Forestland preservation grants provide funding to lease or buy voluntary land preservation agreements (also called conservation easements) for forests to ensure they remain available for timber production in the future.
Donor Name: Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office
State: Washington
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 05/01/2024
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The program is part of the larger Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program, which was created in 1990 to conserve land for outdoor recreation and wildlife, to keep pace with a growing population. In 2016, the Legislature expanded the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program to include preservation of forestland with the goal of supporting working forests that also provide habitat for wildlife, environmental benefits, and public access.
The following types of forests are eligible: industrial, private, community, tribal, and publicly owned forests.
The land must be devoted primarily to timber production and be enrolled in a county’s open space or forestland property tax program.
- Open Space Property Tax Program designates timberlands for the production of forest crops to assure the use and enjoyment of natural resources and scenic beauty for the economic and social well-being of the state and its citizens.
- Forestland Property Tax Program designates lands to enhance water supply; minimize soil erosion and storm and flood damage to people or property; provide habitat for wild game; provide scenic and recreational spaces; contribute to the natural ecological equilibrium; contribute to employment and profits; and contribute raw materials for products needed by everyone.
Forestland must be a contiguous 5 or more acres devoted primarily to the growth and cutting of trees for commercial purposes. The tax program includes the following:
- The land only and not any homes.
- Land used for incidental uses compatible with the growing and cutting of trees but not more than 10 percent of the forestland.
- Land housing equipment or other facilities necessary for the production, preparation, or sale of the timber products.
Typical Projects
- Buying a conservation easement or lease for a forest threatened with development
- In conjunction with a conservation easement or lease, restoring stream corridors to support clean water and fish habitat.
Funding Information
Grant applicants may request any amount up to $500,000.
Eligible Projects
- Land acquisition through easements or leases (required for all projects). Public access is not required.
- Habitat enhancement or restoration, in conjunction with land acquisition. These activities, such as installing fences or bridges, replanting riverbanks, and replacing culverts, must further the ecological functions of the forestland.
- Combination of land acquisition and either restoration or enhancement
Eligibility Criteria
- Cities
- Counties
- Nonprofit nature conservancies
- State Conservation Commission.
Ineligible Projects
- Acquisition of rights for a term of less than perpetuity, of land already owned by the grant applicant or sponsor, of properties acquired via a condemnation, and of land to satisfy a Habitat Conservation Plan under the Endangered Species Act
- Consumable supplies such as fuel, fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides, except as a one-time application if they part of otherwise eligible acquisition or restoration activities
- Elements that cannot be defined as fixtures or capital items
- Environmental cleanup of illegal activities, such as meth labs
- Indoor facilities
- Purchase of maintenance equipment, tools, or supplies
- Restoration work done before a grant agreement is signed
- Restoration work required under the Forest Practices Act or other regulatory mitigation requirement, except as described under the Fish Passage Barriers section
- Routine operation and maintenance costs
- Transfer of development rights
- Utility payments such as monthly water or electric bills.
For more information, visit WSRCO.
