FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Kellee Melton, SC NRCS
Assistant State Conservationist for Programs
(803) 765-5681
Kellee.melton@sc.usda.gov

USDA Announces Initiative to Improve Longleaf Pine Forest Ecosystems

COLUMBIA, SC, June 30, 2010–Ann English, State Conservationist for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in South Carolina, announced that the state has received $700,000 for an initiative designed to help private landowners improve the health of longleaf pine forest ecosystems. The funds are available through the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP). NRCS administers WHIP which is a voluntary program for conservation-minded landowners who want to develop and improve wildlife habitat on agricultural land, nonindustrial private forest land, and Indian land. The deadline to apply is July 14, 2010.

South Carolina is one of nine southeast states included in the initiative which seeks to use an integrated landscape approach to restore longleaf pine forests on private lands and improve plant and animal habitat. The other states participating are Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Texas, and Virginia.

 English said, “This collaborative, all-lands approach to conservation will result in cleaner water, improve critical habitat for sensitive species, and an economic resource for the future.”

Approved landowners will receive a payment rate of 75 percent (or 90 percent for those that meet the eligibility status of historically underserved) for installed conservation practices including tree planting, firebreaks, prescribed burning, and forest site preparation. Eligible landowners must be willing to plant seedlings at a reduced stocking rate (< 435 seedlings per acre).

The priority area in South Carolina primarily includes counties in the eastern part of the state. Landowners can submit applications for this program at their local NRCS office.

The longleaf pine ecosystem is one of the most diverse, but it is in a drastic state of decline. Only 3 percent of the longleaf pine ecosystem remains from its original 90 million acres.

For more information, visit a USDA Service Center located within the priority area for this initiative, or visit www.sc.nrcs.usda.gov.

South Carolina Longleaf Initiative Priority Areas

If you encounter any problems with the files provided on this page, please contact Sabrenna Bryant at 803-765-5419.  

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SC Longleaf Initiative Priority Areas  (PDF;  KB)

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