Authorized by statute in the cooperative forestry assistance act (PL 95-313, as amended), this grant is the award instrument through which the USDA works with and through minnesota to cooperatively…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Region 9 - Eastern Region, awarded $505,904 to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources on June 4, 2025, under the Forest Stewardship Program (CFDA 10.678) to provide technical assistance and direct support to private forest landowners across Minnesota. This project grant, with a completion date of July 31, 2029, funds cooperative forestry management activities designed to enhance the health and productivity of non-industrial private forest lands while reducing threats to adjacent federal forests. Through this five-year award, the Minnesota DNR will deliver direct assistance to woodland owners for fire risk reduction, forest pest and disease management, timber production, and sustainable forest stewardship. The grant supports coordination among state and local partners to address cross-boundary threats such as wildfire and invasive species while providing technical guidance that enables private landowners to participate in timber markets.

The Forest Stewardship Program partnership leverages state service foresters to connect Minnesota's private forest landowners with planning tools, management guidance, and financial support. By funding this cooperative effort, the USDA Forest Service sustains its capacity to accomplish its mission of protecting and enhancing non-federal forest lands throughout Minnesota. The award ensures continuity of technical assistance programs that would otherwise be curtailed, preventing negative impacts to adjacent federal lands, local mill operators, and the nation's wood supply chain.

Authorized by statute in the cooperative forestry assistance act (PL 95-313, as amended), this grant is the award instrument through which the USDA works with and through minnesota to cooperatively set priorities for and implement management programs on private forest lands that directly and indirectly benefit the health of federal forest land and the nations forests. Through this award, direct assistance is provided to private forest landowners to reduce fire risk, fight damaging insects and diseases, produce timber, and steward their forests. If this grant is not approved, the USDA will lose the primary instrument through which IT accomplishes its mission to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of non-federal forest lands in minnesota. Coordination among state and local partners to actively manage working forests and to address cross boundary threats such as wildfire and the spread of insect and disease would be curtailed, with negative impacts to adjacent federal lands. Lack of technical assistance to woodland owners will suppress market participation with negative impacts to mill operators and americas wood supply. As this award funds a program of work that will cross multiple state fiscal years for subaward and contracting efforts, this award requires a 5 year time line for full accomplishment.