Tennessee Southern Pine Beetle Cost Share Program

The Southern Pine Beetle cost-share program provides financial assistance to private landowners to help manage pine forests and make them more resilient to beetle infestations. Funds come from the USDA Forest Service and are administered by Tennessee's Division of Forestry.

Eligible landowners are private individuals, joint owners, non-publicly-traded corporations, and nonprofit organizations. Excluded are government entities, wood-using industries, publicly-traded corporations, and commercial recreation operations. Eligible forests are pine stands harvested or killed by Southern Pine Beetle, stands needing beetle suppression, and those requiring thinning or replanting; stands must have more than 50% of their basal area in pine prior to SPB attack.

Both hazard-reduction and risk-reduction practices offer 50% reimbursement with per-acre maximums. Hazard reduction (reestablishment): site preparation ($30–$100/acre) and planting ($45–$75/acre). Risk reduction (existing stand improvement): competition control ($30–$50/acre), thinning ($55/acre), and beetle suppression ($250/acre, priority). Annual maximum is $20,000 per landowner across all practices combined.

Cost-share sign-up periods occur four times throughout the year. Landowners should contact their local Area Forester to verify eligibility and complete planning before enrolling.