In a year in that saw unprecedented cuts in funding for Forest Service and U.S. Park Service land acquisition budgets, the Forest Legacy Program received a relatively minor cut. (see table)  The Forest Legacy Program (FLP) is designed to identify and protect environmentally important private forestlands threatened by conversion to non-forest uses. It teams up with state governments by supplying up to 3 dollars for every dollar contributed by the states. In Wisconsin, the Forest Legacy Program has already protected over 33,000 acres of woodlands in Oneida and Lincoln Counties from future development through the purchase of conservation easements. 

 

Agency	FY 2002	FY 2003	FY 2004	Change from 2003 to 2004
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service	99.1	72.9	43.4	-29.5 --40% cut
U.S. Forest Service	149.7	132.9	66.8	-66.1 – 50% cut
National Park Service	274.1	171.3	141.6	-29.8 – 17% cut
Forest Legacy	65	68.4	64.9	-3.5 – 5% cut

Federal Budget for Land Acquisition and Forest Legacy Funding from FY 2002 to FY 2004 – in millions : Source U.S. Forest Service Website

For the past two years, ECCOLA has worked in conjunction with the Wisconsin Stewardship Network to support the Forest Legacy Program.  ECCOLA members have traveled to speak with representative Dave Obey’s (Dem-WI) staff in order to voice our solid support for this vitally important program to Wisconsin’s forests. Rep. Obey serves on the influential House Appropriations Committee that makes decisions over budget levels.

The Forest Legacy program is entirely voluntary. Landowners who wish to participate may sell or transfer particular rights, such as the right to develop the property or to allow public access, while retaining ownership of the property and the right to use it in any way consistent with the terms of the easement. The agency or organization holding the easement is responsible for managing the rights it acquires and for monitoring compliance by the landowner. Forest management activities, including timber harvesting, hunting, fishing and hiking are encouraged provided they are consistent with the program's purpose Federal appraisal standards and acquisition rules must be followed for the acquisition of lands or interests in lands.

 

Overall Goals of the Forest Legacy Areas

Within these areas the goal of the Forest Legacy Areas is to protect those values and attributes that led us to designate the area as environmentally important. Specifically, these goals include:

• Maintain the ability of the forest to produce forest products on a sustainable basis.
• Maintain other traditional and non-destructive uses, protect important fish and wildlife habitat.
• Protect existing cultural resources, protect or enhance rare or unique habitats and their associated species, protect watershed, increase the amounts of continuous forest by maintaining or creating large blocks of forest protected from fragmentation.
• Create public use opportunities where appropriate.
• Reduce forest fragmentation by retaining large blocks of forest or by connecting to existing protected lands.

Conservation easements and the Forest Legacy Program offer an alternative to outright government ownership of land while protecting private forestland from conversion to non-forest uses. Under FLP, environmentally important forestlands are identified and easements used to retain and maintain these forests. Under the State Grant Option, the State or its designated representatives shall transact all Forest Legacy Program acquisitions. When a conservation easement is purchased using Forest Legacy funding, the state or its designated local unit of government must hold the easement. Landowner participation will be entirely voluntary. Forest Legacy Funds may be used to support eligible conservation organizations for activities related to donations of conservation easements. When a conservation easement is donated on behalf of the Forest Legacy Program (to receive credit as a match) to an eligible non-governmental conservation organization, that organization may hold the easement.