Division of Forestry and Wildlife: Forestry Program

He ali‘i ka ‘aina; he kauwa ke kanaka

The land is a chief; man is its servant

Overview

Hawai‘i’s Forest Stewardship Program (FSP), administered by the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife, provides planning and financial assistance to private forest landowners to promote active long-term stewardship, enhancement, conservation, and restoration of Hawaii’s forests.

FSP connects landowners with the information and tools they need to manage their forests and the resources they provide. A prepared forest stewardship management plan provides a comprehensive 10-year roadmap to managing your forest by identifying your goals and management activities needed to meet them. 

Management Objectives

FSP supports a variety of management objectives, including:

• Forest Stewardship management plan development
• Timber and/or forest product production
• Native species restoration and/or protection
• Native wildlife habitat improvement
• Watershed, riparian, and/or wetland protection and improvement
• Agroforestry (the forestry component only)
• Forest recreation enhancement
• Education and community outreach
• Fire prevention
• Carbon storage or sequestration and/or biomass production

Eligibility

Landowners with 1) at least 5 contiguous acres of forested (or formerly forested) land who 2) intend to actively manage at least 5 acres to enhance forest resource values for both public and private benefits are eligible.

Individuals, joint owners, private groups, associations, lease or license holders (lease must be for at least 10 years), or corporations are eligible.

How to Participate

1. Interested landowners should contact Forestry and Wildlife staff to discuss their proposed project. 
2. Develop and submit a project proposal for review by the Forest Stewardship Advisory Committee (FSAC). Those with approved proposals will be invited to write and submit a full management plan that must cover a period of 10 years for review by the FSAC. 
3. Develop and submit a management plan for review by the FSAC.
4. Implement your approved plan.

Please refer to the Forest Stewardship Program Handbook for details on participation. Forestry and Wildlife staff will not write the proposal or plan for you, but they will provide guidance and recommendations throughout the process.

Due to limited state funding and numerous applicants, the FSAC will rank and prioritize approved management plans that are eligible to receive state funding. The FSAC will provide its recommendations on funding priorities to DLNR-DOFAW for approval.

FSP Handbook

For more information on the program and how to participate, please refer to the Forest Stewardship Handbook. The handbook includes procedures for application, proposal and management plan content, eligible management practices, cost-share rates, and more.

The implementation of the Forest Stewardship Program is governed by Hawai‘i Administrative Rules Chapter 109.

To receive the Forest Stewardship email newsletter, sign up here.

For more information, please contact:

Division of Forestry and Wildlife
(808) 333-6803
[email protected]

In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.)

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call (202) 720-5964 (voice or TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

LANDOWNER ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS