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Financial incentives are now available to help forest landowners, loggers and timber companies across Alabama by sharing the cost of portable bridges they transport to logging sites. This cost-share program will provide up to 75 percent of the total cost of purchasing a portable bridge up to $20,000 as a maximum cost.

Bryan Findley, owner of Findley Timber Inc. in Fort Deposit which operates in Lowndes, Butler and Crenshaw counties2-S, said he is grateful to hear the news about the cost-share program, and thinks this is a great opportunity for timber dealers and loggers to help reduce their impact on stream side management zones.

“Not only will this help timber dealers and loggers, it will also benefit our landowners,” Findley said. “It will protect the ecosystem as a whole; access will be easier, and the job will be cleaner. It also focuses on the big picture of protecting our streams and watersheds, helping maintain stabilization from ground erosion and very importantly, protecting our endangered species.”

The use of temporary bridges for crossing streams assists in keeping equipment and sediment out of sensitive areas, ultimately protecting water quality. Administered by the Alabama Forestry Commission (AFC), this cost-share funding program is made possible through a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service.

The AFC stated that its mission is to protect and sustain Alabama’s forest resources using professionally applied stewardship principles and education, ensuring that the state’s forests contribute to abundant timber and wildlife, clean air and water and a healthy economy. 

The application portal will be open to the public Nov. 6-17. The first 40 applications will be accepted. Grant applications will be ranked and those with the highest scores will be funded until the available money is expended. Awarded recipients of the cost-share funding will be notified after the application period. 

Eligibility requirements for the temporary bridge funding include being certified as a professional logger manager in Alabama and having no Best Management Practices (BMP) complaints within the last three years.

To learn more about this opportunity, contact Carey Potter at carey.potter@forestry.alabama.gov or call 205-644-0028. To apply for the temporary bridge cost-share program, visit the AFC website at www.forestry.alabama.gov, select “manage” from the navigation tab, then under “landowner assistance programs” click “cost share/financial assistance programs”.

For more information on the Alabama Forestry Commission visit the AFC website at www.forestry.alabama.gov.