Landowners should contact the Maine Forest Service District Forester nearest you for more information and an application, or contact any Stewardship Forester - a private, Licensed Forester who is determined by MFS to be eligible to provide forestry services under the WoodsWISE program. The program works by what is called “cost-sharing”, in which: - The landowner applies for financial incentives/technical assistance - MFS approves the application based on available funds - The work is done, paid for and documented by the landowner and the Stewardship Forester - MFS approves the completed work and the documentation - MFS reimburses the landowner for a portion of the documented cost. Landowners enter the program by applying to the Maine Forest Service to have a Forest Management Plan prepared. Prior approval must be obtained before work on the Plan is started. The completed Plan must be reviewed and approved by Maine Forest Service. Landowners are reimbursed for a portion of the actual documented costs of having the Plan prepared.

Eligiblity

Forest Management Plans make recommendations to the landowner about activities to improve the forest and better meet their objectives. Certain activities that involve a cost to the landowner may be eligible for “cost-sharing,” including additional services from a Stewardship Forester. Check with the Maine Forest Service or a Stewardship Forester about Application Periods and eligible types of Projects.

Reimbursement amounts for both Plans and Projects are based on the size and type of plan or project. Generally, payments are limited to 50% or less of the landowner’s actual costs.

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The September Allocation for WoodsWISE provides approximately $12,000-14,000 per MFS District for regular projects, primarily through USDA Forest Service’s Forest Land Enhancement funds. Additional funds are available through a SIP-Forest Health grant, but these projects (Forest Health and Invasive Species practices) must be completed by December 1, 2004. Maine Forest Service’s WoodsWISE cost-share funds for Projects are allocated by MFS to individual MFS Districts for each Project Application Period, reflecting to reflect different sources and availability of funding, and practice priorities.

All Project Applications are due in the appropriate MFS District Forester office by September 30, 2004. Applicants must be working with an eligible Stewardship Forester. Landowners and/or foresters are strongly encouraged to talk with the District Forester regarding the projects/practices they are applying for. At the close of the Application Period, the MFS District Forester will rank applications for projects in his/her district received, based on the following priority list. The order in which they are received will not influence application success. Projects may include multiple related practices needed to achieve the project’s purpose. For such projects, priority will be based on the highest priority practice within the project.

Landowners may submit 1 project application per Application Period. Landowners with approved projects may not submit additional project applications until the initial project is complete. Landowners may be approve for up to 3 projects within a 5-year period. Project applications from landowners who have not received cost-sharing for projects (excluding Forest Management Plans) in the past 5 years will be given priority.

Once applications have been prioritized, the MFS District Forester will conditionally approve projects based on available funding, and taking into account the requirements of different funding sources. The MFS District Forester may exercise discretion in reducing the extent and maximum payment approved for individual projects, or modifying the nature of projects approved as outlined in practice specifications.

The following two practices will not be counted toward establishing priority of an application.

Project plans for some practices (esp. the Canada Lynx Area and the 8 Atlantic Salmon Watersheds) may be subject to further review by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the Endangered Species Act. USFWS review may delay or preclude cost-sharing of such projects.

September 2004 Application Period – Project Priorities
The following list outlines priority practices for the September 2004 Application Period.

High priority practices*:
1. FH-1d Field assessment of current forest health conditions (in designated FH area**)
2. FH-2d Marking for sanitation of infected/declining stands (in designated FH area)
3. FH-2d Sanitation cutting of infected/declining stands (in designated FH area)
4. INV-1 Removal of invasive woody plant species
5. FH-1 Field assessment of current forest health conditions
6. FH-2 Marking for sanitation of infected/declining stands
7. FH-2 Sanitation cutting of infected/declining stands
*NOTE: The above practices must be completed and all documentation submitted by December 1, 2004.
** designated forest health area: Washington, Hancock, Waldo and Knox counties

Medium priority practices
8. WTR-1d Forest land erosion control system design and layout (in designated watersheds***)
9. WTR-2d Mitigation of pre-existing erosion problems (in designated watersheds)
10. WTR-3d Stream crossing structure installation/stabilization (in designated watersheds)
11. WTR-4d Riparian forest buffer planting (in designated watersheds)
12. FSI-2 Marking for crop tree release
13. FSI-3 Crop tree release
14. FSI-4 Marking for pruning
15. FSI-5 Pruning
16. WLD-1 Pre-commercial thinning of sapling stands for wildlife cover
17. WLD-6 Field identification and designation of riparian forest habitat
18. FSI-1 Pre-commercial thinning of sapling stands
19. WLD-2 Identification and marking for retention of nest or den trees
20. WLD-3 Marking for release of hard and soft mast trees
21. WLD-4 Mast tree release
22. WLD-5 Interplanting/enrichment planting for wildlife
23. WTR-1 Forest land erosion control system design and layout
24. WTR-2 Mitigation of pre-existing erosion problems
25. WTR-3 Stream crossing structure installation/stabilization
26. WTR-4 Riparian forest buffer planting

Low priority practices
27. REF-1 Tree planting
28. REF-2 Interplanting/enrichment planting
29. REF-3 Site preparation/competition control for planting
30. WLD-7 Field identification and designation of upland forest habitat
***designated watersheds: Eastern Coastal Rivers, Central Coastal Rivers, and towns in Maine’s Coastal Zone

The focus of Woods Wise Incentives to Stewardship Enhancement is Maine

Woods Wise Incentives to Stewardship Enhancement R. Alec Giffen Maine Forest Service 22 State House Station Augusta, ME  04333 Phone: (207) 287-2791 Fax: (207)287-8422  Visit Website

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Federal Assistance Programs

financial assistance, grants. The following are federal assistance programs that provide cost share incentives for habitat conservation, habitat restoration, forestland, ranchland, and farm conservation.Agricultural Management Assistance. Conservation Innovation Grants. Conservation of Private Grazing Land. ...