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Fire Adapted Fortine South TIP

EQIP
Apply by: October 28, 2022

This Targeted Implementation Plan (TIP) is available in Lincoln County, Montana. TIPs are local-level Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) initiatives used by NRCS in Montana to guide on-the-ground implementation of locally developed Long Range County Plans.

Project Description

County or Counties: Lincoln
Primary Resource Concern: Wildfire hazard from biomass accumulation
Time Frame: Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 through FY 2026

The primary purpose of this TIP is to reduce forest fuels and lower the fire risk in a wildland interface area of northern Lincoln County with a high density of residential homes and other values at risk. Projects will focus on utilizing appropriate silvicultural treatments to accomplish objectives.  Many of the private forestlands have a history of Christmas tree production but have been left unmanaged since the industry collapsed, allowing for degraded conditions and fuels to accumulate over time. Treatments will be prioritized based on stand density, adjacency to planned or previously treated areas, and proximity to homes, values at risk, and evacuation routes.

Conservation Practices Offered

  • 383 Fuel Break
  • 384 Woody Residue Treatment
  • 666 Forest Stand Improvement

Detailed descriptions of these conservation practices can be found in the Field Office Technical Guide, Section 4 - Practice Standards and Supporting Documents.

Project Partners

  • Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC)
  • Lincoln County
  • American Forest Foundation
  • US Forest Service
  • Lincoln FireSafe Council

When to Apply

Program applications are accepted on a continual basis. However, NRCS establishes application ranking dates for evaluation, ranking and approval of eligible applications. Applications received after the ranking date will be automatically deferred to the next funding period. See Montana Programs and Application Dates.

Local Ranking Questions

NRCS uses these questions to evaluate eligible applications for this project and to prioritize applications for potential funding.

  1. Is a core practice adjacent or within 200 feet of an existing home or significant structure?
  2. Are the treated acres adjacent or within 1000 feet of any planned or recently completed Forest Service or DNRC treatment units?
  3. Are landowners providing “good neighbor” accommodations to public lands managers such as temporary road use permits?
  4. Is the stocking of proposed acres over 700 trees per acre or 85 percent or greater canopy cover?

Additional Montana Information

Targeted Implementation Plans (TIPs) are local-level Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) initiatives used by NRCS in Montana to guide on-the-ground implementation of locally developed Long Range County Plans. These plans are part of the "Focused Conservation” strategy to guide Montana's EQIP investments. Learn more about Montana Focused Conservation and Targeted Implementation Plans.

Additional Information

Ready to get started?

Contact your local service center to start your application.

Find Your Local Service Center

USDA Service Centers are locations where you can connect with Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, or Rural Development employees for your business needs. Enter your state and county below to find your local service center and agency offices. If this locator does not work in your browser, please visit offices.usda.gov.

How to Get Assistance

Do you farm or ranch and want to make improvements to the land that you own or lease?

Natural Resources Conservation Service offers technical and financial assistance to help farmers, ranchers and forest landowners.

how to get started

To get started with NRCS, we recommend you stop by your local NRCS field office. We’ll discuss your vision for your land.

NRCS provides landowners with free technical assistance, or advice, for their land. Common technical assistance includes: resource assessment, practice design and resource monitoring. Your conservation planner will help you determine if financial assistance is right for you.

We’ll walk you through the application process. To get started on applying for financial assistance, we’ll work with you:

  • To fill out an AD 1026, which ensures a conservation plan is in place before lands with highly erodible soils are farmed. It also ensures that identified wetland areas are protected.
  • To meet other eligibility certifications.

Once complete, we’ll work with you on the application, or CPA 1200.

Applications for most programs are accepted on a continuous basis, but they’re considered for funding in different ranking periods. Be sure to ask your local NRCS district conservationist about the deadline for the ranking period to ensure you turn in your application in time.

As part of the application process, we’ll check to see if you are eligible. To do this, you’ll need to bring:

  • An official tax ID (Social Security number or an employer ID)
  • A property deed or lease agreement to show you have control of the property; and
  • A farm number.

If you don’t have a farm number, you can get one from USDA’s Farm Service Agency. Typically, the local FSA office is located in the same building as the local NRCS office. You only need a farm number if you’re interested in financial assistance.

NRCS will take a look at the applications and rank them according to local resource concerns, the amount of conservation benefits the work will provide and the needs of applicants. View Application Ranking Dates by State.

If you’re selected, you can choose whether to sign the contract for the work to be done.

Once you sign the contract, you’ll be provided standards and specifications for completing the practice or practices, and then you will have a specified amount of time to implement. Once the work is implemented and inspected, you’ll be paid the rate of compensation for the work if it meets NRCS standards and specifications.