Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson and the Florida Forest Service announced Thursday $2.8 million is now available to landowners through the Florida’s Future Forests Program.
In its third year, the program offers landowners cost-share payments to help increase the acreage of Florida’s healthy forests, which provide clean air, clean water, wildlife habitat, recreation, and thousands of essential products.
“A majority of our state’s forests are privately owned, so Florida landowners are key to maintaining and conserving our forests and natural resources for future generations,” said Commissioner Simpson. “This important program helps landowners offset the initial cost of site preparation, seedlings, and the planting of seedlings.”
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“Forests are valuable natural resources and a great long-term investment for the state,” said Florida Forest Service Director Rick Dolan. “Trees remove carbon dioxide emissions as well as produce oxygen, contribute to clean water, and provide homes for wildlife.”
The Florida’s Future Forests Program is open to non-industrial, private landowners, local governments, and registered nonprofit organizations. To obtain an application and learn more about the Florida’s Future Forests Program, visit FDACS.gov/FutureForests.
Applicants may request funding for tree establishment practices on a minimum of 20 acres and up to a maximum of 250 acres. Since 2021, the Florida Legislature has appropriated approximately $12 million for this program. These funds have already been used to create 26,000 acres of healthy forests in Florida.
The Florida Forest Service, a Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services division, manages more than 1 million acres of state forests and provides forest management assistance on more than 17 million acres of private and community forests.
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The Florida Forest Service is also responsible for protecting homes, forestland, and natural resources from the devastating effects of wildfire on more than 26 million acres.
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