Forest Land Enhancement Program (FLEP)

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Private Sector Forester Training Fall
2003 Avon Schenectady Cortland Fayetteville 3.5
SAF CFE Credits
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Outline

• Objectives
• Resources and Program Objectives
• Program Authority and Guidance
• Technical Assistance resources goals
• Educational Assistance goals tools
• Financial Assistance cost sharing
• Whos who
• Eligibility
• Approved Practices
• Reimbursement procedure
• Evaluation and CFE certificates

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Objectives Why are we here?

• Understand program authority
• Learn about the balance of program
• Technical assistance (DEC and private sector)
• Educational assistance (Cornell, NYFOA, DEC)
• Cost share (DEC and NYWS)
• Understand landowner eligibility requirements
• Discuss FLEP practices and cost share procedures

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FLEP Resources

• Private Sector Forester Handbook (provided)
• Regional DEC Field Offices
• www.dec.state.ny.us
• www.dnr.cornell.edu/ext/forestrypage
• Foresters FLEP handbook (provided)
• Priority plan
• FAQ (provided)
• Landowners Guide (provided)
• Transaction Application (provided)
• Other educational materials

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FLEP Goals

• To promote sustainable forest management on NIPF
  land
• Secretary of Agriculture to provide financial
  support to State Foresters
• Balanced program Technical, Educational and
  Financial Assistance

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FLEP Background

• Federal - Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of
  1978 as amended by the Farm Security and Rural
  Reinvestment Act of 2002 (PL 107-171)
• Interim and Final Rule - Federal rule provides
  details of program administration consistent with
  statute
• State Priority Plan (www.dec.state.ny.us)
  developed by State Forester State Forest
  Stewardship Coordinating Committee

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State Priority Plan

• Roles Responsibilities
• State program Administration
• Technical Assistance
• Educational Assistance
• Financial Assistance Cost share
• Eligibility Requirements
• Application
• Authorized Practices

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Technical Assistance

• 17 FTE of DEC Service Foresters
• 2 FTE FLEP Foresters (Cornell DEC)
• 100s FTE private sector foresters
• Assist with technical skills for landowners
• Provide one-on-one learning
• Feed back for refining program delivery
• Cost-share activities plus additional landowner
  activity (ice storm 33 additional action)

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Educational Assistance

• Create awareness and interest
• Complemented by broader education program
• Landowner knowledge
• Willingness to try new techniques
• Receptive to adoption of new techniques
• (see handout on educational program summary)

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Roles and Responsibilities forCost Share
Assistance

• DEC Service Representative (service forester)
• Prepare LFSP practice plans
• Approve LFSP on behalf of State Forester
• Conduct needs compliance for C/S requests
  authorize obligation of funds and C/S payments
• Service Representative (private forester)
• Prepare LFSP Practice plans
• Provide professional services to landowners to
  implement sustainable forestry practices

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contd

• Landowner
• Have LFSP prepared
• Install FLEP practice within approval period per
  practice plan
• Submit cost documentation to DEC Service Rep.
• Maintain practice
• Disbursement Administrator
• Obligate funds and remit C/S to landowners upon
  DEC Service Rep. Authorization
• Maintain financial and accomplishment records

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Cost-share eligibility requirements

• Non industrial private forest landowner
• five (5) contiguous acres or more of forest land
  or land suitable for establishment of forest
• Landowner Forest Stewardship Plan (FLEP 2 10)
• treatment of not more than a total of 50 acres of
  land annually
• Cap of 5,000 in FLEP cost share payments
  annually or 25,000 in total through 2007
• without regard to race, color, religion, national
  origin, age, sex, disability, political belief,
  sexual orientation, or marital or family status

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Landowner Forest Stewardship Plans

• State format adopted October 2000
• Must be current (within planning horizon 10
  years) to be eligible to request financial
  assistance
• Approved by DEC
• FLEP 1 for preparation of new plans or enhancing
  other plans to LFSP format
• www.dnr.cornell.edu/ext/stewardship

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Authorized Practices

• High Priority practices
• FLEP 1 Landowner Forest Stewardship Planning
• FLEP 3 Forest Stand Improvement
• FLEP 5 Water Quality Improvement and Watershed

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Medium Priority Practices

• FLEP 2 Reforestation and Afforestation
• FLEP 6 Fish and Wildlife Habitat
• FLEP 7 Forest Health and Protection
• FLEP 8 Invasive Species Control

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Low Priority Practices

• FLEP 10 Fire and Catastrophic Risk Rehabilitation

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Practices not available in New York

• FLEP 4 Agroforestry
• FLEP 9 Fire and Catastrophic Risk Reduction
• FLEP 11 Special Practices

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Practice plans

• Detailed information to enable land owner to
  install practice properly
• Prepared by private sector or DEC forester (LFSP
  preparer)
• LFSP may include all detailed information,
  separate practice plan not necessary
• Criteria to help determine proper installation
• Include available publications,
  specifications,diagrams, etc.

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Application Process

• Landowner to submit Application / Transaction
  form to DEC Service Rep.
• Approved LFSP required for FLEP 2-10
• Practice plan required
• DEC Service Rep.- authorize obligation of funds
  to Disbursement Administrator
• Disbursement Administrator informs LO to commence
  installation of practice

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contd

• LO reports completion to DEC Service Rep. with
  cost documentation
• DEC Service Rep. certifies satisfactory
  installation authorizes C/S payment
• Disbursement Administrator remits C/S payment to
  LO
• LO maintains practice for 10 years
• POA should follow NYS guidelines

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Approval Period

• Practice may not be started before approval
• Approval period 6 months
• Approval period up to 12 months for selected
  practices planting components
• Up to 6 month extension justification submitted
  15 days prior to termination date
• Landowner to report completion with cost
  documentation to DEC Service Rep.
• Maintain practice

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Cost Documentation

• C/S 75 or 50 of actual cost not to exceed cap
• Landowner to provide bills, invoices, etc to DEC
  Service Rep. with completion report
• Landowner may submit LO work log to document in
  kind service
• FLEP 3 Tree designation detailed or separate
  invoice to differentiate from other costs
  associated with harvest activity

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FLEPPromote sustainable forest management
activities on NIPF lands with educational,
technical and financial assistance.