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
Private forest landowners with property located within the FEMA Hurricane Helene Declaration are eligible.
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 will open on December 15, 2025 at 8:00 a.m. and close at midnight on January 9, 2026. This application period is only for new acreage. Acreage already enrolled in EFRP or FMit is not eligible during this period. The deadline for new or existing FMit applicants to complete fuel mitigation treatments is June 30, 2026. Extensions may be granted on a case-by-case basis.
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 on 80% of documented cost.
- Payments will not exceed $1,000 per acre.
- Georgia Development Authority is responsible for payments.