Minnesota Forest Legacy Grant Program

The Minnesota Forest Legacy Grant Program aims to protect the state's forests by providing economic incentives to landowners, promoting sustainable forest management through conservation easements. This initiative, supported by federal and state funds, ensures that forests remain intact, offering vital benefits such as wildlife habitats, clean water, and recreational opportunities. It encourages landowners to maintain forested areas while retaining ownership, thus balancing development and conservation for the benefit of all Minnesotans.

Protecting forests uses and public values
Loss of forested areas poses an increasing threat to Minnesota's natural resources. As forests are fragmented and disappear, so do the benefits they provide. The Forest Legacy Program and Minnesota Forests for the Future Program are conservation programs administered by the DNR to encourage the protection of privately owned forest lands through conservation easements or land purchases. Protection of private forests maintains a multitude of public benefits including:

• Opportunities to hunt, fish, and camp
• Clean and abundant drinking water
• Habitat for fish and wildlife

Timber, fuel wood, and other forest products.
The Forest Legacy Program is a federally funded program that provides matching funds to DNR Forestry to purchase land or conservation easement. Forest for the Future, a Minnesota-based program, gives landowners a way to sell conservation easements on their lands.
Through these programs, we maintain forests so all Minnesotans can reap the economic, environmental, and social benefits of these lands.
Purpose
The Minnesota Forest Legacy Program uses federal funds, state funds, or both to purchase permanent conservation easements that restrict development and other uses of private property to keep targeted forested areas intact so they provide important forest benefits. The landowner retains ownership and can continue forest uses such as timber management, recreation, hunting, and hiking. All easements are permanent, and any new owner is bound by the terms of the easement.
Why participate?
This program is geared to landowners who would like to ensure that forests on their property are protected from development. The landowner chooses whether to participate. Participating landowners selects which parts of their property to include. Each landowner also decides whether to accept a cash payment or donate all or some of the appraised value of a conservation easement. Traditional forest uses such as forest management, recreation, and hunting of the property can continue under the guidance of a woodland stewardship plan.

Eligibility

What land is eligible?To participate in the Minnesota Forest Legacy Program, land must:be within one of Minnesota's active Forest Legacy areas. These areas include:Brainerd Lakes/Walker, Lower St. Croix, North Duluth, Rice County Big Woods, Grand Rapids,Wabasha Blufflands, and Koochiching.be at least 20 acres and at least 90 percent forested or planned to be forested. Any type of forest land—whether natural or planted – is eligible.Any type of forest land—whether natural or planted is eligible. Landowners with eligible/priority lands are eligible to apply.Landowners with eligible land are encouraged to obtain a Forest Stewardship Plan if the land to be enrolled does not have a current Forest Stewardship Plan.The state of Minnesota has identified 14 candidate Forest Legacy areas containing important forests in need of protection. Several candidate Forest Legacy areas have been established by going through a public review process.To be considered for the Forest Legacy Program, a tract of land must lie partially or entirely within an designated Forest Legacy area.Equal opportunity to participate and benefit from programs of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is available to all individuals regardless of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, age, sexual orientation, membership or activity in a local commission, or disability.