Stewardship Plans Are More Affordable

Although Woodland Stewardship Plans allow landowners to take advantage of professional management activities for their properties, they also qualify properties for programs that reduce taxes and provide incentive payments.

The Sustainable Forest Incentive Act (SFIA) and 2c Managed Forestland Tax Class are the two major financial programs offered by the state of Minnesota to reward landowners for following their forest management goals. The SFIA provides yearly payments to the landowner, with the amount sent based on how many acres are owned and how long a covenant is sustained in the program. 2c Managed Forestland is a simple change in property tax class, typically from Rural Vacant Land and changed to managed Forestland. This change allows the landowner to reduce their property taxes up to 35%.

Enrolling in either financial incentive program is a valuable and wise step forward, but it is very important to understand the biggest requirement that is necessary to the ongoing profit and success of enrollment in these programs.

Stewardship Plan Registration

When your Stewardship Plan is written and sent to you, it’s not quite as simple as completing the SFIA or 2c enrollment processes to receive your financial benefits. Your plan must be registered with the DNR in order to be enrolled in any financial incentive programs.

The good news – there’s no work required on your end! Our plan writers at Itasca Woodland Services send in the plan to the DNR for you. The DNR then approves and automatically registers the plan, thus qualifying it for the financial incentive program of your choice.

Big News

For many years, the DNR has charged $50 for the registration of a Stewardship Plan. Now, as of November 2019, that fee has been permanently waived.

With this news and the generous state Cost Share programs available, Stewardship Plans are now more affordable than ever!