Forest Legacy Program

The Forest Legacy Program in Tennessee, administered by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry in partnership with the USDA Forest Service, protects ecologically important and working private forestlands that are at risk of conversion to non-forest uses. This program, authorized through the Farm Bill and implemented by Forest Service Cooperative Forestry, has supported Tennessee in conserving over 72,000 acres through fee simple and conservation easement acquisitions. The program requires that all supported projects include a permanent protection interest and align with a state-approved forest management strategy to ensure long-term ecological and economic benefits for Tennessee. Applications for Federal Fiscal Year 2028 funding are open and due by 4:30 p.m. CST on May 22, 2026. This is a 75/25 matching grant program, requiring applicants to secure at least 25% of total costs from nonfederal sources. The Forest Legacy Committee, part of the State Forest Stewardship Coordinating Committee, will meet on June 1, 2026, to review and rank proposals using a detailed scoring rubric that evaluates the environmental importance, threat of land conversion, strategic value, and readiness of each project. Selected proposals must then compete at the national level for Forest Legacy funding. Eligible projects must be located within or adjacent to a designated Forest Legacy Priority Area and contain at least 75% forest cover or be restorable to that level. Each project must have a Multi-Resource Management Plan or equivalent abstract detailing the landowner’s stewardship goals, which must support the program’s mission of protecting working forests and promoting active land management. The program mandates perpetual protections and formal monitoring agreements—annual for conservation easements and every five years for fee acquisitions—coordinated with non-TDF (Tennessee Department of Forestry) partners. Proposals must be supported by letters from County Mayors, include analysis of tax impacts, and demonstrate legislative awareness by providing copies of support letters to State Representatives and Senators. Applicants must also document ownership, property rights, forest resource management, and long-term land stewardship capacity. The required documentation includes deed, title, mineral rights disclosure, appraisal or comparative market analysis, survey information, and digital GIS mapping of the proposed tracts. Projects may not exceed a federal funding request of $20 million, and selected applicants must show that land acquisition can be completed within two years of funding. Required submission materials include a letter of intent from the landowner, a project narrative aligned with Tennessee’s Forest Action Plan, and supporting documentation outlined in the official checklist. Multiple tracts may be submitted under a single application but must be prioritized in a cover letter. For questions or assistance, applicants may contact Allana Funderburk at [email protected] or Shane Harrington at [email protected]. All submissions should be emailed to [email protected] with the subject line “2026 FOREST LEGACY PROJECT PROPOSAL.” Full details and supporting resources are available on the Tennessee Department of Agriculture Forest Legacy Program webpage.