The Southern Pine Beetle Assistance and Prevention Program is offered to eligible non-industrial private forest landowners by the Florida Forest Service through temporary grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service.
Periodic southern pine beetle outbreaks in Florida have resulted in millions of cubic feet of pine timber killed on thousands of acres. The goal of this program is to minimize southern pine beetle damage in Florida by helping forest landowners conduct management practices that can make their pine stands less susceptible to this destructive insect pest.
Forest management practices such as thinning, prescribed burning, other competition control, and use of less-susceptible pine species can improve the health of pine stands and decrease their likelihood of developing southern pine beetle infestations.
Program Details
The program offers partial cost reimbursement or incentive payments for:
- First pulpwood thinning
- Prescribed burning
- Planting longleaf and/or slash pine
- Mechanical underbrush treatments
All payments are made at specified per-acre or per-seedling rates. The program is limited to 44 northern Florida counties located within the range of the southern pine beetle. Qualified landowners may apply for up to two approved practices per year. The minimum tract size requirement is 10 acres (5 acres for First Pulpwood Thinning) and funding requests may not exceed $10,000. Only one application per landowner is permitted per year.
For more information on the Southern Pine Beetle Prevention program, contact your Florida Forest Service County Forester office
Contact Florida Southern Pine Beetle Prevention Program
Dr. Bud Mayfield
Florida Division of Forestry
1911 SW 34th Street
Gainesville, FL 32608
Phone: (352) 372-3505 x119
Service Area
