Incentives come in the form of cost share payments, annual payments, and/or easement values that serve to offset the initial cost of what is usually a long term forestry investment. Several cost sharing and incentive programs are available to help Georgia landowners meet forestry management goals:

Statewide Programs

  • Southern Pine Beetle Cost Share Program (SPB)
    • The purpose of the SPBP is to help landowners implement various silvicultural practices that will prevent (or minimize) impacts of southern pine beetle infestations, restore healthy, more beetle-resistant forests and suppress current beetle infestations.
  • Invasive Plant Control Program (IPCP) 
    • A program administered by GFC and funded by the U.S. Forest Service. Forestry practices include using herbicides (a combination of mechanical and herbicide treatments) to eradicate nonnative, invasive plants. The Invasive Plant Control Program (IPCP) aims to promote healthy forests by eliminating non-native, invasive plants. If left unchecked, lands occupied by these plants become unproductive and native flora (and fauna) can be completely displaced.
  • Arbor Day Foundation – Georgia Tree Planting Program
    • The Arbor Day Foundation provides funding to help landowners in Georgia with tree planting costs. The funds will reimburse private forest landowners for the cost of loblolly, slash, and longleaf pine seedlings.
  • Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
    • Forestry practices covered include prescribed burning, site preparation & tree planting, pre-commercial & commercial thinning, road stabilization, and wildlife management practices.
  • Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
    • The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is a cost-share and rental payment program.
  • Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)
    • A cost share is targeted at producers who maintain a higher level of environmental stewardship.
  • Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP)
    • A cost-share that helps the owners of non-industrial private forests restore forest health damaged by natural disasters.
  • Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP)
    • Forestry practices enhance or increase habitat for threatened and endangered species. Contract lengths are 10-year or 30-year agreements to permanent easements.
  • Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program (PFW)
    • Forestry practices include stream restoration, livestock exclusion, restoring native vegetation in uplands, planting longleaf pine, and establishing native ground cover.
  • Wildlife Incentives for Nongame and Game Species (Project WINGS)
    • This program is eligible for landowners, leaseholders, hunting clubs, wildlife organizations, government entities, and others committed to managing right-of-ways for wildlife. Eligible right-of-ways include Georgia Power, Georgia Transmission, MEAG Power, Savannah Electric, and AGL Resources.

Region Specific Programs

  • South Georgia Landscape Restoration Cost Share Project
    • This cost share program is focused on promoting understory and mid‐story management throughout South Georgia that will be ecologically beneficial and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires. It will be implemented by the Georgia Forestry Commission with funding from National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, American Forest Foundation and other partners.
    • This initiative will provide landowners a payment of up to $5,000.00 for successful completion of one or more of the following practices on privately owned forested lands: herbicide applications, mowing, mulching, thinning for habitat improvement, groundcover restoration, bottomland hardwood enhancement and prescribed burning.

  • West Central Georgia Rx Burn Initiative Program

    • The FY23 WCG Rx Fire Initiative is funded again this year by National Fish and Wildlife Grants, GDNR’s Bobwhite Quail Initiative, Landscape Scale Restoration Grants, Longleaf Alliance, and The Georgia Sentinel Landscape pilot project to impact between 4,500 and 18,000 acres in the West Central Georgia area in FY23.
  • Huber “Trees for Georgia” Program
    • Huber Engineered Woods LLC has donated $30K to fund the purchase of pine seedlings to be planted within the following counties: Banks, Barrow, Clarke, Elbert, Franklin, Greene, Gwinnett, Habersham, Hall, Hart, Jackson, Lincoln, Lumpkin, Madison, Morgan, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Stephens, Taliaferro, Walton, White, and Wilkes. The funds will be used to purchase GFC seedlings, which will be given to qualified landowners.
  • One Tree Planted – Reforestation Program
    • One Tree Planted is providing funding to assist private landowners in North Georgia with reforestation expenses. The funds will reimburse approved landowners $100/acre on eligible reforestation practices.
  • Shortleaf Pine & Oak Restoration in the Georgia Cumberlands Cost Share Project
    • The Shortleaf Pine & Oak Restoration in the Georgia Cumberlands Cost Share Project is intended to help promote shortleaf pine and shortleaf pine/oak ecosystems.