IATP | Community Forestry Resource Center

What's in the 2008 Farm Bill for Family Forest Owners?

The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 has many new opportunities for forest landowners and also expands forestland eligibility in some traditional USDA working lands programs.

Funding for the Conservation Title increased significantly—an additional $4 billion in mandatory spending over the next five years. Combined with the expanded eligibility, this new funding should enable more forest landowners to participate in USDA working lands programs.

Environmental Quality Incentives Program: The purpose of EQIP has been expanded to include forest management. Forest management practices were already funded by EQIP, but this new language places an increased emphasis on enrolling forestland. To enroll forestland, producers must develop either a forest stewardship plan (described in section 5 of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978), another practice plan approved by the State forester or a different plan determined to be appropriate by the Secretary.

Conservation Stewardship Program: Formerly known as the Conservation Security Program, CSP has been renamed and overhauled in order to be more user-friendly and offer new conservation benefits. The earlier CSP allowed a producer to enroll only 10-acre parcels of incidental forestland, and no forestland beyond 10% of the total acres. The new CSP significantly expands the amount of forestland that will be enrolled in the program: producers may now enroll all of the eligible forestland under their control. Up to 10% of the acres enrolled in CSP nationally can be forested—roughly 1.2 million acres a year. Several of the more confusing elements of the old CSP have been eliminated—there will be no more watershed-based signups and payments will not be based on land rental rates.

Farmland Protection Program: Forestland can now be enrolled in FPP if it is important to the economic health of the agricultural operation or if it serves as a buffer between the farm and development.

Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program: Unfortunately, not all changes in the Conservation Title of the Farm Bill benefit forestland. The 2008 Farm Bill places new restrictions on program eligibility. Only producers with agricultural land or non-industrial private forestland can participate in WHIP. Forestland owned by state or local governments, or privately owned forestland not managed for wood production is not eligible.

The Forestry Title of the 2008 Farm Bill makes a few small changes to existing programs, increases funding for the Healthy Forest Reserve Program and adds the new Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program.

Healthy Forest Reserve Program: HFRP now has a new permanent conservation easement option in addition to the traditional program options of 10-year, 30-year or 99-year easements. It will now receive mandatory funding at a level of $9.75 million annually.

Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program: This new program provides matching grants to help local governments, tribes or nonprofit organizations acquire private forestland threatened by development. Land protected by this program must be maintained as forests with public access; must provide community, economic, environmental, recreational or educational benefits; and must demonstrate effective forest stewardship. The program is authorized to be funded as needed through appropriations.

The Energy Title of the Farm Bill also contains a significant new investment in the sustainable utilization of forest resources for energy production.

Community Wood Energy Program: This new program authorizes $5 million a year in appropriated funds. It is designed to encourage the use of woody biomass as the primary fuel for heat or energy at publicly owned or operated facilities such as schools, town halls or libraries. Grants are available for planning community wood energy projects, as well as for installing or upgrading community wood energy systems. To receive funding, projects should demonstrate cost effectiveness, energy efficiency and environmental benefits.

Forest Biomass for Energy: This new research and development program will be administered by the Forest Service. Forest Biomass for Energy will fund projects that use low-value forest biomass harvested to improve forest health or reduce the buildup of hazardous fuels, projects that integrate energy production from biomass with a pre-existing biorefinery or manufacturing facility and the development of new transportation fuels and research to improve the growth and yield of trees. The program is authorized to receive $15 million per year.

Biomass Crop Assistance Program: BCAP is a broad new program designed to encourage the establishment and production of new crops, including woody biomass, for conversion to bioenergy, and to assist with the collection, harvest, storage and transportation of these crops. Producers must apply for BCAP as a group and be able to demonstrate that there is a refinery nearby to purchase their crop. Payments are set at up to 75% of the cost of establishing an eligible crop with production support and matching payments of up to $45/ton for two years for collection, harvest, storage and transportation to a biomass conversion facility. Contracts for woody biomass production can be had for up to 15 years. Eligible crops and other biomass do not include those eligible for commodity payments under Title I, invasive or noxious plants, animal waste and byproducts, food and yard waste, or algae. The program is authorized to be funded as needed through appropriations.

NOTICE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for research and educational purposes.

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