Pine Bark Beetle Prevention Program

• Program Name: Pine Bark Beetle Prevention Program
• Abbreviation: PBBPP
• Primary Goal: To provide landowners with financial incentives to conduct pine thinnings and/or longleaf pine restoration on appropriate sites. This will create healthier forests and reduce the occurrence and impact of bark beetle outbreaks.
• Contact Agency: Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF)
• Where Applicable: Statewide.
• Other Sources of Information: Contact your county forester for an application and visit Protect Your Pine Forest - Bark Beetle Cost-share Options for Landowners. (English; PDF format) .

Cost-Share Incentive For Landowners

The incentive payment to landowners for approved projects is:

• 60% of direct project cost for pre-commercial pine thinning, not to exceed $175 per acre or $10,000 in a federal fiscal year (10/01-9/30)
• 60% of direct project cost for longleaf pine site preparation, planting, burning, or herbicide release, not to exceed $10,000 in a federal fiscal year
• VDOF services or outside consulting fees will not be considered as part of project costs for the purposes of calculating cost share.

Pre-commercial pine thinnings

Requirement for qualification

• Parcel must be at least five (5) acres in size.
• Pine species must be loblolly, shortleaf, longleaf, pond, Virginia, pitch or white pine.
• Trees must be no more than 15 years old and no more than 4 inches average dbh.
• Tree density must be at least 800 stems per acre.
• Post-treatment residual density must be from 300-500 stems per acre.
• Parcel must not be in public or forest industry ownership, or be managed by a Timber Investment Management Organization (TIMO) or Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT)

Longleaf pine restoration

Requirement for qualification

• Parcel to be planted must be at least five (5) acres in size.
• Site must be appropriate for successful longleaf pine establishment, growth and survival with proper management.
• Parcel must not be in public or forest industry ownership, or be managed by a Timber Investment Management Organization (TIMO) or Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT)

Logger Incentive Program for First Commercial Thinnings

To apply, each logger must have a unique SHARP LOGGER and NAID number. In addition they must not owe the Virginia Department of Forestry any civil penalties or outstanding debt. A $2,000 payment will be made for each application that meets the following requirements:

• One parcel only per deeded and surveyed tract per application.
• Parcel must be 10-40 acres in size. A parcel must not be part of a larger contiguous stand that exceeds 40 acres. A parcel may be made up of multiple, non-contiguous pine stands per property provided they do not collectively exceed 40 acres. A tract with over 40 acres of pine of any age class is not eligible.
• Parcel must be between 12 and 22 years of age
• Parcel must have a minimum pine basal area of 110 sq. ft. per acre or 350 trees per acre
• Parcel must be thinned to a target of 60-80 sq. ft. per acre or 100-250 trees per acre of live, healthy, undamaged pine volume.
• Parcel must be non-industrial private use only. This also excludes properties owned by real estate investment trusts (REITs) and Timber Investment Management Organizations (TIMOs).

To enforce these requirements, a Virginia Department of Forestry forester or technician must inspect the proposed site prior to each logging operation. If the forester is satisfied that the site meets the above requirements, he will sign the form and submit to Department of Forestry Headquarters for approval by the Program Manager. Logging may then proceed per agreement with the landowner. Following each logging operation, the forester must re-inspect the site before signing the application again to insure the job adequately met the above requirements. Payment will not be received until the forester completes this task and forwards the application to Department of Forestry Headquarters.

Each logger may submit no more than 15 applications or receive more than $30,000 per calendar year. The VDOF reserves the right to terminate this program at any time.

All programs, activities, and services of the conservation partnership are available to people on a nondiscriminatory basis regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, physical ability, political affiliation, and marital or familial status. We are all equal opportunity employers.

Last modified: Thursday, 02-Jul-2009 09:27:02 EDT