Initiative Will Restore up to a Quarter Million Acres of Longleaf Forests in 9 States.
A new Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) initiative to restore up to a quarter million acres of longleaf forests in nine southern states has been announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency.
Eligible States Include: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia.
Longleaf pine forests play an important role in the overall environmental and financial health of the South. Longleaf once covered 70-90 million acres in a great arc from Virginia to Texas, but only about 3 million acres remain today.
Producers in the states of the natural range of longleaf pine forests may sign up without delay to participate starting December 1 in the CRP Longleaf Pine Initiative. The states include: Alabama (37,000 acres), Florida (42,750 acres), Georgia (44,750 acres), Louisiana (36,250 acres), Mississippi (21,500 acres), North Carolina (32,250 acres), South Carolina (21,000 acres), Texas (10,750 acres) and Virginia (3,750 acres).
The CRP provides technical and financial assistance to eligible farmers and ranchers to reduce soil erosion, protect the nation’s ability to produce food and fiber, reduce sedimentation in streams and lakes, improve water quality, establish wildlife habitat, and enhance forest and wetland resources.
