Forest Health Management
KCD’s Landowner Incentive Program awards cost-share funding up to $22,500 per landowner for implementing forest health management practices. To qualify, landowners must have an approved Forest Stewardship Plan and live within KCD’s service area. Forest health management awardees can receive one Forest Health Management cost-share contract in their lifetime. Below are the forest health management definition and cost-share eligible purposes. Learn about Forest Stewardship Planning via the KCD Rural Forest Health Management Program.
Definition:
- Treatment of areas to improve site conditions for establishing trees and/or shrubs.
- Establishing woody plants by planting seedlings or cuttings, direct seeding, or natural regeneration.
- The manipulation of species composition, stand structure and stocking by cutting or killing selected trees and understory vegetation.
Purpose:
Site prep to:
- Encourage natural regeneration of desirable woody plants
- Permit artificial establishment of woody plants
Establish Shrubs/Trees to:
- Increase the quantity and quality of forest products by manipulating stand density and structure
- Harvest forest products
- Initiate forest stand regeneration
- Reduce wildfire hazard
- Improve forest health reducing the potential of damage from pests and moisture stress
- Restore natural plant communities
- Achieve or maintain a desired native understory plant community for special forest products, grazing, and browsing
- Improve aesthetic and recreation values
- Improve wildlife habitat
- Alter water yield
Establish woody plants for:
- Forest products such as timber, pulpwood, and energy biomass
- Wildlife habitat
- Treating waste
- Storing carbon in biomass
- Energy conservation
- Improving or restoring natural diversity
- Enhancing aesthetics
All land managers in KCD’s service area are eligible to apply for cost-share funding, but the practice must be pre-approved and included in a Farm Conservation Plan or other technical assistance plan prepared by KCD resource conservation staff.