Forested Watershed Restoration RESTORE Landowner Incentive Program

The Enhancing Gulf Waters through Forested Watershed Restoration RESTORE Landowner Incentive Program is administered by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Florida Forest Service, with federal funding provided through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. The federal assistance is made under the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act and is identified under Federal Assistance Listing 10.664, Cooperative Forestry Program. The program is intended to restore water quality and quantity through forest management activities, with a particular focus on restoring pine ecosystems and forest hydrology within the designated Florida RESTORE project area. Total funding available for distribution is up to $2,300,000. The program's primary objective is to increase the acreage of healthy pine ecosystems in Florida by helping non-industrial private forest landowners and other eligible applicants make long-term investments in forest establishment and maintenance that improve water resources. Eligible lands include areas that currently contain forests, once contained forests, or are capable of growing forests, including farm or pasture lands suitable for restoration, harvested or cut-over areas, natural or planted pine stands, pine-hardwood stands, and areas affected by wildfire or hurricanes. Eligible sites include private, nonprofit entity, and local government lands within the RESTORE project area. State and federal lands are ineligible. Financial assistance is provided as cost-share reimbursement for approved forest management practices. Applicants may request assistance for up to two practice categories on a minimum of 10 acres and a maximum of 250 acres. Eligible practices include reforestation or afforestation activities such as site preparation burning, mechanical site preparation, chemical site preparation, planting, and qualifying pine seedlings; prescribed understory burning; first pulpwood thinning; mechanical underbrush treatment; and chemical underbrush treatment. Reimbursement is based on established per-acre or per-seedling rates, or actual documented cost when actual cost is lower. Payment may not exceed $115,975 per agreement. Practices completed before execution of the agreement are not reimbursable, and acreage enrolled in another state or federally funded cost-share program is not eligible. To begin the application process, the landowner or an authorized representative must contact the Florida Forest Service County Forester assigned to the county where the property is located. The County Forester or FDACS designee conducts a site visit to confirm property eligibility and determine whether proposed practices are appropriate. Following the visit, the Forester or designee prepares the required RESTORE Project Budget Worksheet, Attachment A, using applicant and site information. The applicant and Forester or designee must sign the completed worksheet. The application package also requires a compliant stand map, Florida Substitute W-9 verification, and, when applicable for non-private-citizen entities, an active Unique Entity ID through SAM.gov and MyFloridaMarketPlace vendor registration. The completed package is submitted by the FFS County Forester or FDACS designee to Grants@FDACS.gov rather than directly by the landowner. Eligible applications are competitively ranked using a point system with a maximum of 40 points. Scoring considers whether the property is located in a Priority 1 or Priority 2 subbasin, the total number of acres proposed for treatment, and the practice category requested. Practice-category scores range from 5 points for chemical underbrush treatment to 15 points for first pulpwood thinning. Applicants requesting two categories receive only the points associated with the higher-scoring category. Applications are ranked by total score and funded in rank order until available funds are exhausted. Tied applications are ranked through a random sequence process. FDACS may recommend partial funding, reject applications, or decline applications that do not meet program requirements or cannot be funded because available funds are insufficient. The RFA was released January 13, 2026. Written inquiries were due by 5:00 PM Eastern Time on March 20, 2026, and completed applications were due by 3:00 PM Eastern Time on March 27, 2026. Award notices were anticipated April 13, 2026. Successful applicants must execute the Federal Financial Assistance Subrecipient Agreement within 30 days after receipt, and no on-the-ground work may begin before full contract execution. Approved practices must be completed by April 30, 2027, with final reimbursement paperwork received by the Florida Forest Service State Office by May 14, 2027. Periodic property inspections may continue through June 30, 2032. Program questions may be directed to Grants@FDACS.gov, and questions on how to apply may be directed to Greg Marshall at 850-545-6194. The RFA does not state that this opportunity recurs annually or on another fixed schedule.

Confirm property is within the RESTORE Project area and proposed practices are necessary and feasible before submission; ensure the stand map fully complies with Attachment D and that mapped acreage matches the application; do not include acreage enrolled in another state or federal cost-share program; understand that priority subbasin, treatment acreage, and practice category determine ranking points; do not begin on-the-ground practices before the agreement is fully executed; retain paid receipts, invoices, service dates, and required practice documentation for reimbursement.