State Offers Money To Defend Against Pine Beetle

BROOKSVILLE - The state is once again offering money to help landowners fight the southern pine beetle.

Nonindustrial, private forestland owners are eligible for a cost-sharing program through the Florida Division of Forestry. The goal is to minimize southern pine beetle damage in Florida by helping landowners reduce the susceptibility of pine stands to the destructive insect.

The program offers up to 50 percent cost reimbursement for pre-commercial thinning, prescribed burning and mechanical underbrush treatments in existing pine stands, and a $50-per-acre incentive payment for landowners who conduct a first pulpwood thinning.

In addition, landowners may apply to receive up to 50 percent reimbursement for the cost of longleaf seedlings and $25 per acre in planting cost assistance to establish a longleaf pine plantation.

Such forest management practices can improve the health of pine stands and decrease their likelihood of developing southern pine beetle infestations, forestry officials said in a news release Tuesday. Periodic southern pine beetle outbreaks in Florida have resulted in millions of cubic feet of pine timber killed on thousands of acres.

For an application and more information on program requirements and procedures, forest landowners can visit their local forestry office or contact the county forester office in their area by visiting http://www.fl-dof.com.

Applications will be available beginning July 30 and will be evaluated on a first-received, first-served basis. The program is supported through temporary grants from the USDA Forest Service and will be offered only as long as funding is available.