Release No. 0420.00

Susan McAvoy (202) 720-4623
susan.mcavoy@usda.gov
Keven Kennedy (202) 720-7173
keven.kennedy@usda.gov

GLICKMAN ANNOUNCES PLANS TO PROTECT 750,000 ACRES OF PRIVATE FOREST LAND FROM DEVELOPMENT

WASHINGTON, December 7, 2000 -- Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman today announced that USDA plans to protect nearly 750,000 acres of environmentally important private forest land nationwide from being developed for commercial, residential, or other non-forest uses.

"This relatively small public investment will help protect for future generations 750,000 acres of precious private forest land from the threat of urban sprawl and other development pressures," said Glickman.

The $60 million Forest Legacy Program, administered by USDA's Forest Service, helps participating states acquire forest lands or conservation easements from willing landowners. Conservation easements enable the government to purchase development rights that protect forest lands but also allow ownership of the lands to remain in private hands. Projects funded under the program must include a non-federal match of at least 25 percent of the total cost of the project.

The Forest Legacy Program is part of the broader Clinton-Gore Administration's Land's Legacy Initiative. The Administration recognizes the importance of protecting important forest resources and successfully sought a doubling of funding for this important program this fiscal year.

While some are subject to Congressional approval, the projects include --

$12,450,000 to conserve forest land in Maine's North Woods, including one of the largest contiguous blocks of land under single management in the eastern U.S.
$1,722,000 to purchase land and conservation easements in New York State, including land in the Sterling Forest, 40 miles northwest of New York City.
$1,000,000 for a conservation easement to help protect 2,056 acres of forested land and adjacent marshes and wetlands in King William County, Virginia. There are nesting bald eagles on this property. The Mattaponi Tribe want to re-establish ownership and cultural traditions on this land.
$3,730,000 for conservation easements to help protect over 500 acres of open space and riparian areas in King County, Washington, including land along the I-90 corridor between Seattle and the Cascade Mountains.
$830,000 to preserve 900 acres of prime mixed evergreen forest land and open space around Volcan Mountain in San Diego, California.
$4,151,000 for a conservation easement to protect 5,565 acres of forest at Great Mountain, Connecticut, including habitat for rare and endangered species. The tract lies within viewshed of the Appalachian Trail.
$1,000,000 to purchase a conservation easement on one of the largest contiguous blocks of land in Massachusetts' Taconic Range.
$1,950,000 to purchase a conservation easement on 2,805 acres in Summit County, Utah to protect elk, deer, moose, and bear. The landowner donated $625,000 in easement value.

USDA also announced projects in Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, and Wisconsin. A complete list of the projects, with detailed information on each one, is available on the web at http://www.usda.gov/news/releases/2000/12/prlist.htm .