This award consists of the forest stewardship program, forest health protection program, urban & community forestry program, state fire capacity program, volunteer fire capacity program, and landscape…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, Region 8 - Southern Region, awarded the South Carolina Forestry Commission a $5.58 million Project Grant under the Cooperative Forestry Assistance program (CFDA 10.664) on September 2, 2025, with completion by September 1, 2030. This award consolidates funding for six core forestry initiatives: the Forest Stewardship Program, Forest Health Protection Program, Urban & Community Forestry Program, State Fire Capacity Program, Volunteer Fire Capacity Program, and Landscape Scale Restoration Program. Through this funding, the Commission provides direct technical and financial assistance to non-federal land managers, forest producers, private landowners, and municipalities across South Carolina to accomplish forest stewardship objectives, reduce wildfire risk, combat forest health threats including damaging insects and diseases, support timber production, and implement landscape-scale restoration activities.

The award supports on-the-ground implementation activities and capacity building designed to advance forest management across approximately 500 million acres of non-federal forest lands nationwide under the Cooperative Forestry Assistance program. Eligible beneficiaries of services provided through the South Carolina Forestry Commission include private forest landowners, rural fire-fighting forces, municipal governments, and other state and local agencies. Specific services delivered include prescribed burn implementation, forest health assessments, technical assistance, invasive species management, hazardous fuel reduction, and comprehensive forest management planning to strengthen local forest economies and community resilience.

This award consists of the forest stewardship program, forest health protection program, urban & community forestry program, state fire capacity program, volunteer fire capacity program, and landscape scale restoration program funding. Through this award, direct assistance is provided to non-federal land managers, producers, private forest landowners, and municipalities to fight fires, reduce fire risk, fight damaging insects and diseases, produce timber, and steward their forests.