Managing Your Forest
The importance of forests to Alabama cannot be understated. With proper management, Alabama’s 23 million acres of forestland will continue to provide wildlife habitat, clean air, fresh water, soil stabilization, recreational opportunities, and aesthetic beauty indefinitely. These thriving stands of trees also serve as working forests that support a robust timber industry. A continuous cycle of harvests, reforestation, and management can enhance natural resources for utilization and sustain the forests for future investments.
Promoting sustainable forestry practices helps to strike a balance between the utilization of the forest’s natural resources and the vitality of the forest ecosystem. The agency oversees programs to help strike this balance and provide beneficial services for landowners including developing written forest management plans, developing stand management recommendations, promoting forest certification, installing fire breaks and implementing prescribed fire on the landscape. These actions promote healthy sustainable forests.
The Alabama Forestry Commission assists landowners in understanding stewardship concepts and management practices that lead to sustainable forests. Our professional foresters offer services like forest management plans, stand management recommendations, forest certification information, fire break installation, and applied prescribed burns. Our professional assistance is based on the landowner’s management objectives, and several of these services are offered at no cost. As we help landowners achieve their goals, we are also encouraging conservation practices that promote healthy, sustainable forests.
There are other resources, agencies, and organizations affiliated with forest management and certification programs. Please review the links below for additional information.
The AFC will utilize personnel and equipment for a fee to assist private landowners with the performance of certain forest management practices not readily available from the private sector in an effort to maintain, enhance and/or protect timber, wildlife, water, and soil quality.
These services are to be made available and performed on a regional basis to ensure all landowners have equal access to such services and when such use of equipment and manpower does not unduly jeopardize the wildfire suppression effort and the work does not conflict with services available from private enterprise.
Note: Minimum service fees: $1,000 for a dozer, $1,500 for burning, $1,000 for understory burning, and $500 for Discing will be applied per invoice.
All invoices are to be paid with credit card or e-check.
In the online application, participants will be required to answer questions that pertain directly to eligibility. Submittal and receipt of an application by the Prescribed Burning Coordinator does not guarantee the Alabama Forestry Commission will be implementing any of these landowner services on your property. AFC program staff will review the applications, which will be accepted or rejected based on the program-specific eligibility requirements. After eligible sites are evaluated by AFC personnel, the local AFC office will contact you for more instructions.
The AFC will provide the following services for the listed fees:
prescribed burning, fire lane construction, and creating small wildlife openings less than 5 acres in size.
The AFC also provides the following services free of charge:
SMRs, Management Plans, Certification Assistance, ETC!!!
Site Preparation Burns
$35 per acre
Understory Burns
$25 per acre
Medium Tractor or Dozer
$125 per hour
Large Tractor or Dozer
$160 per hour
Wildland Discing
$125 per hour
The Alabama Forestry Commission administers programs that offer financial assistance to forest landowners in Alabama to implement conservation practices. Most financial programs, however, are offered through other federal and state agencies. The Alabama Forestry Commission has a mutual agreement with some agencies to facilitate conservation planning and to provide on-the-ground technical assistance for cost-share and incentive programs. Agency personnel utilize their technical expertise to complete program responsibilities and routinely meet with landowners to assess eligibility for various practices. Landowners can contact their local AFC office with inquiries about cost-share and incentive programs. Below are links to other agencies and organizations that offer financial programs for landowners.
Contact your local service center for further guidelines and details of a program.
Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) encourages agricultural and forestry producers to maintain existing conservation activities and adopt additional ones on their operations. CSP is a voluntary conservation program that provides financial and technical assistance to conserve and enhance soil, water, air, and related natural resources on their land. CSP provides opportunities to both recognize excellent stewards and deliver valuable new conservation. To apply for the CSP, potential participants are encouraged to use a self-screening checklist to determine whether the new program is suitable for them or their operation.
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)EQIP practices target improving forest health, wildlife habitat, and declining T&E species on agricultural lands. Applications are ranked and selected for funding to optimize environmental benefits. Batching dates may be announced as needed to rank and prioritize any new or unfunded application. Focus on Longleaf Pine (LLP) restoration and Gopher Tortoise habitat restoration.
Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACER)The Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) provides financial and technical assistance to help conserve agricultural lands and wetlands and their related benefits. Under the Agricultural Land Easements component, NRCS helps Indian tribes, state and local governments, and non-governmental organizations protect working agricultural lands and limit non-agricultural uses of the land. Under the Wetlands Reserve Easements component, NRCS helps to restore, protect, and enhance enrolled wetlands. Wetland Reserve Easements: NRCS also provides technical and financial assistance directly to private landowners and Indian tribes to restore, protect, and enhance wetlands through the purchase of a wetland reserve easement. For acreage owned by an Indian tribe, there is an additional enrollment option of 30-year contract.
Contact your local FSA office for further guidelines and details of a program.
Regular Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is a voluntary program for agricultural landowners. CRP was intended to take highly erodible cropland out of production and stabilize soil loss through planting permanent cover crops. Through CRP, you can receive annual rental payments and cost-share assistance to establish long-term, resource conserving covers on eligible farmland. To qualify for CRP enrollment, you must have had your land in crops 4 out of 6 years from 2002 through 2007.
Producer Eligibility: To qualify for CRP enrollment, a farmer must have owned or operated the land for at least 12 months prior to submitting an offer. Exceptions to this rule include:
Continuous CRP (Forestry and Wildlife Programs)Environmentally desirable land devoted to certain conservation practices may be enrolled in CRP at any time under continuous sign-up. Offers are automatically accepted provided the land and producer meet certain eligibility requirements. Offers for continuous sign-up are not subject to competitive bidding. Forestry and wildlife practices available under Continuous CRP include:
Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP)The Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) helps the owners of non-industrial private forests restore forest health damaged by natural disasters. The EFRP does this by authorizing payments to owners of private forests to restore disaster damaged forests. The local FSA County Committee implements ERFP for all disasters with the exceptions of drought and insect infestations. In the case of drought or an insect infestation, the national FSA office authorizes ERFP implementation.
Partners for Fish and Wildlife
The Partners for Fish and Wildlife program provides technical and financial assistance to private landowners to restore and enhance fish and wildlife habitat on their property. The program focus is to restore vegetation and hydrology to historic conditions. Habitat is provided for migratory and resident waterfowl, wading birds, songbirds, aquatic species such as snails, mussels, and fish. Focal areas include both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Hundreds of projects have been completed with individual landowners including restoration of wetlands, longleaf pine, caves, and stream habitats.
Contact the Longleaf Alliance for further guidelines and details of the program
Longleaf Pine Restoration Program Program designed to restore longleaf pine on cutover sites. Funding through the USFWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program.
Longleaf Legacy Program Program designed to restore longleaf pine on cutover site. Funding through the American Forest Foundation grants.
The management of your Alabama forest can be a daunting task. What to do, how to do and when to do are ever present questions as there is always something to do! The different Forest Certification Programs can help answer these and other questions as they will provide a framework and standards that can provide guidance.
Alabama has nearly 23 million acres of forestland. These forest provide valuable resources which directly affect the quality of life of every Alabamian. They provide wood products that we depend on every day. These same forests also provide habitat for wildlife, clean the air, purify water, protect valuable topsoil, and provide scenic beauty and recreational opportunities. For all these reasons, Alabama’s forests are vitally important.
The TREASURE Forest program is a voluntary program sponsored by the Alabama Natural Resources Council and the Alabama Forestry Commission that seeks to promote sound and sustainable, multiple-use forest management. This type of management encourages landowners to use their forests wisely to meet their own objectives while at the same time protecting and enhancing the environment.
If you would like a resource professional to visit your property or if you would like to nominate an Alabama Forest landowner for the TREASURE Forest Program just complete and submit the online application.
The TREASURE Forest Award is earned by private landowners who display their commitment to the TREASURE Forest ethic through the physical management that takes place on their land. The TREASURE Forest Award includes a numbered and signed TREASURE forest certificate, a TREASURE Forest sign to display on the property, and a TREASURE Forest hat. When the award is given, the land is called a Certified TREASURE Forest and the landowner is called a TREASURE Forest landowner. TREASURE Forest and TREASURE Forest landowner are earned titles that represent good stewardship of the land, protection and/or enhancement of the multiple values of the forest, and providing benefits for both present and future generations.
If you would like more information on the TREASURE Forest Program or the other management programs we use, please contact your local Alabama Forestry Commission office.
Based on the National Stewardship Program, Stewardship in Alabama is a multiple-use forest management assistance program available to private forest landowners. It is designed to increase public awareness about wise forest use and management. Commission associates will provide free, on the ground planning assistance to help landowners meet their objectives. Additionally, a written Stewardship Forest Management Plan designed to assist the landowner in meeting his objectives can be produced upon request. A Forest Stewardship Management Plan is a requirement of the program.
In order to qualify to be a Stewardship Forest Landowner and for the property to be recognized as an Alabama Stewardship Forest, a landowner must:
Upon completion of various land use accomplishments and meeting the listed requirements for Stewardship Forest, a field inspection by the local Commission associate will be done. When all requirements are satisfied, the designation of Stewardship Forest is awarded.
Since its establishment in 1991 through 2006, the Program has produced more than 270,000 multi-resource management plans encompassing more than 31 million acres of nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) land. Forest Stewardship plans lay out strategies for achieving unique landowner objectives and sustaining forest health and vigor. Actively managed forests provide timber, wildlife habitat, watershed protection, recreational opportunities and many other benefits for landowners and society. Forest Stewardship plans motivate landowners to become more active in planning and managing their forests, greatly increasing the likelihood that their forests will remain intact, productive and healthy, and that the social, economic and environmental benefits of these lands will be sustained for future generations.
Participation in the Forest Stewardship program is open to any non-industrial private forest landowners who are committed to the active management and stewardship of their forested properties for at least ten years. The FSP is not a cost share program. Cost-share assistance for plan implementation may be available through other programs such as the Forest Land Enhancement Program.
If you would like a resource professional to visit your property or if you would like to nominate an Alabama Forest landowner for the National Stewardship Program just complete and submit the online application. You can also contact a local AFC Office.
The term “tree farming” was first used in the 1940’s to introduce the public to sustainable forestry terminology they could easily understand. Farming implies continual stewardship and production of goods year after year. By linking the term “farming” with trees, foresters could communicate the concept of sustainable production of forest products over time. Tree Farming implies commitment to the land and was the philosophical opposite of the “cut-out and get-out” philosophy of the early 20th century.
Tree Farms are more than pine plantations or Christmas tree farms. Tree Farms are varied in nature and contain many different habitats and stages of forest regeneration, from seedlings to mature timber. Biodiversity is a critical component of a certified Tree Farm. Tree Farmers must maintain natural forest buffers and other aspects of conservation techniques.
ATFS was established in response to concerns that America’s private forests were being cut at unsustainable rates without reforestation. It all began in 1941 when the first Tree Farm was designated in Washington State. The Tree Farm’s purpose was to demonstrate sound forest management practices to area landowners. California’s Tree Farm program started later in 1941 and has grown to include over 3,700 Tree Farms covering 3.6 million acres of the state. For more information about the national ATFS program go to www.treefarmsystem.org.
Alabama’s Tree Farm Program is managed by the Alabama Forestry Foundation. The Alabama Forestry Commission supports the Tree Farm program in many ways. Commission Associates are trained as Tree Farm Inspectors and work closely with the Alabama State Tree Farm Committee to promote the program. Arrangements are made through the State Committee for foresters to inspect and certify Tree Farms and the re-inspect on a periodic basis. These on-the-ground inspections determine whether the property meets the standards and guidelines established by the American Forest Foundation.
In addition to getting people enrolled in the Tree Farm Program, the Commission also promotes the program by providing forest owner outreach, education through information sheets, and field day events.
If you would like more information on the Tree Farm Program or the other management programs we use, please contact your local Alabama Forestry Commission office.
The Sustainable Forestry Initiative® Inc. (SFI). SFI® Inc. is a sustainability leader that stands for future forests. SFI is an independent, non-profit organization that provides supply chain assurances, delivers conservation leadership, and supports environmental education and community engagement. SFI works with the forest sector, brand owners, conservation groups, resource professionals, landowners, educators, local communities, Indigenous peoples, governments, and universities. SFI standards and on-product labels help consumers make responsible purchasing decisions.
Additionally, SFI oversees the SFI Forest Partners® Program, which aims to increase supply of certified forest products, the SFI Conservation and Community Partnerships Grant Program, which funds research and community building, and Project Learning Tree®, which educates teachers and youth about forests and the environment. SFI Inc. is governed by an independent three chamber board of directors representing environmental, social, and economic sectors equally. SFI believes caring for forests improves everyone’s quality of life. Learn more: sfiprogram.org.
The SFI program responds to local needs and issues across North America through 34 SFI Implementation Committees at the state, provincial or regional level. The Alabama Forestry Commission is part of the Alabama SIC (Alabama Forestry Association). This unique grassroots network that involves private landowners, independent loggers, forestry professionals, Indigenous people, local government agencies, academics, scientists, and conservationists. SFI Implementation Committees promote the SFI forest standard as a means to broaden the practice of responsible forestry and achieve on-the-ground progress.
There are currently more than 3 million acres certified to the SFI Standard in Alabama.