Oak Wilt Cost Share

Purpose

Provide cost-shares to landowners to minimize the spread of oak wilt 

Practices

Trenching, tree removal 

Eligibility

Central Texas landowners and communities  

Application

Reach out to your local forester to apply 

About

We have administered the federal cost-share program, the Texas Oak Wilt Suppression Program (TOWSP), to assist landowners in their fight against oak wilt since 1988. Trenching to contain the spread of oak wilt or removal of certain diseased red oaks may qualify for limited cost-shares.   

Cost-shares for trenching are capped at 50% of approved costs up to $2,000 per cooperator per year. Multiple cooperator project costs are capped at 50% of approved costs up to $6,000 per project per year. Cost-shares for roguing or pushing are capped at 50% of approved costs up to $2,000 per cooperator per year. Cost-shares for removal of certain diseased red oaks are capped at 50% of approved costs with a maximum of $2000 per cooperator per year.

All treatments must be installed according to TOWSP guidelines and approved by our personnel.

Project guidelines include full containment of the oak wilt center within installed trenches and relative isolation of the disease center from other disease centers in the immediate area. Trenches must be installed to a minimum depth of four feet and located no closer than 100 feet from symptomatic trees.

Roguing or pushing must happen within the boundaries of cost-shared trench. Federal guidelines on protection of cultural resources must also be followed and approved. Red oak removals have specific guidelines and are only approved for cost-shares by our personnel. Land use and time of infection and/or death of red oaks will be considered as not all infected red oaks will form fungal mats.

An application for cost-shares must be approved before any cost-shareable treatment can begin.