Agricultural News
Healthy Forests Reserve Program Funding Ranking Set for May 1
Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:53:23 CDT
John W. Mueller, Acting Oklahoma State Conservationist fo the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), announces a continuation of the Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP) in northeastern Oklahoma. NRCS has been allocated over $4.5 million to protect and enhance habitat for the threatened and endangered Ozark Big-eared Bat, Gray Bat and the Ozark Cavefish within five northeastern Oklahoma counties: Adair, Cherokee, Delaware, and parts of Ottawa and Sequoyah.
The deadline to have applications submitted for consideration for this year's funding has been set for May 1, 2013.
The primary emphasis of the HFRP in Oklahoma is to encourage forest management and forest restoration activities in areas surrounding bat caves and associated foraging areas of bat populations within the project area.
In the past 3 years, NRCS has purchased permanent conservation easements on 980 acres, 30 year agreements on 2338 acres and has purchase agreements on 3330 acres for permanent and 30 year easements.
Additional funding in the amount of $892,500 has been pre-approved for potential enrollment this year.
There are three primary enrollment options available to eligible landowners: a 10-year cost-share agreement where the landowner may receive up to 50 percent of the average cost for applying approved conservation practices; a 30 year easement where the landowner may receive 75 percent of the easement value of the enrolled land and up to 75 percent of the average cost of approved restoration practices; or a permanent easement where the landowner may receive 100 percent of the easement value of the enrolled land and up to 100 percent of the average cost of approved restoration practices.
An additional enrollment option is available on tribal lands (lands in which title is held by individual Indians and Indian tribes). These lands may be enrolled in a 30 year contract on which compensation will be paid the same as a 30 year easement.
Applications for the program are being accepted, on a continuous basis, from landowners of eligible lands within the HFRP areas of the five designated counties. Potential applicants should contact their local district conservationist at the NRCS office to obtain an application packet and discuss the supporting ownership documents required for easement applications. Additional information can also be found on the Oklahoma HFRP website.
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