2 people and a dog walking on a trail in an oak forest

NBFIP: Forest Management Plan Resources

Can I apply for a Forest Management Plan through the North Bay Forest Improvement Program?

Yes. The North Bay Forest Improvement Program (NBFIP) is a cost-share incentives program established in 2020 and funded through CAL FIRE’s Proposition 68 Wildfire Resilience and Forestry Assistance Grant. NBFIP received additional financial support in 2022 through a block grant from the CAL FIRE’s Wildfire & Forest Resilience Task Force’s Small Private Landowner Working Group to facilitate further expansion of the program. This program is intended to blend the best parts of CAL FIRE’s California Forest Improvement Program (CFIP) and NRCS’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) within the confines of the NBFIP program  guidelines. 

What does this mean? The expansion of the program in Fall 2022 provides cost-share incentive payments for the creation of Forest Management Plans by Registered Professional Foresters (RPFs). 

Note: a Registered Professional Forester (RPF) is required to help you apply for this opportunity. If you wish to apply and need to find an RPF to execute the FMP if awarded, please see the list of RPFs in the region at the bottom of this page.

What is a Forest Management Plan?

A Forest Management Plan (FMP) is a site-specific plan developed for a client, which addresses one or more resource concerns on land where forestry-related conservation activities or practices will be planned and applied. An FMP is not required to be eligible for an NBFIP project implementation reimbursement, however we strongly encourage having one in place prior to applying. 

Why would I want an FMP?

The forestland owner or manager has a road map for active forestland management on their property with their goals and objectives reflected through proposed management interventions. The owner/manager will meet the prerequisites for cost-share incentives programs and be prepared to apply for project implementation funding through any of these programs. If the owner/manager will conduct projects on their own, they will be informed on how to execute projects successfully. 

What is the incentive rate to produce an FMP under NBFIP?

FMP Incentive rates for NBFIP

Please note: properties under 40 acres are not eligible to receive the incentive payment for a Full Management Plan through our program. If you have a smaller property and apply for a Full Management Plan, you will receive the incentive rate for a Mini Management Plan.

table wtih numbers for the FMP

Do I need a Registered Professional Forester to help me apply?

An RPF must apply for FMPs through NBFIP on behalf of their client. Forestland owners or managers are not eligible to receive cost-share incentive payments for the writing of an FMP without an RPF pre-designated who has agreed to write their plan if funded.

How can I find an RPF to help me if I am awarded funds to complete an FMP through NBFIP?

If you wish to apply and need to find an RPF to execute the FMP if awarded, please see the list of RPFs in the region at the bottom of the page.

How long do I have to complete the FMP if I am selected?

Contracts between forestland owners/managers and NBFIP will have a duration of 1 year, however RPFs should aim to complete FMPs within a 6-month window from contract execution to allow clients to apply for subsequent NBFIP funding cycles for project implementation.  

 

Do FMPs under NBFIP cover archeological surveys and/or records?

FMPs funded under NBFIP are not required to include archeological surveys or archeological records search requests. These activities are not eligible for reimbursement through NBFIP. RPFs shall note that having these activities completed will increase application scores for project implementation funding through NBFIP. RPFs should consult with clients to determine if the completion of these activities during the FMP writing process is desirable.

 

I’m not ready to apply but how can I learn more about an FMP?

Even if you are ready to apply, check out University of California’s Agriculture and Natural Resources’ Forest Stewardship series here to learn more about this important work.

 

Are there eligibility criteria to consider?

Applications for FMP cost-share incentive funding will not be scored and ranked, as opposed to the ranking criteria employed by CFIP. The number of successful applicants each funding cycle will be dependent on program capacity. RPFs shall consider how many FMPs they can feasibly produce within a 6-month window so program funds can be disbursed as efficiently as possible.

 

Public agencies are not eligible for this funding opportunity. 501(c)3 organizations are eligible.

 

How can I apply for an FMP?

To be considered for funding, you must first find an RPF who agrees to write the FMP if you are selected for funding. Please see the list of RPFs below, as they have expressed interest in writing FMPs for forestland owners/managers in the North Bay. Once you have found an RPF, they will reach out to Rebuild or your county contact (RCD or CLERC) to access the application. The RPF will apply on your behalf.

 

Note: though the RPF listings include their base location, the forestland owner/manager isn’t required to work with an RPF based in their county. Most of the RPFs on this list have expressed interest in working with forestland owners/managers throughout Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino, and Lake counties.

Harold Appleton, RPF #1977
PCI Ecological Design & Planning
Sebastopol, CA
Phone: (707) 481-1134 (cell)
Email: [email protected]

 

Estelle Clifton, RPF #2858
Clifton Environmental, LLC
Ukiah, CA
Phone: (707) 234-1978
Email: [email protected]

 

Fred Euphrat, RPF #2365
Occidental, CA
Phone: (707) 591-5966
Email: [email protected]

 

Anthony Evanson, RPF #2843
Shingletown, CA
Phone: (707) 758-8108
Email: [email protected]

 

Robert Galliano, RPF #2879
Mason, Bruce, and Girard, Inc.
Auburn, CA
Phone: (530) 745-9996
Email: [email protected]

 

Matt Greene, RPF #2747
Matt Greene Forestry & Biological Consulting
Cazadero, CA
Phone: (707) 847-3761
Email: [email protected]

Jacob Harrower, RPF #3070
Frontier Resource Management
Ukiah, CA
Phone: (707) 391-9883
Email: [email protected]

 

Mitchell C. Haydon, RPF #2810
Sebastopol, CA
Phone: (707) 566-7510
Email: [email protected]

 

Eric Holst, RPF #3156
Sacramento, CA
Phone: (916) 203-5911
Email: [email protected]

 

Dan Howell, RPF #2500
HOWELL IT IS - Consulting Forester/Arborist
Gridley, CA
Phone: (530) 846-7962
Email: [email protected]

 

Sam Jacobszoon, RPF #3125
Jacobszoon and Associates, Inc.
Ukiah, CA
Phone: (707) 485-5544
Email: [email protected]

 

Tom Kisliuk, RPF #2676
Westport, CA
Phone: (707) 367-6564
Email: [email protected]

 

James Mehrwein, RPF # 1685
McKenzie River Associates, LLC
Creswell, OR
Phone: (541) 242-0770 (office), (541) 953-1963 (cell)
Email: [email protected]

 

John Nickerson, RPF #2549
Ukiah, CA
Phone: (707) 489-2443
Email: [email protected] (preferred contact method)

 

North Coast Resource Management (NCRM)
Ukiah, CA
9+ RPFs on staff
Phone: (707) 485-7211 

https://www.ncrm.com

 

Joe Reddan, RPF #3187
Flexilis Forestry LLC
American Canyon, CA
Phone: (505) 426-4921
Email: [email protected]

 

Kirsten Sequoia, RPF #3009
Matt Greene Forestry & Biological Consulting
Cazadero, CA
Phone: (707) 847-3761
Email: [email protected]

 

Kevin Whitlock, RPF #2436
Under the Trees, Inc.
Nevada City, CA
Phone: (530) 599-0901 (cell)
Email: [email protected]