$221M from USDA Helene timber relief program available April 20

On April 20, applications will open for the Timber Loss Relief Program (TLRP), the fourth and final category of Hurricane Helene assistance, as part of the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) $221 million block grant received by the state of North Carolina. 

“A significant share of the more than 822,000 acres of damaged timber left behind after Hurricane Helene belongs to private landowners, the majority stakeholder of forest resources in this state,” Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said in a press release. “While we know TLRP funding will not make these landowners financially whole, we are hopeful it will help with recovery from what was an unprecedented storm.”  

The NC Forest Service will administer the TLRP, which is designed to partially compensate private landowners with at least 10 contiguous acres of moderate to catastrophic timber loss, according to the press release. The TLRP portion of the block grant applies to eligible timber owners in the 39 counties federally declared disaster areas following Hurricane Helene. The deadline to apply for assistance is June 12, and the submission deadline for the associated timber damage assessment report is July 10.

Applications for the remaining three categories opened on March 30, and the deadline to apply is May 15. An application is required for each category in each county for which a farmer or landowner is eligible. 

The remaining three categories are as follows:

• Farm Infrastructure: This category provides cost-sharing assistance for farm road or bridge repair and replacement, or farm structure repair or replacement. 
• Future Economic Loss: This is cost-sharing assistance for economic loss of perennial crops, poultry, and aquaculture operations. Approved specialty crops must be replanted in 2025 or 2026. 
• Market Loss Assistance for Commodities and Value-Added Products: This is cost-share assistance for harvested or unharvested commodities or select value-added products where value was reduced or destroyed by a power outage. 

Disaster assistance will only cover losses from Hurricane Helene that any other USDA programs have not covered. Additionally, some producers may be required to obtain and maintain USDA risk management coverage for 2 years. 

The NCDA&CS is administering the Hurricane Helene-specific block grant announced by the USDA in September 2025. NCDA&CS has been partnering with the USDA since then on a timeline and distribution plan that federal officials approved in mid-March. 

Landowners interested in learning more about TLRP can find more information here.

To begin the application process, landowners should contact their local NC Forest Service county ranger’s office. If that office is unavailable, they can reach out to the district office that oversees county operations. Contact information can be found here.

“$221M from USDA Helene timber relief program available April 20” was originally published on www.carolinajournal.com.