The timber industry in northwest Florida that was devastated during Hurricane Michael in 2018 will see a little financial relief in the coming months

The timber industry in northwest Florida that was devastated during Hurricane Michael in 2018 will see a little financial relief in the coming months.

Timber is the leading industry in the Florida Panhandle, and suffered a $1.3 billion dollar economic blow from Hurricane Michael.

An estimated 550 million trees, weighing 72 million tons, were damaged or destroyed by the massive Category 5 hurricane.

Clearing downed timber can cost $2,000 per acre, compounding the crop’s financial loss.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has allocated $380.7 million in federal block grant funding for Florida farmers devastated by Hurricane Michael, including direct relief for timber producers. 

The money is part of $800 million in federal block grant funding for Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and North Carolina.

The funds will compensate timber producers for lost value of their crop damaged by Hurricane Michael, helping them clear downed trees and replant.

Block grant funding will also help producers repair and replace irrigation infrastructure damage from Hurricane Michael.

The application process for timber producers to receive the grant funding will be finalized in the next several weeks.

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