The North Carolina Forest Service is offering a new program, the Timber Loss Relief Program (TLRP), for forest landowners who were negatively impacted by Hurricane Helene. This program compensates forest landowners who lost timber as a result of the storm.

Application for this program begins April 20, 2026 and concludes June 12, 2026. To apply for TLRP funds, landowners should contact their local county office of the North Carolina Forest Service. Click here to find your county’s contact information or scan the QR code below with a smartphone.

The following details outline the process and parameters for receiving funding.

1. Any private forest landowners, corporations, LLCs, and Indian tribes or tribal organizations with woodland in one of the 39 counties of the federally declared disaster area are eligible for the TLRP funds. Landowners who had a salvage harvest of their forestland conducted following Hurricane Helene are still eligible for the TLRP funds.
2. Landowners must own 10 or more acres of woodland. The damaged timber must be at least 6 inches in diameter. That diameter measurement will be taken on the tree bole (trunk) at 4.5 feet above the ground.
3. The affected forestland must be categorized as having received moderate, severe, or catastrophic-level damage during the hurricane. This will be determined by a forester (see details below).
4. Landowners who meet the above criteria should contact their local county office of the North Carolina Forest Service to apply.
5. Landowners must employ a registered, licensed, or Society of American Foresters Certified forester to inspect the land and determine the average tree size of the stand as well as the damage level. Should a landowner need assistance offsetting the cost of employing a forester, the qualifying forester they hire can request additional funding through the TLRP program.

The funds provided by the TLRP will not fully reimburse timber losses from Hurricane Helene damage but should offset some of the financial burden. The funds landowners receive from the TLRP program are taxable. As such, the program requires landowners to submit a completed W-9 to receive the funds. Upon approval of eligibility, landowners should receive their payments within 4 to 5 months. Funding for this program is limited and is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so please do not hesitate to apply.

For more information please visit the following website https://www.ncagr.gov/divisions/nc-forest-service/managing-your-forest/tlrp or scan the QR code below with a smartphone. Additionally, they can contact Nathan Gatlin, Western Area Agent for Forestry with NC State Extension Forestry by phone at (336) 651-7330 or by emailing him at ngatlin@ncsu.edu.