The Colorado State Forest Service has opened the application period for owners of private forestland who wish to preserve it as such through a federally-funded conservation program.

The Forest Legacy Program allows the federal forest service to financially support private landowners – who continue to own and manage their land – to prevent development on qualifying areas of wilderness. Owners will have to follow an agreed-upon management plan.

“In order to be eligible for the program, the proposed property must be located within a Forest Legacy Area, as identified in the 2020 application for the Forest Legacy Program, must be privately owned and must consist of at least 75 percent of lands that are classified as forests,” the state forest service announced. “At least 25 percent of the project costs must be planned to be secured from non-federal cash or in-kind sources.”

Proposals from Colorado will ultimately be evaluated against other applications from the region and nationally. The state’s Forest Legacy Program began in 2001, and currently Colorado’s forestland is undergoing a reassessment of its vulnerability to development. Areas that exceed 1,000 acres have typically been most likely to receive funding.

The deadline for proposals is Aug. 27. The areas that will receive priority for funding include those forest lands with scenic, cultural, recreation, water and wildlife resources. Landowners may still engage in timber harvesting, grazing, recreation and forest management if they are selected for the program.