The South Carolina Department of Agriculture (SCDA) began accepting online applications this week for the program. The grant is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). It aims to help offset infrastructure damage, market losses and severe timber destruction caused by Helene.
The South Carolina Forestry Commission (SCFC) is managing the timber recovery portion of the program. According to an SCFC report, Spartanburg, Pickens, McCormick, Edgefield and Aiken counties suffered the most timber losses.
There are requirements to be eligible to receive the grant. First, property must be located in an eligible county.
Properties must also have been owned on Sept. 27, 2024. It must contain at least 10 contiguous acres of forestland with at least 15% of the trees with significant damage to be considered.
More information and how to apply can be found on the SCDA website.
