Indiana Department of Natural Resources Cooperative Forest Management Programs

Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Contact: District Forester Tim Eizinger at (260) 782-0430 or email
Project Stage: Active

In regions with substantial private forestland stakeholders find great strength in collaboration; thus meeting the shared objectives of sustaining the regions economic, environmental and social wealth. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources Forestry has developed Cooperative Forest Management (CFM) Programs that tie restoration efforts with value added products through a variety of assisted and collaborative forestry plans.

In Indiana 20 District Foresters and related natural resource professionals work daily with private landowners to secure and sustain the health of the 3.8 million acres of privately and family owned forests. Privately owned forests make up make up 86% of Indiana’s forestlands presenting an opportunity for forestry professionals and private landowner collaboration since 1921.

The following are programs under the Cooperative Forest Management framework:

The Indiana Woodland Restoration Program helps private landowners with strategic planting of trees, and maintenance of forestlands while also promoting hardwood forest products. Funding for this program comes from timber sales on State Forest Lands. Landowners are also offered cost share grants to promote restorative management practices. A similar program, The Forest Land Enhancement Program, drives on-going management, restoration, protection and enhancement of privately owned forestlands through federal cost share funding.

Next, The Forest and Wildland Conservation Agreement Program allow for landowners to get property tax incentives to preserve their forests while managing the land to par with the forest guidelines. This management also meets forest sustainability standards put forth by The American Tree Farm System giving CFM to receive the “Group Certification” award giving participating land-owners the opportunity to sell their forest products worldwide under the ‘green certified forest product’ label, enhancing the local economy.

Lastly the Forest Legacy Program is a public-private partnership that works to retain working forests, while permanently protecting ecologically sensitive and or diverse forests ecosystems from development through conservation easements. Remaining in private ownership, the lands are available for traditional forest uses as well.

CFM meets challenges in working to preserve the habitat of the Endangered Indiana Bat, along with preventing the spread of invasive species, disease and pest infestation in the region. According to district forester Tim Eizinger one of the largest challenges is moving forward from the no-cut mindset from community members to the perspective that forestry is a science and technology working to sustain the regions healthy forests for this and future generations.

Cooperative Forest Management successes to date include:

• Fulfilling 3,137 landowner requests for technical assistance covering 155,068 acres along with 8,951 brief professional consultations.
• Boosting the economy through 1,483 referrals to private sector forestry businesses and natural resource partners
• Ongoing statewide outreach and public presentations