... We don't have to worry about (no trespassing) signs blowing down. We don't have to worry about people pulling signs down. The paint is going to be permanent."
The purple line should be at least eight inches long and two inches wide and the bottom of the line should be between three and six feet from the ground.
So, why purple paint?
Cam Crawford is president of the Forestry Association and shared his thoughts on the matter.
"It's not a color that's used in the forest industry. So, it wouldn't be easily confused with some of the others colors that may be used for various reasons," Crawford said. "Tree farmers... have been pushing for this for many, many years and we finally got it over the line."
Those who cross the paint illegally could face a $100 fine or up to 30 days in jail.
Now, they're just working to spread the word.
"Ride by, you gon' see purple paint," Dorn said. "Hopefully, folks that see that say, well, I know that fella doesn't want me hunting on his property or poaching his fish ponds or whatever."
To view the full law, click here to visit the S.C. State House website.