ORIGIN OF RESOLUTION:
NASF Forest Resource Management Committee

ISSUE OF CONCERN:
Lack of a NIPF landowner cost-share assistance program

BACKGROUND:
Support and funding for the two primary NIPF landowner cost-share assistance programs (the Stewardship Incentives Program, SIP, and Forestry Incentives Program, FIP) has dwindled over recent years to a point where the two programs are no longer functional across the nation. Taken as a whole, the authorities for SIP and FIP meet the needs of all States. The need for an incentive program still exists and continues to grow as wood consumption and changing demographics shifts demand for forest products and environmental benefits to private forests.

The below resolution is meant to frame and conceptualize the NIPF landowner cost-share assistance program issue for further development by the NASF Executive Committee or its designee(s).

RESOLUTION:
A financial incentives program is urgently needed to encourage non-industrial private forest landowners to adopt management practices that respond to national needs for healthy sustainable forests that provide timber supplies, clean water and air, viable wildlife habitat and other forest amenities.

Such "Sustainable Forestry Assistance" must also be flexible enough to allow States to administer it in a way that is compatible with Statewide needs and administrative capabilities.

The primary components of such a program must:
· Target NIPF landowners;
· Provide flexibility for a broad range of forestry and agroforestry activities based on State specific needs;
· Be guided by State Stewardship Committees and administered by State Foresters;
· Support and encourage the conservation of multiple resources such as timber, water, air, wildlife, and recreation.

Such a program would:
· provide cost-share assistance to help with financial assistance, technical assistance, and/or education and outreach to NIPF landowners on the basis of individual State need.
· be built upon existing Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act authorities and programs. Concepts such as expanding FIP to incorporate components of SIP capture this idea and provide a platform for development.
· be broad and flexible enough for all States and Territories to implement and administer ensuring that support for the program is nationally consistent.
· Produce public benefits across the landscape Development of a revised NIPF landowner cost-share assistance program which addresses the benefits of the program to individual landowners as well as the broader social benefits to society needs to be completed by the end of January 2001 and in time for presentation to the new Administration and 107 th Congress.

NASF ACTION:
(X) Approved

DATE OF ACTION: October 4, 2000