Alaska Forest Legacy Program
Administrative Agency:
State Agency: Department of Natural Resources; Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation
Program Goals:
Program goals include:
- Protect fish and wildlife habitat and maintain habitat connectivity, habitat diversity, and related values needed to ensure biological diversity and healthy fish and wildlife populations.
- Increase opportunities for natural lands recreation, especially near communities and existing roads, and protect existing opportunities at remote sites.
- Buffer, protect, and enhance the natural ecosystem functions and natural lands recreation value of lands currently under conservation and forest management.
- Prevent forest fragmentation.
- Protect areas important to Alaska's communities for water supplies, traditional uses, and economic reasons.
- Protect river systems, wetlands, and coastal areas and their associated hydrologic functions and upland habitats.
- Provide and maintain opportunities for traditional forest uses, including the production of wood and non-timber forest products.
Resource Provided:
The Forest Legacy Program (FLP) will cover 75% of the costs of a conservation easement or fee-title purchase. The other 25% must be matched by either the landowner or an assisting entity, such as a non-profit organization or non-federal government agency. Other costs that can be covered by the program include appraisals, surveys, closing costs, title work, insurance, and other real estate transaction expenses.
Eligibility:
The Alaska FLP may only acquire lands and interests in lands identified within Forest Legacy Areas (see website) on a willing seller/willing buyer basis. Projects proposed for the FLP in Alaska must be threatened by conversion to non-forest uses and must directly address one or more of the Alaska program goals. Participation in Forest Legacy is limited to private forest landowners.
Program Contact: (Primary Contact listed first.)