Current Landowners

Getting Help Caring for Your Woodlands

Being a good steward of your woodland takes knowledge, time, and resources. Fortunately, there are programs that offer both technical expertise and financial assistance to help you care for your land. Whether you're planning a timber harvest, improving wildlife habitat, or managing invasive species, support is available to help you reach your goals.

Technical Assistance

Technical assistance connects you with professionals who can help you assess your woods, create a management plan, and identify next steps. In Vermont, you can tap into support from foresters, wildlife biologists, and conservation specialists who understand the unique ecology of our region.

Vermont Department of Forests, Parks & Recreation (FPR) County Forester Program- County Foresters provide free, on-the-ground advice and can help enroll land in Current Use or connect with cost-share programs.

Contact Your County Forester

Vermont Fish & Wildlife – Landowner Habitat Assistance Program provides landowner assistance on a variety of wildlife issues, from habitat assessments to identification of rare and endangered species. Private land wildlife biologists are available to come to your property conduct a habitat assessment and offer recommendations for implementing habitat improvements

Vermont Fish & Wildlife Landowner Programs

Audubon Vermont – Forest Bird Habitat Program provides free habitat assessments for private landowners, working in partnership with consulting foresters. This program seeks to enhance forest habitat for a wide range of important song birds species. Landowners receive a site visit and a habitat report, along with management recommendations.

Audubon Vermont’s Healthy Forests Program

Financial Assistance

Cost-share and incentive programs can help offset the costs of forest management activities—from habitat restoration to trail improvements. These programs typically require a forest management plan and guidance from a professional forester.

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Programs

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) offers technical and financial assistance to help forest landowners improve the health, resilience, and biodiversity of their woods. Through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), landowners can receive cost-share funding for conservation practices like invasive species control, habitat enhancement, and forest stand improvement. The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) supports landowners already practicing good stewardship by providing payments to expand or add new conservation efforts over time.

Learn more

• Forest Management Planning

• Landowner Cost Share Programs

• Contact your local Farm Service

State and Local Grants

Occasional grants for recreation access, water quality projects, etc.

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