Agreement Will Benefit Forest Owners in Seven Southeast

Ohio Counties 

Columbus, July 24, 2009 – The USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Ohio Forestry Cooperative entered into an agreement through the Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI) to improve conservation on non-industrial private forest lands. CCPI is a conservation initiative that enables NRCS to target Farm Bill funds to projects and geographic areas proposed by eligible partners.

This CCPI project will enable eligible forest owners located in the seven county area to apply for technical and financial assistance through the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP). This program helps landowners with the implementation of conservation practices on their non-industrial private forest land.  These conservation practices may include timber stand management, invasive species control, tree planting, and other forestry conservation practices.  The seven counties in the project area include Perry, Morgan, Washington, Meigs, Athens, Hocking and Vinton counties. 

"CCPI allows NRCS to work more effectively in partnership with organizations that share our conservation mission," said Ohio NRCS State Conservationist Terry Cosby. "This will be the first agreement between NRCS and the Ohio Forestry Cooperative and I’m looking forward to our joint collaboration.  Ohio’s forest owners will benefit from the expertise the OFC can provide in forest conservation planning."

The OFC will work with the forested landowners receiving EQIP funding through a variety of workshops and demonstrations dealing with forestry management practices. Signs will also be posted to inform the community about conservation and sustainable land management at various demonstration sites.

For more information about the Ohio Forestry Cooperative and their involvement with this partnership or forest related services they offer to private landowners with forestland please visit their website www.ohioforestrycooperative.com or call (866) 699-7463.

NRCS is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that assists private landowners with sustainable land management using science-based conservation methods.

Visit http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/ for additional program information.