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Forest Legacy Program

A voluntary program of the USDA Forest Service providing grants to states for the purchase of conservation easements and fee acquisition of environmentally-sensitive or threatened forest lands

WHY it exists:
The United States loses more than half a million acres of privately-owned timberland to development each year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The result is a loss of livelihood for some, a loss of places to explore nature for many, a loss of environmental quality for us all.

The Forest Legacy Program provides an alternative to selling timberland for development: assistance in private, voluntary conservation.

1,145,586 acres have been protected as of February 2006. See a list of projects by fiscal year.

WHAT it does:
The Forest Legacy Program provides grants to enrolled states to purchase conservation easements or fee acquisition on environmentally important forest lands that are threatened with conversion to non-forest uses. Land trusts can provide invaluable assistance with their experience bringing landowners and projects to the table, negotiating and monitoring easements, and can participate in many other ways.

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