The U.S. Forest Service's State and Private Forestry (S&PF) mission is to support the management, protection, and sustainable use of forests across the United States, focusing on non-federal forest lands. The aim is to foster land stewardship practices that maintain healthy and productive forest ecosystems to benefit present and future generations.
The Forest Legacy Program (FLP) primarily aims to preserve and protect working forestlands at risk of conversion to non-forest uses through a cooperative effort involving funding to states. By either purchasing these lands outright or establishing conservation easements, the program ensures that forests continue to provide essential goods and services such as timber, wildlife habitat, and water quality protection. This approach supports landowner participation on a voluntary basis, offering financial incentives like covering up to 75% of project costs and potential tax benefits for limiting land use. The program requires states to target efforts within specific areas that have been identified as significant or threatened through an Assessment of Need (AON), ensuring conservation efforts are focused where they are most needed.