Attention woodland landowners: Are you interested in improving woodland habitat for important bird species and managing your woods for wildlife and people?

The Last Green Valley (TLGV), the MassConn Sustainable Forest Partnership (MassConn) and the Northern Rhode Island Conservation District (NRICD) are pleased to offer a new opportunity for woodland landowners to obtain forest management plans with bird habitat assessments.

A professional forester will walk your property and coordinate with the Audubon society in your state to produce a high-quality forest management plan with a bird habitat assessment of your woods. The plan will contain recommendations for management measures that align with your goals for the property. The plans will meet federal and state requirements and may be used to apply for property tax reductions at the local level (where applicable).

Grant funds are available to pay for most of the forester’s costs and to completely fund the bird habitat assessments. As a landowner, you will be responsible for choosing a forester from an approved list and for paying a percentage of the total cost of the forest management plan.

This program is ideally suited for landowners who have never had a forest management plan and own more than 10 acres of woodlands.

Program requirements vary by state, so to get started, contact the lead partner for your state who can help you file the correct paperwork. The 2019 application deadline for Connecticut and Rhode Island has passed, but Massachusetts is still taking applications for 2019.

Click here for more information.