Access Road Program
The Gas Tax Access Road Program helps you manage your woodlot by providing support funding to build and maintain access roads into your woodlot. If you are approved, the below funding is available.
2025 Road Funding for Forestry
Please ensure your application form is filled out completely and accurately. You will receive an email to confirm that your application has been received. Applications will be reviewed and approved after the application window closes on Sunday, June 1, 2025, at midnight. Successful applicants will be notified by email.
Woodlot Funding Guidelines
Overview and Application Process
- Woodlot owners can apply for funding for new road construction or maintenance on existing roads. Each unique woodlot owner or business is allowed to submit one road application per year.
- Not all road applications will be approved due to high demand; an evaluation criteria will prioritize applications, which will be communicated through the application process each year.Funding Amounts and Application Requirements
- Each approved application can receive up to $5,000. If the application includes a properly installed bridge, funding can increase to $15,000.
- Stream culvert and bridge installations must be completed or supervised by a certified watercourse alteration sizer/installer.
- Maintenance on existing roads can only be funded once every three years, but woodlot owners can apply for road maintenance funding on different woodlot roads each year.Priority Considerations and Construction Standards
- Priority will be given to woodlot owners engaged in active forest management, including harvesting or silviculture.
- Adherence to class D and E construction standards is required to qualify for funding.Notification, Inspection, and Project Deadline
- If approved, applicants will receive a "Road Program Approval" email from Forest Nova Scotia. All road work must be completed and notified to the Forest Nova Scotia road inspector by September 15th, 2025. If the work is not completed by this deadline, funding will be reallocated to the next applicant.
- Road work may be inspected by staff from Forest Nova Scotia or DNRR. If you are not a member of Forest Nova Scotia, an audit fee of $170 may apply post-inspection if you do not submit a properly formatted shapefile with the correct attributes. Membership allows for the creation of the shapefile and attributes free of charge.Difference Between Class D and Class E Roads
Class D Road Standards
- 30’ right-of-way width- 12-14’ driving surface- Ditched- Graveled where necessary- Minimum 15” cross culverts, armoured on both ends- Properly installed stream crossings- Turnaround area close to the end of road- Turning areas every 500 Metres Class E Road Standards
- Intended to support Christmas Tree growers and Maple Syrup producers- Minimum 10’ driving surface- The road must be crowned and above the surrounding terrain (it cannot be a “ditch” road)- Ditching where necessary- Reduced right-of-way width- Minimum 15” cross culverts- Properly installed stream crossings- Turnaround area close to the end of road- Turning areas every 500 Metres There is an evaluation criteria in place to ensure priority will be given to applicants who show and demonstrate certain criteria in their application such as:
- Haven’t received Gas Tax funding in the 2 previous years - Provides access to woodlots beyond their own- Has contractor and/or equipment secured- Equally Balanced funding distributed throughout the Province*This criteria will not guarantee your approval nor eliminate your application if you do not meet all the criteria, this is only used to rank and prioritize applications. Frequently Asked Questions:
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Yes. If your road work was completed between August of the prior year and the application date, your application qualifies for funding.
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Yes. We do not ask for receipts. If you complete the work yourself and the work is completed to the minimum standard, your application will qualify for funding.