Application Portal is now closed
Updated on 8/2/2021
Overview:
The Hurricane Michael Block Grant is available to non-industrial private forestland timber producers who suffered damages because of Hurricane Michael (2018) or the Lee County tornadoes (2019). Financial assistance for hurricane related crop loss is provided to producers that meet eligibility requirements. The program is managed by the Alabama Forestry Commission.
Eligibility Requirements:
To be eligible for the Hurricane Michael Block Grant, a producer must be the owner of record or the lessee who had rights to the timber crop at the time of hurricane or tornado damage. The applicant must have had a minimum of 10 contiguous acres of nonindustrial private forest land (NIPF) located in one of the following Alabama counties:
- Henry, Houston, Lee, Barbour, Pike, Dale, and Geneva, Bullock, Russell, Montgomery, Crenshaw, Coffee, Covington, Escambia.
Ownership Requirement:
To be eligible for the Hurricane Michael Block Grant financial assistance, a producer must be a person or legal entity that is a:
- Citizen of the United States.
- Resident Alien.
- Partnership consisting solely of citizens or resident aliens of the US; or
- Corporation, limited liability corporation, or other farm organizational structure organized under State law consisting solely of citizens or resident aliens of the US.
Loss Requirement:
To be eligible to receive financial assistance, a producer must meet a minimum loss requirement of 10 contiguous acres within a stand and have sustained a minimum 25% loss within a stand as determined by the state that was caused by Hurricane Michael or the Lee County tornadoes. To qualify for payment rates of pine or hardwood, over 70% of the pine stand must consist of pine trees and over 70% of the hardwood stand must consist of hardwood trees. If neither of these are at 70 % then the trees will be categorized as mixed hardwood pine. See Payment Calculation Section below for more details.
- For those stands of trees that suffered at least a twenty-five percent loss but less than a thirty-five percent production loss as determined by the State due to Hurricane Michael or the Lee County tornados, such losses will be eligible for payments calculated in Table 1.
- For those stands of trees that suffered a minimum thirty-five percent production loss or greater as determined by the State due to Hurricane Michael or the Lee County tornados, such losses will be eligible for payments calculated in Table 2.
Payment Calculation:
Table 1
| Age |
Assigned Volume in Tons per acre |
Assigned value per ton |
Payment per acre to landowner |
| PINE |
| .5-15 |
30 |
$10.99 |
$82.43 |
| 16-30 |
70 |
$14.31 |
$250.43 |
| 30+ |
50 |
$23.96 |
$299.50 |
| HARDWOOD |
| .5-30 |
60 |
$7.78 |
$116.70 |
| 31+ |
105 |
$11.90 |
$312.38 |
| MIXED PINE/HARDWOOD |
| .5-30 |
40 |
$12.07 |
$120.70 |
| 31+ |
60 |
$20.18 |
$302.70 |
Table 2
| Age |
Assigned Volume in Tons per acre |
Assigned value per ton |
Payment per acre to landowner |
| PINE |
| .5-15 |
30 |
$10.99 |
$164.85 |
| 16-30 |
70 |
$14.31 |
$500.85 |
| 30+ |
50 |
$23.96 |
$599.00 |
| HARDWOOD |
| .5-30 |
60 |
$7.78 |
$233.40 |
| 31+ |
105 |
$11.90 |
$624.75 |
| MIXED PINE/HARDWOOD |
| .5-30 |
40 |
$12.07 |
$241.40 |
| 31+ |
60 |
$20.18 |
$605.40 |
How to Sign-Up/ Next Steps
Application Portal
Inside the application, participants will be required to answer questions that pertain directly to eligibility. Once the questions are answered, the participant will be asked to submit supporting documentation. If the property is jointly owned, everyone who is listed on the deed must submit an application.
Required Documentation:
- W-9 Tax identification
- Property Deed
- Voided Check
- List routing and account number
- Latitude and Longitude
- Mailing address
- Contact information.
- Percentage of ownership (joint applications only)
Site Inspection and Loss Verification
Once your complete application and supporting documentation has been received by the Alabama Forestry Commission, verification of timber loss to determine your eligibility and payment amount will be required. Staff will use a combination of site inspections, aerial imagery, and, potentially other supporting documentation to verify your level of loss.
How to Receive Payment
Applicant’s must register into STAARS upon receiving notification that they have been accepted into the program. The funds can not be distributed to the applicant until the applicant has turned in their VC number to the Alabama Forestry Commission. After the VC number passes the verification process, the AFC will process payment to the applicant. Funding will be awarded on a first come first serve basis until all funds are exhausted.
Contact:
Alabama Forestry Commission
Forest Management Division
Telephone: (334) 240-9334
Email: hurricane.michael@forestry.alabama.gov