Technical assistance and financial incentives will soon be available to help forest landowners in Alabama implement prevention practices to reduce the susceptibility of their pine stands from a southern pine beetle (SPB) attack.  

The primary objective of the SPB Prevention Cost-share Program is to help forest landowners implement forest management practices that will ultimately reduce SPB damage and outbreaks in Alabama. Administered by the Alabama Forestry Commission, the program is made possible through a grant from the USDA Forest Service. The application is available to the public until August 31, 2023.  

Certain requirements must be met before a stand is eligible for the SPB Prevention Cost-share Program: 

• This program is open to non-industrial private forest (NIPF) landowners who own at least 10 continuous acres of forest land in Alabama.  
• These NIPF owners may include private individuals, joint owners, non-profit organizations or corporations that are not wood-using industries and do not have publicly traded stock.   
• Ineligible owners include lands controlled by federal and local governments, wood-using industries or entities that derive more than 50 percent of their gross income from wood-using industries; corporations with publicly traded stock or public utility companies.
• The same acreage cannot be enrolled in other incentive or cost-share programs, including Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). 

Prevention practices that are available for incentive payments: 

• First commercial thinning of loblolly or shortleaf pine stand  
• Understory prescribed burning of loblolly or shortleaf pine stand 
• Low-density loblolly pine planting for suitable sites 

If you would like to learn more about the individual practices and their criteria, visit the AFC website at www.forestry.alabama.gov; select Manage from navigation tab; under Landowner Assistance Programs click Cost Share/Financial Assistance Programs; then select Southern Pine Beetle Prevention Cost-Share Program. 

The mission of the Alabama Forestry Commission is to protect and sustain Alabama’s forest resources using professionally applied stewardship principles and education, ensuring that the state’s forests contribute to abundant timber and wildlife, clean air and water and a healthy economy. For more information about the Alabama Forestry Commission, visit the AFC website at www.forestry.alabama.gov.