Financial incentives are available for a
limited time to help forest landowners in
Alabama protect pine forests from bark
beetle attacks. In the short term, these
incentives are designed to offset some of
the costs of SPB prevention measures. The
long-term goal is to reduce the
susceptibility of Alabama forests to future
SPB outbreaks.
Federal funds from the U.S. Forest Service
and administered by the Alabama Forestry
Commission will be awarded to qualified
private landowners once the approved
thinning practices are completed. Contact
your local AFC office for sign-up periods.
The southern pine beetle (SPB) is the number
one killer of pines in Alabama. Unmanaged
and overcrowded stands of loblolly and
shortleaf pines are susceptible to attack.
Epidemic populations of this bark beetle
occur almost every year in Alabama.
Expanding populations, if not controlled,
may devastate entire forests causing
millions of dollars in damage.
Thinning of dense, slow-growing pine stands
will stimulate growth and vigor in young
stands and reduce the SPB hazard. To qualify
for federal funds, your pine stand must have
a SPB hazard rating of 100 or higher and you must receive written approval from
the Alabama Forestry Commission before
beginning a thinning practice. You must meet
certain program guidelines when implementing
the thinning activities. Landowners who own
less than 60 acres of land, have not
participated in cost share programs in the
last 10 years, and whose timber has a very
high SPB Hazard Rating will receive priority
ranking.
Thinning practices and other requirements
for these incentive funds are:
- Pre-commercial thinning in
dense young pine stands with greater than 500 stems per acre.
This is timber
that will not be sold commercially because of its small size,
generally less than 5 inches
DBH.
- SPB Thinning in stands with a minimum of 100 SPB Hazard Rating
score
- Additionally, this must be
the first thinning on existing loblolly or shortleaf pine stands
that are
at least 10 acres in size.
- Incentive costs will be
reimbursed to the landowner at a rate of $50/acre for pine thinning.
Borax application will be reimbursed at $20/acre in soil types
with a high Annosus Root Rot Hazard rating. Total
reimbursement to landowners may not exceed maximum of
$5,000 per landowner per year.
To apply for funding, contact your local Alabama Forestry Commission
office for an application. If you are unsure
of your local office’s address
or phone number, you may contact the AFC
webmaster or the
state Landowner Assistance Forester,
Arthur Hitt, at (334) 240-9323.