Texas Climate Smart Initiative

Purpose

Provide funds to practice carbon-focused forest management practices 

Practices

Forest stand establishment, forest fertilization, herbicide, prescribed burning, thinning  

Eligibility

Non-industrial, small-parcel landowner with a total treatment area between 15 and 125 acres in East Texas 

Application

Enrollment will stay open until the financial incentives program is terminated in 2027/2028 or until funds are depleted. 

About

We provide funds to small-acreage, family landowners to practice carbon-focused forest (CFF) management practices. CFF focuses on improvements required to maximize carbon capture while producing quality wood fiber for the timber industry and healthy forested ecosystems. Funds are available to establish new forest stands, improve the health and vigor of existing stands, and/or encourage holistic forest management upon the landscape.    

About TCSI 

The Texas Climate-Smart Initiative (TCSI) is a 5-year financial incentives program made possible by the USDA’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities grant. The term “climate-smart commodity” refers to an agricultural commodity that is produced using farming practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions or sequester carbon.  

Sustainable forest management is climate-smart, but there is always room for improvement. In this program, we focus specifically on forest management strategies that will maximize carbon capture while, simultaneously, producing quality wood fiber for the timber industry. This program serves as a financial incentive to landowners to implement the below practices at the stated reimbursement rates. 

General terms and conditions 

• Understand that this is a reimbursement program and that all parties involved are to be aware of the funding levels for the applied practice. 

• Be a private, non-industrial, small-parcel landowner with a total treatment area between 15 and 125 acres in East Texas. Priority will be given to small-acreage landowners with a total ownership of 50 acres or less. 

• Work directly with a Texas A&M Forest Service forester and a consulting forester. 

• Conduct forest management activities in accordance with Texas Best Management Practices. 

• Agree to maintain the treatment area for a period of at least five years. 

• Submit a Forest Stewardship Plan and a treatment plan (using the TCSI template) that clearly identifies how carbon-focused specifications will be used. 

• Understand that a participant of this program cannot participate in other state or federal cost-share programs for the same practice on the same piece of property. 

• Understand that funded practices must be completed within 12 months from the date of being approved. 

• Allow pre and post-treatment forest health measurements to be taken on the treatment area. 

Forest stand establishment | $600/acre 

Forest Stand Establishment includes prompt ordering, careful delivery and storage, and proper planting of tree seedlings. It also includes all necessary site preparation, early post-planting treatments, and other cultural activities required to successfully establish a fully stocked, free-to-grow, and vigorous crop.  

A forest stand is a well-delineated area within your property boundaries in which the group of trees are all uniform age, size, arrangement, and composition.  Most management practices are performed at the stand level.  

Forest fertilization | $105/acre 

Proper soil management and forest nutrition are key to maintaining the productivity of planted or natural forests. However, few forest soils provide an optimum supply of the nutrient elements essential for the growth potential of trees. Where beneficial, this program incentivizes fertilization practices at the time of stand establishment, crown closure, and/or mid-rotation provided that competition is adequately controlled for each situation.  

Herbicide | $105/acre 

The closely-monitored control of unwanted vegetation with herbicides increases tree vigor, production, and tree volume gains leading to increased carbon capture rates in Southern U.S. forests. Incentives are available for implementing recommended competition control using a variety of application methods. 

Prescribed burn | $2,250/award 

Prescribed burning is the planned application of fire to an area to manage undesirable vegetation, reduce wildfire hazards from biomass accumulation, improve wildlife habitat, and improve soil health. 

Thinning | $3,000/award + $325/acre 

Forest thinning activities that harvest small, low-vigor inferior trees ultimately improve the health and vigor of residual trees. Incentives are available for thinning practices implemented on their property.