Published 8:59 am Wednesday, November 4, 2026 CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Last week, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced an investment of more than $325 million in 42 projects to help farmers, ranchers and forest landowners boost their operations and conserve natural resources. One of the projects will go to a Tallahassee environmental group, but it will benefit southwest Georgia. Tall Timbers Research, Inc. was awarded $10 million from the Regional Conservation Partnership Program for Southwest Georgia’s Longleaf Landscape project. The Longleaf Landscape project will work to protect at least 6,000 acres of rural working forest lands through voluntary conservation easements across 16 counties in southwest Georgia. “By supporting landowners with technical expertise and conservation management plans, the project will restore fire-dependent longleaf pine forests, enhance habitats for at-risk wildlife, and safeguard water quality,” according to a release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “The initiative addresses threats from land-use conversion, development, and changing timber markets, ensuring that working forests remain productive and ecologically healthy. With a strong partnership and more than $10 million in matching contributions, the project will deliver lasting environmental, economic, and social benefits: preserving Georgia’s natural heritage and supporting local communities,” the USDA said.
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