Funding Opportunities for DCR Conservation Restriction (CR) Landowners

Before applying for funding to cover costs of any management activity or land use change on your property please consult your CR to ensure the activity is permitted. Contact the Stewardship Program with any questions.

Forest Stewardship Cost-Share Program – DCR Service Forestry has a cost-share program to help with the cost of completing Forest Stewardship Plans (FSP). Properties with state-held CRs are eligible to apply to the cost-share program for: New Forest Stewardship Plans, Forest Stewardship Plan Renewals, and additional FSP components: Foresters for the Birds, and Climate Forestry. Additional funding is available through the new Climate Stewardship Incentive Practices (C-SIP) to provide encouragement to forest landowners to carry out stewardship practices focused on soil protection, carbon retention and increasing forest adaptive capacity when pursuing forest management activities (see C-SIP section of Forest Stewardship Program website linked above).

MassTrails Grants – MassTrails provides matching grants to communities, public entities, and non-profit organizations to design, create, and maintain the diverse network of trails, trail systems, and trails experiences used and enjoyed by Massachusetts residents and visitors. Applications are accepted annually for a variety of well-planned trail projects benefiting communities across the state.

MassWildlife Habitat Management Grant Program (MHMGP) – The MassWildlife Habitat Management Grant Program provides assistance to private and municipal owners of protected lands to enhance wildlife habitat, while promoting public access for outdoor recreation.

Partners for Fish and Wildlife – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service offers technical and financial assistance to landowners interested in restoring and enhancing wildlife habitat on their land. Eligible landowners include farmers, forest landowners, recreational landowners, corporations and local governments, and project duration is 10 years.

Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) – The Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) provides technical and financial assistance to improve water and air quality, conserve ground and surface water, increase soil health, reduce erosion and sedimentation, improve or create wildlife habitat, and mitigate against drought and increasing weather volatility. Anyone engaged in agriculture or forest management who owns or has documented control of agricultural or private forestland is eligible to apply for EQIP. The NRCS will help the landowner or manager develop a conservation plan and can potentially provide funding to cover some of the conservation practices in the plan.

Conservation Collaborative for Habitat Management – MassWildlife and the MA Forest Alliance have teamed up to offer funding to landowners through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Regional Conservation Partnership Program. The Collaborative will provide funding to encourage habitat management on private lands that can: 1) help rare or declining species as well as game species like ruffed grouse and 2) expand on existing habitat projects on MassWildlife lands.