State And Private Forestry

Intermountain and Northern Regions

Forest Stewardship Program

Description and Benefits

The Forest Stewardship Program, established by the 1990 Farm Bill, authorizes the Forest Service, through the State Foresters and other private and public sector programs, to provide technical assistance to owners of non-industrial private forestland (NIPF) not currently under management and to those who wish to increase their management activities. The information and assistance provided the landowner is intended to help them understand actions they might take to manage, enhance, and protect the productivity of timber, fish and wildlife habitat, water quality, wetlands, recreational value, and aesthetics.

Who is eligible?

The Forest Stewardship Program assists landowners who are not currently using a Forest Stewardship Plan or similar multi-resource management plan to guide their management practices. Landowners with existing management plans may be eligible for the program if they expand their management activities to meet the requirements of the Forest Stewardship Program.

The State Foresters and their staff deliver this system.

Key Partners

Primary

• State Foresters

Secondary

• Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
• Resource Conservation and Development Areas (RC&D)
• Tribes
• Landowners Organizations
• Forest Stewardship Coordinating Committees
• Consulting Foresters
• Cooperative Extension Service

Opportunities for National Forests and Grasslands

• Coordinate watershed restoration activities with State Forester representatives and adjacent private landowners within and outside national forest boundaries.
• Coordinate other land management activities with State Forester representatives and adjacent private landowners on road layout, forest management, and other activities.

For further assistance contact Dee Session.