Cost Share Programs for Forest Management 2016

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1 Cost Share Programs for Forest Management 2016 Bill Powell Staff Forester, Forest Management North Carolina Forest Service promote forest resources for 1

2 Forest Establishment Costs $100 - $400 depending on type of work needed High up front costs can be offset by implementing cost share assistance programs.

4 Environmental Quality Incentives Program EQIP Administered by the NRCS Wildlife habitat management Forest stand establishment Prescribed burning Timber stand improvement Ownership must be individual, entity, or joint

5 Environmental Quality Incentives Program EQIP Cost Share Rate 50-75% depending on practice Applicant must have a forest practice or management plan for the work to be cost shared. This can be completed by the NCFS, Wildlife Commission, or a consulting forester

6 Environmental Quality Incentives Program EQIP Application Ranking Because of the high demand for Forestry EQIP funds, the NRCS will rank your application and plan, once received. High priority for ranking goes to Longleaf, Hardwood, and Shortleaf establishment in priority areas. Also multiple prescribed in stand burning will rank high if recommended.

7 Environmental Quality Incentives Program EQIP What to do: Go the you local NRCS office to see if you will qualify for the program practices. Get a practice plan completed by the NCFS, consultant, or NC Wildlife Commission Go to the NRCS office to sign your cost share contracts if your plan is accepted in the program. It is best to sign up beginning Oct1. Money runs out fast!

8 Conservation Reserve Program CRP Voluntary program administered by the FSA with assistance from the NRCS and the NCFS. Designed to conserve and improve soil, water, and wildlife resources on highly erodible crop/pasture land by converting farmland to conservation cover. In return, the producer will receive annual rental payments for the 10 or 15 year contract, in addition to a cost share for establishment of the cover vegetation.

9 Conservation Reserve Program CRP 30 th program year anniversary! CRP started Dec of 1985, it has been the largest most important conservation program since. Currently there are over 630,000 CRP contracts in place with over 23.4 million acres under some type of CRP practice.

10 Conservation Reserve Program CRP To be Eligible Land must have been owned or operated by current owner for 12 months. Qualifying areas must have been cropped during any 4 of 6 years, between the periods of 2008 to 2013, or have been used as pasture. Must meet NRCS highly erodible soil standards or Be land from an existing CRP contract or Be land in a CRP conservation priority area

11 Conservation Reserve Program - CRP Obligations Landowner must have a management /maintenance plan to qualify for the program. NCFS can provide forestry plans. Landowner must adhere to the plan practices and guidelines during the entire contract, normally 10 year period. Retired acreage's may not be grazed, or used in any commercial manner other than for hunting leases during the contract period. Area may be thinned commercially or pre-commercially if called for in the plan.

12 Conservation Reserve Program - CRP Two types of enrollments Continuous Sign Up Landowners can apply with their local FSA office any time during the year. CP 4d (Wildlife Management) CP22 (Riparian Forest Buffers) CP23 (Wetland Restoration) CP31 (Bottomland Timber Establishment) CP36 (Longleaf Pine) Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)

13 Conservation Reserve Program - CRP General Sign Up Landowners can apply with their local FSA office ONLY during the announced sign up periods. Last general sign up ended Feb, 2016 Practices included in the General Sign Up are: CP3 (planting softwoods) CP3A (planting Hardwoods or LL) Some Wildlife Habitat Practices CP4D

14 CRP - Continuous CP4D Wildlife Management Estab corridors for Wildlife enhancement Wildlife Conservation Plan required (NCWildlifeCom)

15 CRP - Continuous CP22 Riparian Forest Buffer Establishing trees/shrubs to filter out sediment and nutrients along water courses. Must be adjacent or parallel to qualifying waterbody wide

16 CRP - Continuous CP23 Wetland Restoration For hydric soils or areas covered in water 60+ days out of the growing season. 3 wetland species of mast hardwoods.

17 CRP - Continuous CP31 Bottom land Hardwood Restoration 100 flood plain adjacent to streams or rivers 3 species of wetland mast hardwoods

18 CRP - Continuous CP36 Longleaf Restoration Establishing 500 tpa or less and plant understory for early successional native vegetation. MUST be burnt twice during a 10 year contract.

19 CRP - Continuous Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) This program combines the existing Federal CRP funding with additional funding from the State, Clean Water Management Trust, Agriculture Cost Share Program, and the NC Wetlands Restoration program.

20 CREP Purpose is to improve water quality and wildlife habitat by reducing quantities of pollutants entering rivers and watersheds

21 CREP Actually a program that is administered by the NC Div. Soil and Water Conservation and in partnership with the FSA under the CRP program. Eligibility Same as CRP but field must be adjacent and protecting a stream or waterbody. Minimum of 35 width to a max of 300 Eligible lands of 10 acres or greater must enter in a 30 year or permanent easement. Longleaf, shortleaf, hardwoods are approved in certain zones.

22 CREP Federal payment covers 50% of establishment cost not to exceed maximums & CREP will pay another 50% for riparian buffers and wetland restoration. State CREP program will pay an additional one time bonus of: 10% for 10 year contracts 30% for 15 year contracts 25% for wetland restoration For 30 year easements State will pay 40% of estab. Cost + $250/ac one time bonus. For Permanent Easements State will pay 50% of estab. Cost + $1000/ac one time bonus.

23 Conservation Reserve Program - CRP General Sign Up Such a popular national program that L/O must be ranked on a score system EBI (Environmental Benefits Index) The higher the EBI score the better chance of getting in the program. This can include practices such as planting a larger variety of trees, or including wildlife openings in the area, or being located in a conservation priority area.

24 General Sign Up Conservation Priority Area

25 General Sign Up Conservation Priority Area

26 General Sign Up Conservation Priority Area

27 Conservation Reserve Program - CRP General Sign Up CP 3 (planting softwoods) - 10 EBI points = planting softwoods - 50 EBI point = add 10-20% wildlife openings Required management activities - Disk fire breaks twice during the 10 year contract OR - Disk fire breaks and light disk 50% of wildlife opening twice during the contract period. - Re enrollments have an option to disk and burn

28 Conservation Reserve Program - CRP General Sign Up CP3A (planting Longleaf, AWC, or hardwoods) EBI points = Planting hardwoods 1,2 species, mast trees - 50 EBI point = Plant 3 species wildlife hardwoods or Longleaf, or AWC Required management activities - Disk fire breaks twice during the 10 year contract OR - For Longleaf, disk fire breaks twice and burn twice - Disking every 4 th or 5 th row, if smoke management does NOT allow burning.

29 NCFS Cost Share Programs

30 North Carolina Programs Forest Development Program FDP Administered by the NC Forest Service Objective to assure NC states forest productivity and to provide environmental protection to the state woodlands through cost sharing with eligible landowners. As funds are available, will assist in site preparation, tree planting, stand release.

31 North Carolina Programs Forest Development Program FDP Qualifying landowners can apply for acres/ fiscal year. Must have an approved Management plan and follow that plan for 10years.

32 North Carolina Programs Forest Development Program FDP Cost Share Rate Cost-share rate of 40% or 60% (of actual cost or prevailing rate, whichever is less); 40% for site preparation practices 40% for planting pines 60% for planting longleaf, shortleaf pine, hardwoods, and wetland species FDP payments will be based on actual costs; landowners must submit copies of bills, invoices, canceled checks, etc. to NCFS.

33 North Carolina Programs Southern Pine Beetle Prevention Program (SPBPP) Administered by NCFS For NIPF FM practices that minimize future SPB outbreaks. Pre commercial thinning 50% cost share of the actual or prevailing rate.

34 Take Home Message Know what your objectives are and find a program to help you meet those objectives. Seek advice from a knowledgeable source. Federal: FSA / NRCS State: NCFS / NC Div. Soil & Water Conservation / NC Wildlife Com

35 Take Home Message Landowner Understand the programs requirements, obligations and deadlines Hefty penalties for getting out of the program early Or violating the easement (CREP) Or not following the plan / program as outlined Submit the proper application paperwork on time. Obtain an FM or Conservation plan for the work applied for Ensure the practices are scheduled to be completed on time Communicate with your State or Federal agency when work is started to ensure the practices pass the quality standards To properly complete, finalize, and or submit the needed paperwork.

36 North Carolina Programs NCFS programs Contact local NCFS office to request plan/assistance Federal Programs Local FSA office agency=fsa

37 Questions? Johnston County NCFS Bill Powell NCFS Staff Forest

Florida Division of Forestry

Florida Division of Forestry Cooperative Forestry Assistance CHARLES H. BRONSON Commissioner of Agriculture James R. Karels Director, Division of Forestry Landowner Assistance Programs of the Florida Division