Current Cost-Share Funds
The Kentucky Division of Forestry (KDF) and its partners have access to an ever-changing variety of federal and state cost-share programs. This page lists and discusses the most commonly-used programs. However, interested landowners are strongly encouraged to contact the division (and their service forester, if they have an established relationship) for the most up-to-date information. Funding levels and program availability both change at a rapid pace.
In a forestry context, CRP is designed to take cropland with severe erosion potential out of production and to provide improved environmental benefits. Often, one of the first steps is to exclude livestock from areas adjacent to streams. After this is accomplished, hardwoods and sometimes shrubs are planted in this newly created "buffer." Cost-sharable components include (but are not limited to) fencing, tree and shrub planting, the necessary site preparation work, and the construction of alternative livestock watering sources.
KDF shares technical responsibilities with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) when tree and shrub plantings are involved. Cost-share rates are 50 percent but an annual rental payment for the acreage involved (based on site productivity) is paid for a period of 10-15 years. Sign-up incentive payments are also offered.
Sign-up is at your local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office.
CREP is essentially an "improved" version of CRP targeted at areas along the upper Green River watershed. The major differences are that the area must lie within the designated CREP zone and 15-year or 35-year contracts and/or permanent conservation easement are also possible. The targeted area includes all or parts of 15 counties: Adair, Allen, Barren, Butler, Edmonson, Grayson, Green, Hart, Larue, Logan, Metcalfe, Russell, Simpson, Taylor and Warren. Sign-up is at your county FSA office.
EQIP components vary somewhat from region to region, but forestry-related practices that are used in different areas of the state include (but are not limited to) critical area planting, fencing, site preparation for natural regeneration and tree planting in riparian zones.
The cost-share rate is 75 percent and landowners must enter into a five to 10 year contract; in some cases sign-up incentives are also offered. Landowners can receive up to $10,000 per year with a contract maximum of $50,000.
Sign-up is at your local NRCS office.
This program is administered entirely by Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR). In many cases, KDFWR biologists work hand-in-hand with KDF service foresters in plan preparation and implementation. In such instances and in forested settings, the biologist and the forester can quite often come up with creative ways of using HIP funding to help the landowner achieve wildlife habitat goals (in most instances, woodland wildlife habitat goals complement the overriding goals of improving forest health and vigor).
HIP is based on a 75 percent cost-share rate. Like all programs, the cost of practice implementation is borne by the landowner who is reimbursed based upon receipts and degree/quality of practice completion. HIP is limited to payments of $1,000 per landowner per year.
Common forestry-related HIP practices include fescue eradication (site preparation for tree planting), crop tree release, site preparation for natural regeneration, wildlife watering holes, tree planting and nest box construction and placement.
Sign-up is with your KDFWR private lands biologist.
WRP is an easement program designed to restore and protect wetlands. Landowners may set aside wetlands or relinquish certain legal interests over a 30-year contract or a permanent easement. Payments are made to the landowner based on agreed parameters of a contract and cost-share is available to improve the habitat.
Sign-up is at your local NRCS office.
WHIP is jointly administered by KDFWR and NRCS. Cost-share rates are based upon 75 percent of average practice cost and landowners are eligible to receive up to $10,000 per contract. The landowner must be willing to treat at least five acres and enter in a five to 10-year contract for wildlife habitat practices. Most practices are aimed squarely at habitat enhancement; often times such practices include forestry-related components (crop tree release for mast production, invasive and exotic species removal, tree planting, etc.).
Sign-up is at your county NRCS office.
