Hawai‘i’s Forest Stewardship Program Grant

Funder: Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources - Division of Forestry and Wildlife

Hawai‘i’s Forest Stewardship Program (FSP) offers vital planning and financial support to private forest landowners in Hawaii. Aimed at promoting long-term stewardship and conservation, the program provides a 10-year management roadmap and financial incentives, including up to 75% cost-share reimbursement for developing forest management plans. With a focus on enhancing forest resource values, FSP encourages diverse management objectives like native species restoration and habitat improvement, ensuring sustainable forestry practices benefit both public and private interests.

NOTE: The FSP Coordinator accepts proposals and management plans on a continuous basis, which are compiled and reviewed prior to evaluation by the FSAC. The Committee generally meets on a quarterly basis each year; contact the FSP Coordinator for a current schedule.
Step 1 - Letter of Inquiry  - Interested landowners are asked to contact Forestry and Wildlife staff to discuss your proposed project.
Step 2 - Pre-Proposal - Develop and submit a project proposal for review by the Forest Stewardship Advisory Committee (FSAC). Those with approved proposals will be invited to write and submit a full management plan that must cover a period of 10 years for review by the FSAC.
Step 3 - Full Proposal - Develop and submit a management plan for review by the FSAC.
Overview
Hawai‘i’s Forest Stewardship Program (FSP), administered by the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife, provides planning and financial assistance to private forest landowners to promote active long-term stewardship, enhancement, conservation, and restoration of Hawaii’s forests.
FSP connects landowners with the information and tools they need to manage their forests and the resources they provide. A prepared forest stewardship management plan provides a comprehensive 10-year roadmap to managing your forest by identifying your goals and management activities needed to meet them.
FSP provides the following financial incentives (subject to availability of program funding):
75% cost-share reimbursement for the development of a 10-year forest management planUp to 50% cost-share reimbursement for implementation of management plan practices at allowable cost-share rates set for the program
Management Objejtives
FSP supports a variety of management objectives, including:

• Forest Stewardship management plan development
• Timber and/or forest product production
• Native species restoration and/or protection
• Native wildlife habitat improvement
• Watershed, riparian, and/or wetland protection and improvement
• Agroforestry (the forestry component only)
• Forest recreation enhancement
• Education and community outreach
• Fire prevention
• Carbon storage or sequestration and/or biomass production

Eligibility

Landowners with at least 5 contiguous acres of forested (or formerly forested) land who intend to actively manage at least 5 acres to enhance forest resources values for both public and private benefits are eligible. Individuals, joint owners, private groups, associations, lease or license holders, or corporations are eligible.