Forest Conservation Program Application Period Now Open, May 5

Applications are now being accepted for a program that works to protect the future of Oregon’s forests. The “Forest Legacy” program helps landowners with the conservation of forests threatened by risk of forest fragmentation or new development. Two million four hundred seventy thousand acres – equivalent in size to two Delawares – are protected through the Forest Legacy Program, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Forest Legacy is a national cooperative forestry program of the U.S. Forest Service that seeks to conserve private forest lands that may be lost to non-forest uses. The voluntary program provides financial incentives — using conservation easements, land acquisition or land donation — for private landowners to protect environmentally important working forest areas threatened by development, fragmentation and other non-forest uses. The Forest Legacy Program is designed to support state efforts to keep forestlands viable, and retain actively managed forests. The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) administers the program in Oregon, and applications for Forest legacy funding consideration are now being accepted for federal Fiscal Year 2017. Letters of interest and property descriptions must be submitted to ODF by May 21, 2015. Letters of interest should be signed and submitted by a legal representative of the landowner, or include a letter signed by a legal representative of the landowner indicating permission to submit the Letter of Interest on the landowner’s behalf. Letters should describe the project’s strengths with respect to the three national Forest Legacy Program scoring criteria. The three criteria are: importance of natural resources; threat from conversion to non-forest use; and strategic importance with respect the property’s relevance or contribution to existing or emerging conservation initiatives. To be eligible, the private forest lands seeking Forest Legacy Program funding must be within one of six Forest Legacy Areas designated across Oregon (see map: http://www.oregon.gov/odf/privateforests/docs/legacy/oregonforestlegacyareas.pdf ). Timelines Project nominations consisting of a 3-4 page letter of interest, with a property description attached, must be submitted electronically or by hard copy by close of business Thursday, May 21, 2015, to: Jim Cathcart, Oregon Department of Forestry, 2600 State Street, Salem, Oregon 97310, 503-945-7493 / Jim.Cathcart@oregon.gov Oregon’s Forest Stewardship Coordinating Committee reviews submitted Letters of Interest to decide which applicants will be invited to complete a formal application. Formal applications are developed using the national Forest Legacy Information System (FLIS) to ensure uniformity with project submissions from other states. Applicants need to attend a Forest Legacy Information System (FLIS) webinar training, which will be scheduled in June or July.