Northeastern Area Forest Legacy Program (FLP)
The Tract Record
Fourth Quarter FY 2010
Two Million Acres and Counting an Area the Size of 240 Football Fields a Day
The Forest Legacy Program (FLP) has done it again; passed another million-acre milestone. In August 2010, the National FLP accomplishments exceeded 2 million acres that have been protected through fee acquisitions and conservation easements. Project completions in three states across the country during September have pushed the total accomplishments even higher—as of September 30, 2,041,760 acres across 43 states have been protected through the FLP. The total area of land protected by the FLP is three times greater than the size of Rhode Island. On average 319.92 acres, an area larger than 240 football fields, have been protected by the FLP every day since the first FLP project, Cow Mountain Pond in Vermont, closed on April 10, 1993.
2011 FLP Operating By Way of a Continuing Resolution until Further Notice
Fiscal Year 2011 starts with a continuing resolution that extends through December 3, 2010. Neither the House nor the Senate passed an appropriations bill for the Interior, Environment or Related agencies for FY 11. Continuing resolutions include legislative direction on how to proceed. Until legislative direction is received, Forest Legacy operations will be limited to administrative activities under the continuing resolution.
Recently Completed FLP Projects
West Virginia Completes Third Working Forest Legacy Project
West Virginia has acquired their third FLP conservation easement on a 144-acre forested tract that is adjacent to the state’s first 764-acre FLP property. The so-called Liller tract is located in the eastern panhandle of the State, in the South Branch of the Potomac River watershed. Keeping the watershed forested will contribute to high-quality drinking water for Washington, D.C., and help clean the Chesapeake Bay. On June 30 a conservation easement was purchased by the state from landowners Brent and DiAnna Liller at a bargain sale price of $141,000. The conservation easement appraised at $188,000 and will allow the landowners to continue to manage the property for forest products guided by a State Forester-approved Forest Stewardship Plan. After all FLP standards were met on September 23, West Virginia was reimbursed $141,000 with FLP funds. West Virginia is working on a number of additional tracts in the South Branch project for further conservation opportunities through the FLP.
Michigan Completes Largest Conservation Project in State History
The final phase of a 247,803-acre working forest conservation easement project in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula was completed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE) with assistance from The Nature Conservancy (TNC) on September 29, The FLP protected 150,991 of those acres over the 5-year life of the multi-phased project. The DNRE worked extensively with TNC and the landowner, Heartwood Forestland Fund IV, in order to complete this unprecedented accomplishment for Michigan’s premiere natural resources. The FLP contributed $3,979,000 towards the final phase 30,803-acre conservation easement that is valued at $5,094,000. The Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund provided the remaining $1,115,000 as part of the non-Federal cost share for the project. Additional cost share for the project occurred with TNC giving the DNRE an adjacent conservation easement covering 53,170 acres with a value in excess of $8 million. The Northern Great Lakes Forest project protects habitat for state and Federal endangered species, important natural features such as unique hemlock gorges and high elevation peatland-forest ecosystems, and public access for hunting and other recreational opportunities.