South Carolina - Forest Renewal Cost-Share Program (FRP) Grant

The South Carolina Forest Renewal Cost-Share Program provides essential financial assistance to eligible landowners for tree planting and forestry management practices. This initiative, supported by the South Carolina Forestry Commission and local forest industries, aims to enhance timber supplies and promote environmental benefits such as clean air and wildlife habitats. With funding covering up to 90% of costs, the program encourages sustainable forestry practices while stimulating the local economy. Participation requires adherence to specific management plans and completion within set timelines.

Cost-share programs
Certain landowners can qualify for cost-share assistance from either the state or federal government. This assistance can be used on different practices, but mainly focuses on replanting cutover sites. These programs pay anywhere from 40-90% of the cost of the practices that qualify.
In addition, technical assistance is provided by the South Carolina Forestry Commission to help you carry out your forestry work. A Commission forester will advise you as to which species of trees to plant, which kind of site preparation is needed for planting, which herbicides to use, or which trees to remove from your woods. The forester will provide a Forest Management Plan, which will include his recommendations for cost-share practices.
What is FRP?
The Forest Renewal Program (FRP) is a cost share program that provides financial assistance to eligible landowners for tree planting practices approved by the South Carolina Forestry Commission. FRP is a partnership between South Carolina’s forest industries and the State. With the support of South Carolina’s forest industries, the program is jointly funded through an assessment of those industries producing primary wood products and an appropriation by the South Carolina State Legislature.
The goal of the Forest Renewal Program is to encourage tree planting on private lands to help ensure adequate future timber supplies. The program is designed to help landowners increase the productivity of their woodlands while providing other benefits such as clean air, clean water, and wildlife habitat.

Eligibility

Any private individual, group, partnership, association, trust or corporation not engaged in the manufacture of wood products, or any other legal entity owning non-industrial forestland capable of producing wood products. Private, individual forest landowners who are stockholders in any entity manufacturing forest products are eligible. Management Practices Eligible:Site preparation and tree planting on previously forested or agricultural lands.Timber stand improvement of natural or artificially regenerated forests.Restrictions and Limitations:
Practices must be satisfactorily completed in accordance to the prescriptions as specified by the forest management plan approved by the SC Forestry Commission. The maximum funds allocated to any eligible landowner is limited to the amount needed to complete approved practices on 100 acres of land.Ten contiguous acres is the minimum that will be approved for any practice.All practices must be completed within 20 months of funding.Cost share recipients must maintain eligible lands in a forest condition for a period of 10 years or until commercial harvest or the landowner shall be required to repay all cost share received.

Ineligibility

Who is not eligible?Private entities engaged in the business of manufacturing forest products, such as: sawmills, pulp and paper mills, plywood plants, oleoresin plants.Public utilities or governmental agencies: federal, state, or local.