The Liberty County Development Authority on Friday approved spending $172,215 for reforestation at its Tradeport East and West business centers.

The meeting was called because the season for reforestation is under way and if replanting was not approved soon, it would have to wait a year, according to Professional Land and Timber Services forester David Johns.

LCDA Director of Finance and Administration Carmen Cole said SunTrust, which holds the lien on the property, required the authority to replant trees to maintain the property’s value in the wake of the recent timber harvest.

Cole said the authority has already received $1.4 million from selling the timber and anticipates another $246,000 this fiscal year.
Johns said the reforestation would place about 605 trees per acre and that they should be ready for harvest in 15 years, if the property is not developed before then.