Forest Stewardship Program
What is the Forest Stewardship Program?
Forest Stewardship is the wise management and use of forest resources, including improved water quality, wildlife species and habitat diversity, recreation, timber,aesthetics and air quality an to ensure their health and productivity for years to come. Forest Stewardship is also the management of forest resources in a way that is, at once, economically expedient but conservative, and socially, environmentally, and ecologically responsible. (Forest Stewardship In Maryland)How can the Program Help Me? Having A Plan Can:
1. help you protect your natural resource assets.
2. can enable you to effectively manage your forests according to your goals and objectives.
3. assist you financially by providing property tax incentives. (reduced assessments)
4. also assist you by providing opportunities to cost share your expenses.
Who is
eligible to
participate in the program?
Most
owners of non-industrial private forests are eligible for the Forest
Stewardship Program. Non-industrial private forests include rural
lands
with existing tree cover or land suited for growing trees.
Landowners bay
be any private individual, group, association, corporation, Native
American
Tribe, or other private legal entity. There is no restriction on the
maximum number of acres owner. Maryland requires owners to have a
minimum
of 1 acre of forestland.
What is
involved in the
development of a Forest Stewardship Plan?
........Forest
Management Plan is a simply a working guide to good forest
stewardship and allows the landowner to maximize the wildlife, water,
timber, recreation, aesthetic value, habitat diversity and other
benefits of owning woodland. Plans do not need to be long and/or
complicated and in reality, are actually best if kept brief and to the
point. A good plan should also combine the natural and
physiographic characteristics of the woodland and it is essential that
it have the interests, goals, and objectives of the landowner to
produce a set of forest management recommendations. Following the
plan will transform the forest into one that is enjoyable and
productive financially for the landowner and for future
generations.
It should contain
the following essential elements:
1. Landowner objectives for the woodland;
2. Maps denoting the property’s location, boundaries, forest stands,
and soil types;
3. Forest Inventory information;
4. Descriptions and recommendations for each forest stand; and,
5. A
chronology of recommendations.
Plans are typically written for a 10 to 15 year period but should be
updated about every 5 years. (How
To Start The Plan)
Tax
Incentives ..................The
Forest
Conservation Management Agreement (FCMA
)-
Freezes property tax assessments for woodland at $125 per acre assessed
value. The required minimum woodlot size is five acres (6 acres
with house on property) and the minimum time limit for the agreement is
15 years. FCMA's are inspected for compliance once every five
years for a fee of $100.00 There are entrance fees associated
with the FCMA. A brochure is available detailing the program and
fees
involved. Woodland Assessment - Some counties allow the use of a Forest
Stewardship Plan prepared by a licensed forester as indication of
ongoing forestry activities. As such, property tax assessments
are based on the woodland tax rate for the county. The county
assessor requires a letter of inspection from a forester every three
years. It must state that the forestry work in the plan has been
followed. If this service is provided, there is a $100 fee for
the inspection and follow
up letter to the county assessor. There are no entrance or
recording fees.
For more
information on the Maryland Forest Stewardship Program, Contact DNR
, Email
DNR
Cost
Share Assistance | Management
Plan Inspections | Equipment
Rental | Conservation
& Management Program | Income
Tax Modification Program |
| Land
Enhancement Program | Woodland
Incentive Program
| Caring
For Our Forests | Cost
Share Assistance FLEP |