Financial relief will soon be available to assist timber owners adversely affected by Hurricane Michael in 2018, as well as the Lee County tornadoes of March 2019. Administered by the Alabama Forestry Commission, the Hurricane Michael Block Grant is made possible through an agreement with the USDA Farm Service Agency.
This program was designed to provide $10 million in financial relief to qualifying non-industrial private forest landowners of Alabama with a one-time payment. Eligible citizens must own timber in the following counties: Barbour, Bullock, Coffee, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Escambia, Geneva, Henry, Houston, Lee, Montgomery, Pike, or Russell. Additional eligibility requirements must be met for compensation of hurricane or tornado-related crop loss.
“We’re pleased to be able to provide this relief to those forest landowners who suffered losses during Hurricane Michael,” stated State Forester Rick Oates. “It’s very appropriate that the grant also include assistance for the landowners who were devastated by the Lee County tornadoes.”
The grant application period will launch on June 14 and run through August 1. For further information regarding additional eligibility requirements, please visit the ‘Hurricane Michael Block Grant’ section of the Alabama Forestry Commission’s website at www.forestry.alabama.gov, or contact:
Alabama Forestry Commission
Forest Management Division
Telephone: (334) 240-9300, extension 4
Email: hurricane.michael@forestry.alabama.gov