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Sustainable Forest Incentive Act

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The Sustainable Forest Incentive Act (SFIA) provides incentive payments to encourage sustainable use of forest lands. Property owners with qualifying lands are eligible to enroll in this program.

Property owners can receive a payment for each acre of qualifying forest land they enroll in SFIA.

In return, they agree not to develop the land and to follow a forest management plan while they are in the program. All enrolled land must remain in SFIA for at least 8, 20, or 50 years depending on their recorded covenant length.

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What are the payment rates? [+]

Payment amounts vary based on the length of your covenant and your total number of acres enrolled in SFIA. For land held in a conservation easement see Note below. The payment rates are adjusted each year based on statewide average market values and tax rates, but will not increase or decrease by more than 10 percent per year. The 2019 payment rates are:

Covenant Length	Payment Rate (per enrolled acre)
8 years	Less than 1,920 acres enrolled: $9.13 1,920 or more acres enrolled: $12.64
20 years	Less than 1,920 acres enrolled: $12.64 1,920 or more acres enrolled: $16.15
50 years	Less than 1,920 acres enrolled: $16.15 1,920 or more acres enrolled: $19.66

Note: If your land was enrolled in SFIA in 2017 and also has a conservation easement, the payment rate is $7.00 per acre and that land is limited to an 8-year covenant.

Who qualifies for the payment? [+]

Qualifying properties must:

Be current on property taxes
Have 20 or more contiguous acres
Be at least 50 percent forest land as defined in Minnesota Statute 88.01, subd. 7
Have a forest management plan in place
Have an agreement (“covenant”) in place limiting the property’s use to forest management activities

Qualifying properties cannot:

Be classified as 2c Managed Forest Land by the assessor or enrolled in:
- Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM)
- Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)
- Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
- Green Acres
- Agricultural Preserves
- Rural Preserves
Be used for residential or agricultural purposes
Be improved with a structure, pavement, sewer, campsite, or road used for purposes that are not in the forest management plan
Be covered under a Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council easement or similar easement granted after May 30, 2013