Conserve Working Forests
The Forest Legacy Program conserves environmentally important forest areas threatened by conversion to non-forest areas.
These specific areas, located within Forest Legacy Areas, are conserved by being purchased as a conservation easement from willing sellers at fair market price as established by a standardized appraisal. A conservation easement is a legal agreement (deed) through which a property owner sells or donates his rights to development or other activities on his land. He retains all of the rights not sold. Consequently, the land will continue as a working forest producing products. The Forest Legacy Program is a 75:25 matching program between the government and private sources. The West Virginia Division of Forestry will hold the deed to conservation easements in the West Virginia Program.
For more information on the Forest Legacy Program, contact John Rowe at [email protected] or call (304) 558-2788.
To apply for the Forestry Legacy Program, fill out the application