Forest Legacy Program - FY2028 Funding

The USDA Forest Service administers the Forest Legacy Program in partnership with State agencies under the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978, as amended, with funding through the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The program is designed to encourage the permanent protection of privately owned forest lands through conservation easements or land purchases that support priorities identified in State Forest Action Plans. The Forest Service and States may coordinate with Tribal and local governments, other Federal agencies, forest landowners, land trust organizations, and other partners in implementing projects. Landowner participation is voluntary. The central purpose is to identify and conserve environmentally important private forestlands threatened by conversion to non-forest uses while allowing traditional forest uses to continue. Public benefits can include hunting, fishing, camping, clean drinking water, fish and wildlife habitat, scenic and cultural resources, recreation, and production of timber, fuel wood, and other forest products. Funding supports fee-simple land purchases and permanent conservation easements. Individual projects may request up to $20,000,000 in Forest Legacy Program funding for eligible land acquisition and transactional costs. Each State Lead Agency may submit no more than five projects, with combined requests not exceeding $30,000,000. The expected number of awards is approximately 10 to 15, subject to Congressional appropriations. Allowable costs include property purchase costs, qualifying appraisals and appraisal reviews, land surveys, legal and closing costs, title examination and title insurance, conservation easement negotiation and drafting, facilitation of qualifying land donations, baseline surveys, and development of Multi-Resource Management Plans. Unallowable costs include long-term operations and management, long-term monitoring or enforcement, stewardship endowments, construction, research, existing liens or taxes, indirect costs, general program expenses such as salaries and equipment, and application preparation costs except qualifying project costs otherwise identified as allowable. A 25 percent non-Federal cost share of total project cost is mandatory. Cost share may consist of cash, in-kind services, and donations of land or interests in land and must be verifiable from State Lead Agency records. Contributions must satisfy applicable Federal requirements, including being necessary and reasonable, allowable under 2 CFR 200 Subpart E, and not being counted toward another Federal award. Only State Lead Agencies designated by State leadership are eligible applicants. Individuals cannot receive program funds directly. Eligible project land must be privately owned forest land providing public benefits, located within or partially within a Forest Legacy Area designated in the applicable State Forest Action Plan, at least 75 percent forested or subject to a plan to reforest to at least 75 percent forestland, capable of management consistent with Forest Legacy Program purposes, and owned by a landowner willing to sell or donate the interest in perpetuity. A complete application is required for each project, and no pre-application, letter of intent, or white paper is required. Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov. Required materials include SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance; SF-424C, Budget Information for Construction Programs; an application narrative of no more than five pages; supporting documentation information; tract details; a tract boundary shapefile; no more than four photographs with captions and credits; and one full-page project map. The narrative includes the project name and county, total Forest Legacy Program funding request rounded to the nearest $5,000, a project description of no more than 1,250 characters, and specified bullet lists addressing project importance, threat, and strategic significance. Applicants must have an active SAM.gov registration and valid Unique Entity Identifier. Certain concurrence documentation is required for projects involving designated Federal management units or federal Indian reservations, although letters of support and concurrence, market analyses, and readiness documentation may be made available upon request rather than submitted initially. Applications are evaluated through an initial responsiveness review followed by merit review. Applications may be disqualified for ineligible land or applicants, incomplete submissions, inactive SAM.gov registration, inadequate cost share, unallowable costs, or late submission. Applications advancing to merit review are scored out of 80 points: Importance is worth up to 30 points, Threatened is worth up to 20 points, and Strategic is worth up to 30 points. Additional ranking considerations include proximity to local wood products mills, full or partial public access, significant state and local support, cost share above the required 25 percent, outstanding funding from previously awarded Forest Legacy projects, project readiness, and State Lead Agency past performance. A National Review Panel scores and ranks projects, after which the recommended list proceeds through Forest Service and Department leadership and the Office of Management and Budget. Congress has final authority for project selection and funding levels through FY2028 appropriations. Full applications are due through Grants.gov by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on September 11, 2026. Pre-notification is expected to coincide with release of the FY2028 President's Budget, anticipated approximately six months after application, while final notification will coincide with enacted FY2028 appropriations. Awards are anticipated in Fiscal Year 2028. The initial grant performance period is two years, during which land acquisition should occur, although the Forest Service may reasonably extend the period for unforeseen acquisition circumstances. General program and application questions may be sent to sm.fs.flp@usda.gov. Applicants are strongly encouraged to work with the appropriate Forest Service regional contact before submission. The program operates through annual Congressional funding and appropriations; based on this annual funding structure, the next application cycle is anticipated around September 2027, although the notice does not provide an explicit next-cycle application date.

Address all scored criteria with property-specific evidence and local knowledge. Clearly demonstrate imminent or likely conversion threat and resulting loss of forest values. Explain connections to larger conservation strategies and protected lands. Document project readiness, public access, and state and local support. Cost share above the required 25 percent may strengthen ranking. Ensure SAM.gov registration remains active, demonstrate adequate cost share, exclude unallowable costs, and submit a complete application by the deadline.