Forest Legacy Program

The Department of Agriculture Forest Service administers the Forest Legacy Program (CFDA 10.676), which funds conservation easements and fee simple land purchases to protect privately owned forest lands threatened by conversion to non-forest uses, with the most recent grant award dated July 24, 2026.

Program activity remains steady. The Forest Service has awarded 1,221 grants since 2003, with recent annual volume ranging from 28 to 56 awards per year (2022–2026). Most recent awards span July 2026 back through mid-2025. Combined federal dollars obligated total $1.19 billion, with non-federal matching contributions bringing total dollars obligated to $1.65 billion. Grants typically run two years with eligibility for no-cost extensions up to five years.

The program funds acquisition of conservation easements and fee-simple purchases on privately owned forest tracts to permanently protect ecological, wildlife, recreational, and scenic resources while maintaining traditional forest uses such as timber production, hunting, and fishing. Recent awards include a $13.24 million acquisition of the Nahiku Tract in Hawaii for public access and wildlife habitat; a $14.01 million conservation easement on 1,305 acres in Idaho's Selkirk Water and Wildlife project; a $21.22 million fee-title acquisition of 11,333 acres in Oklahoma to establish the state's first state forest; and a $2.72 million easement on 307 acres in Arizona protecting riparian and Madrean oak woodland habitat for federally listed species including jaguars and yellow-billed cuckoos.

Assistance is predominantly Project Grants (99 percent of 1,221 awards), with a small share of Cooperative Agreements (1 percent).

Funding concentrates among Forest Service regional offices. The Forest Service's consolidated account leads with 677 awards and $473.4 million federal dollars obligated (40 percent of all federal dollars). The Forest Service Region 8 (Southern) follows with 147 awards and $234.1 million (20 percent); Region 9 (Eastern) with 152 awards and $158.6 million (13 percent); Region 1 (Northern) with 39 awards and $127.1 million (11 percent). Together these account for 86 percent of award count and 90 percent of federal dollars.

Applicants must be state agencies and private forest landowners. Each state must maintain a Forest Action Plan and identify Forest Legacy Areas through a public process; the Forest Service Regional Responsible Official must concur with the State's plan. Eligible projects must fall within an approved Forest Legacy Area, align with the state's Assessment of Need priorities, and comply with national and state criteria. Grants require cost-sharing of at least 25 percent in non-federal dollars.

A competitive funding opportunity remains open: USDA-FS-2028-FLP for FY2028 funding, due September 11, 2026, solicits applications from state agencies for conservation easement and land acquisition projects. An annual project selection calendar is developed each fiscal year with deadlines and approval timelines. The application specifies that states may submit up to three projects not exceeding a total of $20 million per fiscal year cycle in some solicitations. Typical grant periods extend five years from award date.