Piedmont Forest Landowner Assistance Program to Enhance Forest Resilience and Climate Mitigation in South Carolina

December 12, 2024 – Piedmont, S.C. – Quail Forever (QF) is proud to announce the launch of the Piedmont Forest Landowner Assistance Program (PFLAP), an initiative supported by a $1.75 million award from the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). This funding will enable QF and its partners to enhance forest resilience in South Carolina’s Piedmont region while also improving 4,500 acres of habitat for northern bobwhite quail in cooperation with forest landowners.

PFLAP will serve landowners across ten counties in South Carolina with the goal of restoring degraded private forestland. The program aims to improve biodiversity and enhance carbon sequestration through sustainable forest management practices. The program prioritizes restoring fire-adapted ecosystems by promoting and incentivizing the use of prescribed fire and active forest management practices. Implementation of these practices will help restore native plant communities and provide crucial habitat for wildlife populations. 

Landowners participating in the program will receive personalized guidance and cost-share support for implementing these practices, with underserved groups such as beginning forest landowners, veterans, and individuals in high-poverty areas eligible for up to 100% cost-share reimbursement.

“The Piedmont ecoregion is often underappreciated. Many people and organizations are quick to rightly appreciate and dedicate conservation funding for the coastal plain or the Appalachian Mountains, but sandwiched in between these two wonderful ecoregions is the Piedmont,” said Jacob McClain, QF South Carolina state coordinator. “PFLAP represents a big step in the right direction to direct more resources to Piedmont Forest landowners interested in conservation.”

The funding of this grant is the latest success in a rich 20-year history of conservation efforts for the area coordinated and implemented by partners such as the South Carolina Forestry Commission, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Newberry Soil and Water Conservation District, Clemson Extension, Sumter National Forest and the Piedmont Prescribed Fire Cooperative.

“This is a great partnership with USFS and others to engage private landowners in bringing back bobwhites,” said Matt Holland, QF's vice president of grant development. “We’re able to provide great technical assistance and have conversations about what we need to see on the landscape for quail while also helping forest landowners make informed decisions and help them build a sustainable approach to managing our forests that are beneficial to quail.”

Quail Forever is a leader in supporting farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners as good stewards of natural resources on working lands. Restoring and conserving high-quality upland habitat provides solutions for the nation’s most complex sustainability issues, including improved biodiversity, soil health, water stewardship, nature-based climate solutions and climate resilience, and rural economic development — while simultaneously prioritizing maximum impact for quail and associated wildlife.

For more information about the Piedmont Forest Landowner Assistance Program, please contact Jacob McClain at 412-298-0671 or jmcclain@quailforever.org

Photo Credit: John Besson, South Carolina Farm Bill Biologist

About Quail Forever

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever make up the nation's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation. This community of more than 477,000 members, supporters and partners is dedicated to the protection of our uplands through habitat improvement, public access, education and advocacy. A network of 754 local chapters spread across North America determine how 100 percent of their locally raised funds are spent — the only national conservation organization that operates through this grassroots structure. Since its creation in 1982, the organization has dedicated more than $1 billion to 580,000 habitat projects benefiting 28.8 million acres.

Media Contact
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