The Forest Legacy Program

The Forest Legacy Program is a voluntary private land conservation program between the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, States, land trusts, private landowners, and others. It provides financial assistance, leveraged by non-Federal cost sharing and cooperation with States, to prevent the fragmentation and conversion of private forest land.

It is a nonregulatory program that ensures that important forests remain intact and on the tax roles, and that they continue to contribute to the community, the local economy, the landowner, and the environment.

In Maine, almost 700,000 acres have been acquired through Forest Legacy Funding, achieving FPL's overall goals of maintaining traditional forest uses, protecting water quality, preventing development along pristine lakes, ponds, and streams, providing public recreation opportunities, and maintaining productive forests.