Florida Forest Service Southern Pine Beetle Assistance Application Period Is Now Open

June 1, 2021

Applications are now open for the 2021 Southern Pine Beetle Assistance and Prevention Program for non-industrial, private forest landowners through June 18, 2021. The program is limited to 44 northern Florida counties, including Escambia and Santa Rosa.

The Southern Pine Beetle Assistance and Prevention Program, supported through a grant by the U.S. Forest Service, provides incentive payments for landowners who have overstocked pine stands and need to conduct a first thinning. In addition, it offers partial cost reimbursement for activities that can mitigate SPB activity, such as prescribed burning, mechanical underbrush treatments, and the planting of longleaf or slash pine rather than loblolly pine, the beetle’s preferred species. All qualifying applications received during the submission period will be evaluated and ranked for approval.

To obtain an application or to learn more about the Southern Pine Beetle Assistance and Prevention Program, visit FDACS.gov/SPBPrevention.

The southern pine beetle (SPB) is one of the most economically devastating forest pests in the Southeastern United States, with periodic outbreaks destroying thousands of acres of pine timber. The last major SPB outbreak in Florida, between 1999 and 2002, caused an estimated $59 million in timber losses on over 24,000 acres. The Southern Pine Beetle Assistance and Prevention Program promotes forest management practices that reduce the risk and impacts of SPB infestations. Since it was first offered in 2005, the program has been implemented on more than 197,000 acres and helped thousands of landowners.

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News