USDA Forest ServiceNortheastern Area State and Private Forestry Forest Legacy Program in State-wide Assessments and Strategies Deirdre Raimo NA Forest

USDA Forest Service Northeastern Area State and Private ForestryUSDA Forest Service Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry

Forest Legacy Forest Legacy Program in State-Program in State-wide Assessments wide Assessments

and Strategiesand Strategies

Forest Legacy Forest Legacy Program in State-Program in State-wide Assessments wide Assessments

and Strategiesand StrategiesDeirdre RaimoNA Forest Legacy Program Manager

US Forest Service Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry

Deirdre RaimoNA Forest Legacy Program Manager

US Forest Service Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry


Presentation OverviewPresentation OverviewPresentation OverviewPresentation Overview•What Happens to Assessments of Need?What Happens to Assessments of Need?•How are AONs incorporated into State How are AONs incorporated into State

Assessment and Strategy documents?Assessment and Strategy documents?•What if we want to keep our current Eligibility What if we want to keep our current Eligibility

Criteria and Forest Legacy Areas (FLAs)?Criteria and Forest Legacy Areas (FLAs)?•What if we want to change either our Eligibility What if we want to change either our Eligibility

Criteria or FLAs?Criteria or FLAs?•FLA IdentificationFLA Identification


What Happens What Happens to Assessments to Assessments

of Need?of Need?

What Happens What Happens to Assessments to Assessments

of Need?of Need?


Assessment of NeedAssessment of NeedAssessment of NeedAssessment of Need

• A document produced by a State or a Federally A document produced by a State or a Federally recognized Indian Tribe, in consultation with the recognized Indian Tribe, in consultation with the State Forest Stewardship Coordinating Committee. State Forest Stewardship Coordinating Committee. The AON contains Eligibility Criteria developed by The AON contains Eligibility Criteria developed by the State to identify important forest areas to be the State to identify important forest areas to be proposed as Forest Legacy Areas (FLA) , and acts proposed as Forest Legacy Areas (FLA) , and acts as guide to implement the FLP in the State.as guide to implement the FLP in the State.


Assessments of Need (AONs)Assessments of Need (AONs)Assessments of Need (AONs)Assessments of Need (AONs)

• June 2010, Current State FLP AON will June 2010, Current State FLP AON will disappear/evaporate/vanish/fade-away/ebb/disappear/evaporate/vanish/fade-away/ebb/depart/cease to exist/expiredepart/cease to exist/expire



• If you want to request FLP funds in the If you want to request FLP funds in the future you must incorporate FLP planning future you must incorporate FLP planning requirements into State-wide requirements into State-wide Assessments/StrategiesAssessments/Strategies


Eligibility CriteriaEligibility CriteriaEligibility CriteriaEligibility Criteria

•Set of standards developed by the State Set of standards developed by the State Lead Agency, in consultation with the Lead Agency, in consultation with the SFSCC; used to evaluate geographic areas SFSCC; used to evaluate geographic areas to determine if the areas qualify as a Forest to determine if the areas qualify as a Forest Legacy Area (FLA).Legacy Area (FLA).


Forest Legacy Area (FLA)Forest Legacy Area (FLA)Forest Legacy Area (FLA)Forest Legacy Area (FLA)

•A delineated geographic area that has been A delineated geographic area that has been found to contain environmentally important found to contain environmentally important forest values (i.e. satisfy the Eligibility forest values (i.e. satisfy the Eligibility Criteria). Acquisition of lands and interests Criteria). Acquisition of lands and interests in lands for the FLP can only occur within in lands for the FLP can only occur within approved FLAs.approved FLAs.



• Approvals are required for Approvals are required for Eligibility CriteriaEligibility Criteria and and Forest Legacy Areas (FLAs)Forest Legacy Areas (FLAs)– Approval should be evidenced in Assessment or Approval should be evidenced in Assessment or

Strategy document if no change;Strategy document if no change;– Must be proposed to seek approval if to change.Must be proposed to seek approval if to change.


How are AONs How are AONs incorporated incorporated

into State into State Assessment and Assessment and

Strategy Strategy documents?documents?

How are AONs How are AONs incorporated incorporated

into State into State Assessment and Assessment and

Strategy Strategy documents?documents?


Incorporating AONs into State Incorporating AONs into State Assessment & Strategy DocumentsAssessment & Strategy Documents

Incorporating AONs into State Incorporating AONs into State Assessment & Strategy DocumentsAssessment & Strategy Documents

Assessment Participants should be expanded Assessment Participants should be expanded to include Land Trusts; and FLP State Lead to include Land Trusts; and FLP State Lead Agencies in States where the State Lead Agencies in States where the State Lead Agency is not a Forestry agency.Agency is not a Forestry agency.

(In NA: Maine and New Jersey)(In NA: Maine and New Jersey)


Incorporating AONs into State-Incorporating AONs into State-wide Assessmentswide Assessments

Incorporating AONs into State-Incorporating AONs into State-wide Assessmentswide Assessments

• Expand Assessment requirements to meet FLP Expand Assessment requirements to meet FLP requirementsrequirements– Aesthetic and Scenic resourcesAesthetic and Scenic resources– Public recreation opportunitiesPublic recreation opportunities– Threatened and endangered speciesThreatened and endangered species– Forest products & forest management Forest products & forest management

opportunitiesopportunities– Cultural resourcesCultural resources– Outstanding geological featuresOutstanding geological features– Protected land in the StateProtected land in the State– Historic uses of the ForestHistoric uses of the Forest


What if we want to What if we want to keep our current keep our current

Eligibility Criteria and Eligibility Criteria and Forest Legacy Areas Forest Legacy Areas

(FLAs)?(FLAs)?

What if we want to What if we want to keep our current keep our current

Eligibility Criteria and Eligibility Criteria and Forest Legacy Areas Forest Legacy Areas

(FLAs)?(FLAs)?


Keep Current Eligibility Keep Current Eligibility Criteria and FLAsCriteria and FLAs


• Eligibility Criteria should be included in the Eligibility Criteria should be included in the Assessment or Strategy document;Assessment or Strategy document;

• FLA(s) should be included in the Assessment or FLA(s) should be included in the Assessment or Strategy document;Strategy document;

• All FLP approval letters from the Secretary of All FLP approval letters from the Secretary of Agriculture or the Chief of the Forest Service should Agriculture or the Chief of the Forest Service should be added to the Assessment or Strategy document.be added to the Assessment or Strategy document.




• Maintain the current FLA description requirements Maintain the current FLA description requirements in a section of the Strategy document.in a section of the Strategy document.

• Required SFSCC involvement for the Assessment Required SFSCC involvement for the Assessment and Strategy documents would be sufficient public and Strategy documents would be sufficient public involvement for FLP purposes.involvement for FLP purposes.


What if we want to What if we want to change either our change either our

Eligibility Criteria or Eligibility Criteria or FLAs?FLAs?

What if we want to What if we want to change either our change either our

Eligibility Criteria or Eligibility Criteria or FLAs?FLAs?


Change Either Eligibility Change Either Eligibility Criteria or FLACriteria or FLA

Change Either Eligibility Change Either Eligibility Criteria or FLACriteria or FLA• Propose Eligibility CriteriaPropose Eligibility Criteria

• Propose FLA or FLA changesPropose FLA or FLA changes• Include evidence of public involvementInclude evidence of public involvement– FLA Public involvement requirements FLA Public involvement requirements

exceed Assessment and Strategy public exceed Assessment and Strategy public involvement requirements involvement requirements

– Local governments have to be notified Local governments have to be notified that land or interests in land may be that land or interests in land may be purchased in their land area.purchased in their land area.


Change Either Eligibility Criteria Change Either Eligibility Criteria or FLAor FLA

Change Either Eligibility Criteria Change Either Eligibility Criteria or FLAor FLA

•Documentation of the expanded public Documentation of the expanded public involvement process is required; and must involvement process is required; and must be included in the Assessment or Strategy be included in the Assessment or Strategy document.document.


Forest Legacy Forest Legacy Area (FLA) Area (FLA)

IdentificationIdentification

Forest Legacy Forest Legacy Area (FLA) Area (FLA)

IdentificationIdentification


Forest Legacy Area (FLA) Forest Legacy Area (FLA) IdentificationIdentification

Forest Legacy Area (FLA) Forest Legacy Area (FLA) IdentificationIdentification• FLA Identification consist of specific requirementsFLA Identification consist of specific requirements

1. Location of each geographic area on a map and a written 1. Location of each geographic area on a map and a written description of the proposed FLA boundary;description of the proposed FLA boundary;

2. Summary of the analysis used to identify the FLA and its 2. Summary of the analysis used to identify the FLA and its consistency with the Eligibility Criteria;consistency with the Eligibility Criteria;

3. Identification of important environmental values, and how they will 3. Identification of important environmental values, and how they will be protected and conserved;be protected and conserved;

4. The conservation goals or objectives in each FLA;4. The conservation goals or objectives in each FLA;5. List of public benefits that will be derived from establishing each 5. List of public benefits that will be derived from establishing each

FLA;FLA;6. Identification of the governmental entity or entities that may hold 6. Identification of the governmental entity or entities that may hold

lands or interests in lands (State grant option) or may be assigned lands or interests in lands (State grant option) or may be assigned management responsibilities for the lands and interests in lands management responsibilities for the lands and interests in lands enrolled in the program (Federal option); andenrolled in the program (Federal option); and

7. Documentation of the public involvement process and analysis of 7. Documentation of the public involvement process and analysis of the issues raised.the issues raised.




•FLA Identification must be included in either FLA Identification must be included in either the Assessment or Strategy document and the Assessment or Strategy document and makes most sense in the Strategy makes most sense in the Strategy document.document.

•Could be part of a more expansive Could be part of a more expansive land land protectionprotection section of the Strategy section of the Strategy document.document.


FLP SummaryFLP SummaryFLP SummaryFLP Summary

•FLAs do NOT have to coincide with the High FLAs do NOT have to coincide with the High Priority Areas;Priority Areas;

•FLP requirements support the land or FLP requirements support the land or interests in land acquisition process;interests in land acquisition process;

•If you keep these 2 things in mind, it may If you keep these 2 things in mind, it may help understand the limits of flexibility that help understand the limits of flexibility that you have in incorporating the FLP into the you have in incorporating the FLP into the State-wide Assessments and Strategy State-wide Assessments and Strategy documents.documents.