COLLEGE STATION – The Texas A&M Forest Service is accepting applications for the 2020 Southern Pine Beetle (SPB) Prevention Cost-Share Program.
Through this program, eligible forest landowners can receive up to $50 per acre, with a 100-acre maximum, to assist in first-thinning operations of overly dense, pulpwood-sized pine stands.
The forested property must meet the set criteria and be located within one of the 21 priority counties which include: Angelina, Cass, Cherokee, Hardin, Harrison, Houston, Jasper, Liberty, Marion, Nacogdoches, Newton, Panola, Polk, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Trinity, Tyler, and Walker.
Applications are due by Nov. 1, 2020, and can be submitted through local Texas A&M Forest Service offices for the eligible counties. Additionally, all approved thinning projects must be completed within 12 months of the approval date.
For program criteria, requirements, and an application, interested landowners can go online or contact their local Texas A&M Forest Service office.
The funds are provided by the USDA Forest Service-Region 8 and Forest Health Protection.
Since the inception of the SPB Prevention Program, over 100,000 acres have been treated throughout East Texas.
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