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Applications are being accepted for funding through the Southern Pine Beetle Prevention Program.
The Southern Pine Beetle Prevention Program, funded through a grant from the U.S. Forest Service, will reimburse nonindustrial private forest landowners in North Carolina for some of the cost of practices to manage young pine stands for the prevention of southern pine beetle infestations.
Currently, precommercial thinning is the only practice being funded. Applications will be awarded until all funds are exhausted.
To apply for assistance, a landowner can contact the county forest ranger, who can provide the landowner with an application. For a landowner to qualify, a county ranger must approve a plan that provides guidelines for managing the pine stand. Plans can be written by N.C. Forest Service staff or a consulting forester.
Each landowner can receive reimbursements through the program for up to $10,000.