Georgia Forestry Commission Rolls Out Two Hurricane Helene Relief Programs

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To continue healing from the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, the Georgia Forestry Commission has announced two new programs to help foresters navigate their losses.

Both the Fuel Mitigation Program and the Forest Access Road and Firebreak Restoration Program have been approved by the Georgia Financing and Investment Commission, as the Georgia Forestry Commission has designated $25 million for debris clean-up and firebreak installation. Foresters in Montgomery, Toombs, Treutlen, and Wheeler Counties may be eligible for both assistance programs but must apply for them separately.

The Fuel Mitigation Program is designed to help cover up to 80% of the cost of damage mitigation of forested property. This program is open to landowners who have at least 10 acres of forestland of any size with trees damaged by the hurricane. Funds received from this program may be applied to work costs retroactively for work done from September 27 onward and are based on 80% of the documented costs to clean-up the land. After completing the work on the land, official cost documentation and a detailed map showing boundaries and completed mitigation practices should be submitted to the Georgia Forestry Commission to receive the funds; a Georgia Forestry Commission forester will confirm the work completion. Cost share may be limited per taxpayer identification number and a per-acre funding cap may be set if there is a high demand for funds.

The Forest Access Road and Firebreak Restoration Program was created for fire prevention activities to help to create a more manageable situation if wildfires were to break out in the region. This program provides for the clearing of debris from existing firebreaks and roads at no cost to the owner. Eligible tracts must have an existing tree cover with forest roads and established firebreaks, which must have been in place immediately prior to the hurricane’s arrival.

Applications for both programs are available online at the Georgia Forestry Commission website (gatrees.org). All applications are due by Friday, December 6. For more information, call 1 (800) 436-7442.