Florida Stewardship and SIP Updates

As you may be aware, Montana's Stewardship program trains landowners to write their own management plans. While most Florida landowners are satisfied with the system in use here, the Florida program now offers a "Montana approach" to any landowner who prefers to write his or her own plan. In these cases, the resource professionals who would ordinarily take the lead in plan preparation will provide "one-on-one coaching" of the landowner prior to plan preparation. Then, they will review the landowners prepared plan to ensure that it meets program requirements.

To make reduced SIP funds go farther, the following changes have been made for Florida. They will affect applications approved after April 1, 1996, when the current year's funds should become available.

• Max. annual cost-share is reduced from $10,000 to $5,000 per landowner.
• At least for this year, cost-share funds will not be used for Recreation Improvements (SIP9).
• Cost share rates for Timber and Wildlife practices are reduced to 50%. Previously, the rates were 65% for Timber and   75% for Wildlife.
• No more waivers will be granted for using SIP funds on holdings of over 1,000 acres. (Waivers that have already been approved will be honored.)