Committee narrows eligibility, caps funding for forestry economic program; timber losses, federal relief discussed

A Senate committee adopted a committee substitute to Senate Bill 2018 that reduces the minimum project size for a state forestry economic program and signals a funding cap, and committee members heard an extended update on timber‑market conditions and potential federal relief for landowners.

The committee chair said the substitute changes lines 52–54 of the bill to lower the project size threshold from 50 acres to 25 acres and adds eligibility for “25 acres of land under public control or an existing wood facility.” The chair said the program language also includes a cap “up to $10,000,000 into the program,” and that the fund would be established pursuant to funds appropriated by the state legislature.

The committee adopted the committee substitute by voice vote and later carried a title submission (do pass). Committee members and staff then invited Mark Daly of the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDA) and Mister Bozeman of the commission to update the committee on market and forest‑health conditions.

Mister Bozeman described current market strain and recent forest health losses: “Healthy markets create healthy forests,” he said, and added that drought and an Ips (pine) beetle outbreak contributed to a loss he quantified as about "$170,000,000 worth of pine timber in the state.” He told the committee the state is seeking relief and is “working with both this body and our congressional delegation looking for any relief for our landowners.”

Committee members discussed potential federal assistance. Bozeman and others said the federal Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA) had been authorized previously after Hurricane Michael and that the state requested to participate in a timber block grant or value‑loss reimbursement approach. Bozeman said the state’s initial request for assistance totaled about $140,000,000 and described how the FSA program could provide reimbursement on qualifying private lands; he noted that rules remain under U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) interpretation and that eligibility for the pine‑beetle damage remains uncertain.

Bozeman described tools for verification, including high‑resolution satellite imagery and technical support from the Forest Service’s Southern Research Station, which can help document stand condition for applicants where timber has already been cleared. He said the state received “well over a 1,000 applications” through EFRP this year and that some of the program parameters (payment percentages and retroactivity) are being clarified with federal partners.

Committee members indicated they expect additional guidance in March from industry partners and would revisit any needed legislative changes next year. The committee then voted to rise and report.