Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 2 - Agriculture and Commerce › Part 602 - Program Areas › Chapter 4 - Forest Management › Rule 2-602-4.2 - Forest Resource Development Program

Current through June 25, 2024
The Forest Resource Development Program (FRDP) was
				  established in 1974 by the Mississippi Legislature for the purpose of
				  developing the state's forest economy. Financial assistance is available to
				  landowners for the continuous growth of commercially valuable timber species on
				  desirable and suitable sites. The Mississippi Forestry Commission serves as the
				  administrator of the program. The District Forester designated as the state
				  FRDP coordinator is responsible for coordinating the technical assistance
				  components and financial elements of the FRDP program. MFC foresters, under the
				  supervision of the District Forester will provide technical assistance on the
				  Forest Resource Development Program in each county. The state FRDP coordinator
				  is responsible for administration of the technical program statewide.
A. General Information
1. The Forest Resource Development Program
				provides cost-sharing for establishing and improving a stand of forest trees
				for timber production. Cost-sharing under the FRDP program is allowed for all
				commercially valuable forest tree species. Cost-sharing is not authorized for
				the planting of orchard trees, Christmas trees, or for the planting of trees
				for ornamental purposes.
2.
				Cost-sharing is available in every county at a flat rate established for each
				practice not to exceed 75% of actual cost and published in the Mississippi
				Forestry Commission Policy Manual. There are 2 exceptions:
				16th Section school lands and Limited Resource
				Landowners. School lands may receive up to 100% cost-share assistance on a case
				by case basis as approved by the Commission. Limited resource landowners may
				receive up to 75% of actual cost up to 150% of the maximum cost-share rate set
				for each practice. A limited resource landowner is defined as a landowner whose
				adjusted gross income is less than the federal earned income credit
				level.
3. The maximum cost-share
				payment per applicant per fiscal year is $7,000 with the exception of
				16th Section school trust lands which have less than
				$10,000 in escrow funds.
4.
				Eligible participants include: (1) private, non-industrial landowners, groups,
				or associations and (2) landowning agencies of the state of Mississippi, or any
				political subdivision thereof.
5.
				Lands not eligible for this program are (1) federal lands, (2) those owned by
				private corporations which manufacture products, and (3) companies providing
				public utility services of any type or any subsidiary of such corporations or
				companies. (See L of this section for limitations on participation by MFC
				employees and other state officials.)
6. A written Forest Stewardship Plan approved
				by the Service Forester, is required for participants to be eligible for
				cost-share assistance. The Service Forester or any registered forester may
				write the plan.
7. Landowners
				participating in the program must follow the practices as scheduled in the plan
				and maintain the practice(s) for a minimum of 10 years. The participant is
				liable for compliance unless requirements of the program are legally
				transferred to a new owner of the property (see "Recovery of Cost-Share Funds"
				in the
Mississippi Forestry Commission Policy Manual).
H. FRDP
				cost-share is not available where federal cost-share funds are received on the
				same acreage in the same year.
8.
				No more than 25% of all available FRDP funds may be spent in any one fiscal
				year on 16th Section school trust lands
				statewide.
9. The minimum acreage
				eligible for funding under FRDP is 10 acres. Practices may be cost-shared on
				less than 10 acres if the practice acres are part of a larger forest management
				unit of land 10 acres or larger in size. A waiver may be granted by the State
				Forester for work to be performed on less than 10 acres under special
				situations and on a case by case basis.
10. Cost-share will not be repeated for any
				practice except when failure is caused by a natural disaster.
11. The Ethics Commission (Advisory Opinion
				88-84-E pertaining to ethic laws as it relates to the Forestry Commission's
				Forest Resource Development Program funds) has interpreted the laws to prohibit
				the following participation:
a. Mississippi
				Forestry Commission employees
b.
				Mississippi Forestry Commission members
c. Member of the State Legislature
d. Some State executive officers
The Ethics Commission regards the spouse as the same person,
				  therefore also disqualifying a spouse from participation in the FRDP program.
				  See the
Mississippi Forestry Commission Policy Manual
for
				  guidance on participation by other family members.
Decisions regarding participation by state executive officers
				  will be determined by each specific officer's duties and whether those duties
				  relate to or affect MFC programs. A special request to the State Forester is
				  required for each executive officer wanting to participate in FRDP.