Landowner services
Hurricane Helene landowner guidance
Hurricane Helene dealt a heavy blow to South Carolina and other southern states. You probably wonder what to do with your storm-damaged woodlands. We’ve created a helpful hurricane-specific guide for forest landowners.
The South Carolina Disaster Relief Block Grant for Helene, funded by the USDA and administered by the SC Department of Agriculture (SCDA), seeks to cover Ag-related losses not covered by other USDA programs or crop insurance. Direct payments will be made to landowners in designated counties who experienced infrastructure, market, future economic or timber losses due to Hurricane Helene in September 2024.
The information on this page pertains to forest landowners who experienced significant timber loss because of the storm. For information about other commodities and updates about the application process, please visit SCDA.
Landowner services
If you’re a forest landowner, chances are you need the technical assistance of a forestry professional. If you own between 10 and 1,000 acres of woodlands, please call us today at (803) 896-8800. We’ll come out to your land, walk it with you and make recommendations for how you can manage it for timber income, wildlife habitat improvement and any number of other objectives. Best of all, it’s completely free!
Find your forester
Don’t have a management plan?
A forest management plan is a great place to start for landowners who aren’t familiar with growing trees. A written management plan includes a map of the property, a description of your woodlands and recommendations for how best to achieve your goals in owning the property. Your local South Carolina Forestry Commission forester can advise you on how best to develop your plan. Private forestry consultants are also available to assist you.
Timber management assistance
Forestry Commission foresters will examine forestland and potential forestland at the request of the landowner. A written plan and map will be prepared for the landowner giving forest management recommendations that best meet the owner’s needs and objectives, provided that they are compatible with good forest management practices. Multiple-use recommendations will be made where applicable. When conditions warrant, such as a request for a detailed plan on a large tract, the landowner may be advised that it may be in his/her best interest to employ a consulting forester or industry forester. Forestry Commission foresters are normally limited to five man-days per landowner per year for basic forest management services. This includes both field and office time for making the woodland examination.
Own fewer than 10 acres?
Owners of smaller tracts will be provided general forest management advice and are encouraged to go to www.mylandplan.org for assistance in developing their own plan. Other resources such as the Master Tree Farmer program are available through Clemson Extension Service at www.clemson.edu/extension/natural_resources/index.html
Reforestation assistance
Commission foresters are available to assist landowners with the reforestation of cutover, poorly stocked and open lands. The forester will visit the site and recommend the most cost effective method to control any competing vegetation, the best species of trees to plant, and spacing recommendations.
Cost-share programs
Our foresters can also help you find a contractor to do the work, order seedlings and apply for funds under the various federal and state cost-share assistance programs.
Check out our brochure for current Forest Renewal Program (FRP) cost-share rates. Also view/download our brochure for the current Southern Pine Beetle (SPB) cost-share rates.
Tree Planting Guidelines for Cost-Share Programs
Timber marketing assistance
The Forestry Commission also offers assistance to landowners interested in marketing their timber. This assistance includes advice concerning the marketing of forest products, the advantage of competitive bids, providing buyers list, sample sales announcement forms and sample contract forms. This assistance is free of charge. Read more in the Timber Management Information section of our website.
Fee/rental services
The Forestry Commission offers a wide variety of free and fee-based services as well as equipment rentals for landowners. Please visit our Fee/Rental Services page to learn about these services and equipment rentals.
Requests are accepted during normal business hours (8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday); requests received after 2 p.m. may not be handled until the following business day.