Program Overview
The purpose of this program is to help landowners manage forest fuels resulting from Hurricane Helene to improve public safety. This program intends to reduce wildfire risk in impacted areas by implementing practices to improve access, reduce forest fuel loads, reduce wildfire threat in the wildland urban interface, and install or improve firebreaks.
Eligibility
Non-industrial landowners, which means any private individual, group, association, corporation, Indian tribe or other native group, other private legal entity, excluding corporations whose stocks are publicly traded or legal entities principally engaged in the processing or manufacturing of wood products. Property must be located within FEMA Hurricane Helene Declaration. Minimum practice size is 10 acres.
Practices Covered
Acceptable practices using heavy mechanical equipment include chipping, grinding, felling, root raking, piling, windrowing, firebreak installation and improvement, and other cost-effective methods to mitigate wildfire risk. Forest fuel loads can also be mitigated with the use of pile burning, broadcast burning, and utilizing chain saw operators and other manual labor. To protect soil and water resources, “Georgia’s Best Management Guidelines for Forestry” should be followed for all activities.
Sign-up Period
The application period is open now until December 13, 2024. Scroll down to begin the application.
General Guidelines
- Participants cannot receive duplicative funding for practices reimbursed under this program (EFRP, ECP, etc.).
- Reimbursement can be retroactive to September 27, 2024
- Minimum practice size is 10 acres.
- Treatment areas must have been forested prior to September 27, 2024.
- Payments will be based of 80% of documented cost.
- Cost share may be limited per taxpayer identification number and a per-acre cap may be set, depending on the demand for funds.
- Georgia Development Authority is responsible for payments.