Eligible counties include, Alachua, Baker, Bay, Bradford, Calhoun, Citrus, Clay, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Glades, Gulf, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Holmes, Indian River, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami‑Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, Orange, Pasco, Putnam, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Volusia, Wakulla, Walton and Washington.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson and the Florida Forest Service announced today that applications are being accepted for the 2026 Southern Pine Beetle Assistance and Prevention Program for non-industrial, private forest landowners through October 9. The program includes 44 northern Florida counties – the known range of the southern pine beetle.
“Small, private forest landowners are the backbone of our state’s forest industry,” said Commissioner Simpson. “By providing assistance to forest landowners to strengthen their pine timber against this destructive pest, this program helps protect Florida’s natural resources and economy.”
The southern pine beetle is one of the most economically devastating forest pests in the Southeastern United States, with periodic outbreaks destroying thousands of acres of pine timber. Recent outbreaks in Alabama, Georgia, and other neighboring states have resulted in devastating timber losses.
“Southern pine beetle activity has remained relatively low in Florida in recent years,” said Rick Dolan, Director of the Florida Forest Service. “Active forest management can both protect individual stands and reduce the risk of widespread outbreaks.”
The Southern Pine Beetle Assistance and Prevention Program, supported through a grant by the U.S. Forest Service, provides incentive payments for landowners who have overstocked pine stands and need to conduct a first thinning. In addition, it offers partial cost reimbursement for activities that can mitigate southern pine beetle activity, such as prescribed burning, mechanical underbrush treatments, and the planting of longleaf or slash pine rather than loblolly pine, the beetle’s preferred species. All qualifying applications received during the submission period will be evaluated and ranked for approval.
Since it was first offered in 2005, this program has been implemented on more than 222,000 acres and helped thousands of landowners. Some of the reimbursement rates are being increased this year, to account for the rising costs experienced by landowners.
To obtain an application or to learn more about the Southern Pine Beetle Assistance and Prevention Program, visit: FDACS.gov/SPBPrevention.
The Florida Forest Service, a division of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, manages more than 1.2 million acres of state forests and provides forest management assistance on more than 17 million acres of private and community forests. The Florida Forest Service is also responsible for protecting homes, forestland, and natural resources from the devastating effects of wildfire.
For more information about Commissioner Simpson and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, visit FDACS.gov.