AR Forest Legacy Program Grant

The AR Forest Legacy Program aims to protect threatened forest areas from conversion to non-forest uses through the purchase of conservation easements or fee simple titles. The program prioritizes projects that maintain environmental integrity and economic viability, supporting sustainable forest management while enhancing biodiversity and recreational opportunities.

The purpose of the Forest Legacy Program (FLP) is to protect forest areas that are threatened by conversion to non-forest uses. The protection is accomplished through fee simple title or conservation easement purchases. The conservation easement allows the seller to retain the right to manage the forest and sell timber while protecting the forest from conversion to non-forest uses. For these purchases both the seller and buyer must be willing to make the transaction. The Forest Legacy Program provides federal funding for up to 75 percent of the cost of conservation easements or fee acquisition.
Arkansas became a participating state on October 1, 2004. Governor Mike Huckabee appointed the Forestry Division as the Lead Agency to administer the FLP in Arkansas.
Forest Legacy Assistance
The Forest Legacy Program provides federal funds for:
Fee acquisition.  Purchase of conservation easements.
Surveys, title work, and other activities to facilitate donations of land or easements for FLP purposes.
State FLP planning and administration.
Although FLP funds may be used for of either conservation easements or fee title purchase, nationwide the program has focused heavily on conservation easements as states have shown the most interest in protecting conservation values while also maintaining economic uses including timber harvesting. However, the Arkansas Forest Legacy program favors fee simple title purchases because it reduces monitoring and administrative issues.
After the landowner completes an Forest Legacy Application, a proposal is prepared and submitted to the SFSCC for prioritization/approval. The SFSCC will then recommend proposed tract(s) for submission to the Forestry Division. The Forestry Division will submit a maximum of 3 proposals per submission cycle to the USDA Forest Service to be competitively ranked against other states’ projects nationwide and then be considered for funding in the President’s Budget. The projects may not exceed $20 million in total cost or $7 million for individual projects. The proposed project(s) are ranked against other states’ projects according to environmental importance, strategic: connects with other protected lands, and project readiness. The highest ranked proposals are included in the President’s Annual Budget. Congress then determines/approves the final allocation of funds for the proposals.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Forest Legacy Program, proposed tract(s) must, at a minimum, meet the following criteria:

Be available for conservation easement or fee simple sale by willing seller(s).
Lie within the Forest Legacy Areas.
Be environmentally important forest areas that can be effectively protected and managed which have important forest values such as forest based economies, water quality, ground water recharge potential, wildlife, biological diversity/integrity of landscapes, connection to existing forested conservation areas, aesthetics, geological values, cultural resources, educational, and recreational values.
Be threatened by present or future conversion to non-forest uses as viewed by the state. Be a priority of the State Forest Stewardship Coordinating Committee and the Forestry Division
The seller(s) must secure 25% cost share for the proposed project as described in the "Cost Sharing" section.