Forest Land Enhancement Cost-Share Program
******* Effective April 2006 Until Funds are Distributed *******
The Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC ) is taking applications for cost-share practices on nonindustrial private forest lands through the Forest Land Enhancement Program to improve and protect water quality and to control invasive species. $200,000 is available for water quality practices and $95,000 is available for invasive species control.
Landowners can receive up to $5,000 to implement these practices. Cost share rates range from 35% to 65%. Landowners please contact your local GFC Forester for more information. |
The Forest Land Enhancement Program (FLEP) is part of Title VIII of the 2002 Farm Bill. FLEP replaces the Stewardship Incentives Program (SIP) and the Forestry Incentives Program (FIP). FLEP is optional in each State and is a voluntary program for non-industrial private forest (NIPF) landowners. It provides for technical, educational, and cost-share assistance to promote sustainability of the NIPF forests.
The objectives of this program are to invest in or implement practices to establish, restore, protect, manage, maintain, and enhance the health and productivity of the NIPF lands in the United States for timber, habitat for flora and fauna, soil, water, and air quality, wetlands, and riparian buffers. The program targets afforestation, reforestation, improvement of poorly stocked stands, timber stand improvement, practices necessary to improve seedling growth and survival and game/non-game wildlife habitat. Growth enhancement practices are to be implemented where needed to enhance and sustain the long-term productivity of timber and non-timber forest resources to help meet future public demand and provide environmental benefits. Other objectives are to reduce the risks and to help restore, recover, and mitigate the damage to forests caused by fire, insects, invasive species, disease, and damaging weather.
The Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC) is offering cost-share funds through the Forest Land Enhancement Program to non-industrial private forest landowners for the following practices:
a. FLEP 2 – Reforestation/Afforestation
b. FLEP 3 – Timber Stand Improvement
c. FLEP 5 – Water Quality Improvement and Watershed Protection
d. FLEP 6 – Fish and Wildlife Habitat Improvement
e. FLEP 8 – Invasive Species Control
Technical assistance will be provided to landowners by GFC Foresters with input from other resource professionals who are experts in their field. The GFC Forester will take and process the applications, evaluate the site, and then determine the steps that the landowner should take to expect successful results. The GFC Forester will provide a FLEP Multi-Resource Practice Plan to the landowner outlining these details. Once the landowner has completed his or her practice, the GFC forester will then inspect area to determine if the management plan was successfully implemented.
Some general guidelines for the program are:
