{"slug":"sd-danr-forest-stewardship-program","name":"Forest Stewardship Program","provider":{"name":"South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Resource Conservation and Forestry Division","type":"state"},"organization":null,"country":"US","region":"SD","locality":null,"scope":"regional","audience":["landowner","farmer"],"kind":"technical_assistance","benefit":"Free Forest Stewardship Plan written by state forestry staff, plus technical designs for practices such as windbreaks, living snow fences and wildlife plantings","summary":"Through the federal Forest Stewardship Program, South Dakota's Resource Conservation and Forestry Division helps private landowners manage their forest and related resources. Division professionals prepare a stewardship plan free of charge that assesses the property's limits and potential and recommends actions matched to the owner's goals; plans can be folded into farm and ranch conservation plans. Staff also provide technical designs for practices in the plan and information on cost-share. Landowners who complete a plan and carry out at least one practice receive a Stewardship Forest sign, a certificate and a letter from the State Forester. Owners may instead hire a consulting forester, with division approval of the plan and cost-share available for that option.","eligibility":"Private individuals, groups, corporations, Indian tribes and other private legal entities who own rural land suitable for growing trees or with existing tree cover. Participation is voluntary; no minimum acreage is stated for a staff-written plan.","how_to_apply":"Contact your local Resource Conservation and Forestry office (Pierre 605-773-3623; field offices in Rapid City, Mitchell, Lead, Sioux Falls, Hot Springs and Watertown) or sign up through the landowner assistance form linked on the program page (forms.office.com/g/HzhFusLVNE). No deadline.","url":"https://danr.sd.gov/Conservation/Forestry/RuralForestry/ForestStewardshipProgram/default.aspx","source_url":"https://danr.sd.gov/Conservation/Forestry/RuralForestry/ForestStewardshipProgram/default.aspx","season":null,"program_status":"active","lat":null,"lng":null,"data_note":"The page does not describe how long a request takes or give a minimum acreage. Field office addresses come from the division's 2021 office location sheet.","updated_at":"2026-11-08T00:48:15.030Z","page_url":"https://treerm.org/residents/programs/sd-danr-forest-stewardship-program","markdown_url":"https://treerm.org/residents/programs/sd-danr-forest-stewardship-program.md","license":"CC-BY-4.0"}