Certified land gets preference for forestry assistance

Owners of family forest land who are third-party certified now get a little extra credit when applying for financial assistance through certain federal programs.  Specifically, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Maine has enhanced the ranking criteria used to award contracts under the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP).  Woodlots included in a third-party forest certification system, such as the American Tree Farm System, a Forest Stewardship Council Certified Group, or a Certified Resource Manager’s client pool, will receive at least 10 extra points towards approval for forestry practices such as tree planting, pruning and thinning.  In addition, some local county working groups have boosted the extra point total to 40 or 50, giving even more priority to land that is being managed according to widely accepted sustainability standards.

For more information about forestry assistance programs and forest management in general, contact Andy Shultz, Maine Forest Service's Landowner Outreach Forester at (207) 287-8430 or call your local NRCS office.  Go to: www.me.nrcs.usda.gov  to find the nearest USDA Service Center.