FIP provides eligible landowners with 65 percent funding for approved timber stand improvement practices. Funding for FIP often is limited and the program is not offered in all Illinois counties. Landowners should check with their local ASCS office to determine whether FIP benefits are available in their county. Nonindustrial forest landowners with a DOC-approved forest management plan and a minimum of 10 acres of woodland property are eligible to participate. SIP, a relatively new program, offers incentives for a wider array of management practices.
SIP deals with all the values of the forestland, including wildlife.
SIP, administered at the state level by the Conservation Department's Division of Forest Resources, is available in all Illinois counties. Eligible landowners can enroll through their Soil and Water Conservation District, ASCS or SCS office, or by contacting their district forester. The Illinois Forestry Development Act, also administered by the Division of Forest Resources, is one of the few state programs that offers cash incentives for management practices beneficial to wildlife. In addition to direct cash incentives, enrolled acreage is eligible for a reduced property tax rate. A major advantage of the program is that its benefits can be combined with incentives from other cost-share programs to further reduce the cost of implementing management practices.