Forest Land Enhancement Program (FLEP)
Conservation Incentive Program Fact Sheet

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• Program Name: Forest Land Enhancement Program l Updated: July 7, 2005
• Abbreviation: FLEP
• Reference(s): Federal Register, Volume 68, Number 110, June 9, 2003; Rules and Regulations Title 36CFR Part 230, Subport C, page 34309
• Contact Agency: Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF)
• Where Applicable: Statewide
• Applications: PDF format l Word document
  Substitute Form W9 Request For Taxpayer Identification Number(s) And Certification (Required with Application)

Prepared by the Virginia Department of Forestry.

Who Qualifies for FLEP Assistance

• Non-industrial private landowners qualify.
• VDOF employees qualify.
• RT Board and Board of Forestry members qualify.
• Public ownerships and forest industry DO NOT qualify.

Landowners must be willing to maintain cost-shared practices for a minimum of 10 years. During this 10-year period, if the landowner or a future landowner destroys the practice, the landowner must refund the cost-share assistance plus a 10% penalty charge.

Qualifying Practices

The type of forest practices qualifying for assistance shall include any method approved by the State Stewardship Coordinating Committee and State Forester.

Location

Land in counties or cities within the boundaries of Virginia.

Maximum

100 acres per year per tract and per landowner per fiscal year (may be for several projects). The landowner is defined by the tax number.

• Every owner is subject to the 100-acre limit. This applies to all ownership types: 1) individuals, 2) husband and wife jointly owned, 3) common ownership (undifferentiated ownership interests), 4) partnerships (differentiated ownership interests), and 5) corporations or trusts.
• Individuals under ownership 2,3 or 4 as listed above may request a percent of the project cost-share providing said individual can supply evidence of responsibility for an equal percent of the project costs. For example, an individual paying 50% of the cost may request 50% of the cost-share for the project. The percent breakdown of the total cost-share does not necessarily need to be the same as the percent breakdown of ownership.
• Benefits received by an individual, expressed in terms of acres, will be added to other benefits the individual may receive in the same federal program year under other ownerships, or other projects in the same ownership.

Minimum

1 acre minimum.

Orphan Land

Orphan land strip-mined areas.

Replanting

When the FLEP project is damaged by wildfire, insects, disease, drought, flood, wind or otherwise through no fault or negligence on the part of the owner.

Survival

To qualify for replanting assistance, first year survival must be less than fifty (50) percent of original stocking and poorly distributed.

FLEP adjoining other federal programs or RT

FLEP and other federal programs or RT may be used on adjoining parcels of the same ownership in the same year.

FLEP with other federal programs or RT

FLEP cannot be used on the same parcel for the same practice with other federal programs or RT in the same year.

FLEP with VABMP

FLEP can be used on the same parcel with Virginia Agricultural BMP Program funds.

Application

Sign-ups begin when funds are received (typically around July 1) and continue as long as funds are available. The completion date will be 12 months from the date of application approval.

A Form 183 Forest Land Enhancement Program Application must be submitted. Contact your local VDOF County Office for assistance.

Landowner(s) must complete, sign and date the Substitute Form W9 to comply with IRS 1099 reporting regulations.

Planting Equipment Loan

Planting bars and bags may be borrowed from VDOF free of charge to ensure increased seedling survival rates through proper planting techniques and seedling handling procedures. Contact your local VDOF County Office.

Incentive Practices and Payment Rates

Changes to the levels and manner of incentive payments to be offered to landowners will be for one federal program year and will not change within that year. Any such adjustments shall be announced and publicized as far in advance of their effective dates as practical.

Effective July 1, 2003, the incentive payments to landowners for approved projects will be based on the practice number:

• Practice 1 - Forest Stewardship Plan Development
• Practice 2 - Reforestation and Afforestation (white, shortleaf and longleaf pine only)
• Practice 3 - Forest Stand Improvement
• Practice 4 - Agroforestry (not available in Virginia)
• Practice 5 - Water Quality Improvement and Watershed Protection (not available in Virginia)
• Practice 6 - Fish and Wildlife Habitat Enhancement
• Practice 7 - Forest Health and Protection
• Practice 8 - Invasive Plant Species Control
• Practice 9 - Fire and Catastrophic Risk Reduction (not available in Virginia)
• Practice 10 - Fire and Catastrophic Event Rehabilitation (not available in Virginia)
• Practice 11 - Special Practices (not available in Virginia)

VDOF will compute one incentive payment or billing, whichever applies, upon completion of the project. VDOF expenses for services rendered and for seedlings purchased from VDOF will be deducted from the FLEP payment. The incentive payment will be made within an approximate two-week period.

Practices, Components and Incentive Rates

Cost Share Payments CANNOT exceed 75% of actual costs.

FLEP 1 - Landowner Forest Stewardship Plan Development

FLEP 2 - Reforestation and Afforestation

FLEP 6 - Fish and Wildlife Habitat Enhancement

FLEP 7 - Forest Health and Protection (includes forest stand improvement)

Specifications For FLEP 7

FLEP 8 -  Invasive Plant Species Control

Amendment To or Cancellation Of a Project

In the event of a change(s) to a FLEP project or if you need to cancel a project, notify your local VDOF County Office.

Last modified 2007-07-12