French government provides financial aid to forest owners fighting pine nematode

The French government launched a financial aid program to compensate wood owners in the Landes and Pyrénées-Atlantiques departments for losses caused by the pine nematode, a microscopic organism capable of destroying entire forests.

Owners can apply for funds to cover the difference between the original intended sale price and the final sale price of timber affected by administrative immobilization measures. The government allocated 200,000 euros to fund this support, with a deadline for applications set for 15 December 2026.

Authorities are currently engaged in a race to eradicate the parasite following its first detection in Seignosse in November 2025. Management strategies include felling pines within a 500 meter infested zone and removing dead trees from a 20 kilometer buffer zone. The restricted area has grown to 461,800 hectares as of late October. Officials detected six new contaminations in several communes across the two departments in late October, leading to the felling of over 18,000 identified trees by 28 October.