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Forest Stewardship Program

The Forest Stewardship Program provides technical assistance to nonindustrial private forest landowners to enhance and sustain the long term productivity of forest resources and produce healthy, resilient forest landscapes. In the US Caribbean Region, the program runs through our local government partners: Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture and the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources.

Through our partners, the Forest Stewardship Program offers non-industrial private forest landowners technical assistance to protect and improve the forest and natural resources within their private land, in the form of: technical guidance (1.9 MB - PDF), education programs, and forest management plans (5.2 MB - PDF).

The 2008 Farm Bill explicitly expands eligibility for many USDA conservation programs to include nonindustrial private forest landowners. This means that forest landowners can participate in various technical and financial assistance programs available from different federal government agencies, such as the assistance programs offered by NRCS.

LANDOWNERS, please keep in mind that all USDA financial assistance programs require landowners to register with Farm Service Agency (FSA Puerto Rico, FSA Virgin Islands) and obtain a DUNS number.

IITF SP&TF staff in the field on Lares Puerto Rico

National Program Objectives:

  • Reduce wildfire risk to communities (fuels reduction, prescribed fire).
  • Protect water resources (water quality, watershed management).
  • Support jobs (rural prosperity).
  • Enhance wildlife habitat.

Program Requirements

  • Participation in the Forest Stewardship Program is voluntary.
  • The applicant must be an individual or private entity that owns or has a long-term lease of a non-industrial forest or land suitable for planting trees.
  • Forested land must have a minimum size of 3 acres to participate in the program.
  • The actions and practices recommended by the Management Plan (5.2 MB - PDF) should be followed for a minimum of 10 years in order to maximize benefits from the management practices to your forest and natural resources.

For more information about the Forest Stewardship Program please contact:

Last updated March 14, 2024
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