We deliver conservation solutions so agricultural producers can protect natural resources and feed a growing world.
The Pennsylvania Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP) is set up to support landowners in their efforts to restore, enhance, and protect forestland resources on private lands. This is achieved through offering permanent easements, 30-year easements, and 10-year cost-share agreements. Key goals of the HFRP include aiding in the recovery of threatened and endangered species like the Indiana bat, improving plant and animal biodiversity, and boosting carbon sequestration efforts. Financial incentives are provided for landowners to participate in the program, with varying percentages of support depending on the type of easement or agreement entered into. The program emphasizes several conservation practices including habitat management, the establishment of riparian forest buffers, tree/shrub establishment, restoration of rare habitats, forest stand improvement, and exclusion practices to support these goals.