ATLANTA (Atlanta News First) — Georgia began taking applications Monday for a $531 million federal block grant aimed at helping farmers, ranchers and foresters recover from Hurricane Helene, a storm that tore through southern and east-central Georgia in 2024 and left long-term damage across the timber belt.

The application period runs six weeks, closing at midnight April 27, according to the Georgia Department of Agriculture. Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J. Harper urged producers to apply early, saying applications are being reviewed as they come in.

More than 150 people had applied as of 2 p.m. Monday, according to the agency.

The grant is designed to cover losses that typically fall outside standard U.S. Department of Agriculture disaster programs, including damage tied to timber, infrastructure, poultry, cattle, milk production, pecans, blueberries, citrus, nursery crops, plasticulture and bare-ground practices, state officials said.

“It’s really been the most difficult times of my 30-year career,” said Zach Johnson, a timber producer with the Beasley group in Hazlehurst.

Johnson said many landowners lost decades of growth in a single night.

“These stands were 30-plus years old. People were planning on those … it’s kind of like their retirement,” he said.

Timberland owners face a separate challenge, he said: “Farmers at least can have crop insurance. There’s no such thing in forestry. When you lose a stand, you lose it all.”

The University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry estimates that about 1.5 million acres of timber were damaged or destroyed statewide.

U.S. Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, both Democrats, said they pressed federal agencies to release the funding and criticized the pace of delivery.

Warnock called the opening of the program “welcome news” for producers who “have been forced to wait far too long for this desperately needed relief.”

Ossoff said he was glad farmers were getting “the help they’ve long deserved.”

Harper said the program took time to build because it was designed to fill gaps left by traditional relief programs and required careful review. He said a government shutdown last fall also slowed coordination with federal officials.

“This program won’t make producers whole, but it helps blunt the loss they received during those storms and helps them get back on their feet,” Harper said.

The aid could influence whether landowners replant timber or convert land to other uses. Johnson said he has watched timberland shrink as development expands.

“I’m seeing so much urbanization and seeing lands disappear every day,” he said. “And we desperately need these folks to put trees back in the ground.”

Applicants are advised to gather documentation, including photos, receipts and other records that support claimed losses. State officials said payments are expected after the application window closes and reviews are completed.

More information, including eligibility requirements and guidance documents, is available at the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s website.

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