Forest stewardship application
Apply for a FREE forest stewardship management plan today!
For a free Forest Stewardship Management Plan, complete this application.
As a landowner you have an option to have a Forest Stewardship Management Plan prepared by a forester employed by the SC Forestry Commission, a wildlife biologist or a consulting forester.
Forest stewardship plans prepared by private consultants
Landowners with more than 50 forested acres on their parcel(s) and located within Stewardship Priority Areas may choose to have their management plan developed by a consulting forester or biologist at the SC Forestry Commission’s expense. They can write the plan together or separately. If two authors are chosen, then one will be designated the primary author (creating stand maps, bulk of stand recommendations and assessments, formatting the plan, etc.) and the other secondary author (providing additional assessments and recommendations). If choosing a consulting forester, the forester must be listed within SC Forestry Commission’s list of consulting foresters. Biologists chosen as the primary author must have an SCFC or consulting forester as the secondary author.
- Rates for Stewardship Plans:
- Primary Author
- 50 to 100 acres of forested land = $1,000.00
- Over 100 acres of forested land = base amount of $1,000.00 plus $5.00/forested acre over 100 acres up to a maximum of $3,000.00
- Secondary Author
- 50 to 100 acres of forested land = $650.00
- Over 100 acres of forested land = base amount of $650.00 plus $3.25/forested acre over 100 acres up to a maximum of $1,950.00
Please visit our Forest Stewardship Program Parcel Qualification Analysis tool to check if your parcel qualifies as a priority parcel. The consultant and biologist are welcome to write the plan if the parcel does not qualify as a priority parcel, but the SCFC cannot pay for it.
To apply for direct payment, the consulting forester or biologist will submit the following to the appropriate regional stewardship forester: stewardship application, author’s IRS’ W-9, and Parcel Qualification Report.
After funding approval, each author has 6-months to complete the plan. All plans must meet the Forest Stewardship Plan Criteria and be approved by the appropriate regional stewardship forester before receiving payment. Once plan is approved, each author invoices the SC Forestry Commission at their funded rate for their portion of the forest stewardship plan. Send invoice to the same regional stewardship forester who approved the plan, and payments will be made directly to the consulting forester or biologist.
*Payments will be paid to each author and considered as ordinary income and may not cover the entire cost of the management plan.
Forest stewardship plans prepared by SC Forestry Commission, with or without a biologist
Stewardship Management Plans prepared by SC Forestry Commission will be completed at no cost to the landowner. However, plans will be written on a first-come, first-served basis. If a biologist is chosen as the primary or secondary author, then for payment the parcel must contain at least 50 forested acres and qualify as a priority parcel.
To apply, complete the forest stewardship application and include proof of ownership (tax receipt, parcel ID, etc.). You will need to save/download the fillable pdf form to your computer, fill it out, save it, and then click the “Send” button to the appropriate regional Stewardship Forester for where your property is located.
Contact your Forestry Commission stewardship forester for additional program information:
Chisolm Beckham, Statewide Stewardship Coordinator
Office: (803) 896-8844
Cell: (803) 667-0806
Email: cbeckham@scfc.gov
Jaime Jones, Piedmont Regional Stewardship Forester
(serving Abbeville, Anderson, Cherokee, Chester, Edgefield, Fairfield, Greenville, Greenwood, Laurens, Lexington, McCormick, Newberry, Oconee, Pickens, Richland, Saluda, Spartanburg, Union, and York counties)
Office: (864) 374-7111
Cell: (864) 933-4165
Email: jjones@scfc.gov
Vaughan Spearman, Coastal Regional Stewardship Forester
(serving Aiken, Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Berkeley, Calhoun, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Hampton, Jasper, and Orangeburg counties)
Office: (843) 538-3708
Cell: (843) 209-4121
Email: vspearman@scfc.gov
Pee Dee Regional Stewardship Forester (Vacant)
(serving Chesterfield, Clarendon, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Georgetown, Horry, Kershaw, Lancaster, Lee, Marion, Marlboro, Sumter, and Williamsburg counties)
Cell: (803) 667-0806
Email: cbeckham@scfc.gov
You will need to save/download the fillable PDF form to your computer, fill it out, save it, and then click the “Send” button to the appropriate regional Stewardship Forester for where your property is located. The forester will get in touch with you.