Choctaw County engineer says Forestry Commission amended grant language after local input; matching funds and eligibility remain a concern
Summary
County Engineer briefed the commission on a recent Alabama Forestry Commission advisory meeting about a logging-efficiency grant. He said the grant rules were revised after local input but noted limits on eligibility, matching requirements, and an initial $2 million statewide cap for the current year.
At the Jan. 7, 2025 meeting the County Engineer reported on an Alabama Forestry Commission advisory committee meeting about a logging-efficiency grant program, telling the Choctaw County Commission that committee members agreed to change some wording after local feedback.
The County Engineer said he and Justin Hardie attended the advisory meeting and that a Forest Commission staff member, Sonny, provided input that helped bring about wording changes. The engineer said the rule language as initially written limited applicants to a single project for the year and required the county to front costs and then seek reimbursement. “In the language as printed is that we can only apply for 1 project for this year,” the County Engineer said. He told the commission the current pot for the program is about $2 million for the year and that advisory members expressed hope the program could grow to about $20 million in future years.
Why it matters: County officials said the program targets rural counties with timber operations; the initial rules — if unchanged — could disadvantage smaller counties that lack matching funds or cannot meet upfront costs. County staff said the advisory committee’s revisions should make applications more flexible, but the county must still plan for matching costs and follow-up inspections.
Key details from the discussion - Current funding round: the engineer said roughly $2,000,000 is available this year. Advisory committee members hope funding could grow to approximately $20,000,000 in future years. - Project limits: under the language discussed, an applicant county would be eligible for only one project per funding cycle; the county must complete that project before applying again, and agency staff will inspect completed projects. - Matching funds: the county engineer said matching funds are required in practice, but the county could use in-kind services (referred to as the county’s 3R rates) as part of the match. County staff said the grant’s payment rates are competitive. - Scope flexibility: the engineer described examples (box culvert and a precast bridge) to illustrate how a county could structure a single allowable application to cover multiple components of a location.
No formal vote was taken on the Forestry Commission grant at the meeting. The County Engineer said he will forward sample applications and deadlines to county staff and asked the commission to authorize the chairman to sign necessary documents when formal application requires the chairman’s signature.
Closing note The engineer characterized the advisory meeting as “very informative” and said he would forward sample applications and deadlines to the county engineer’s office and the commission for review.
