The Division of Resource Conservation & Forestry (RCF), with the help of several partners, has conducted an exhaustive effort to assess South Dakota's trees and forests, and develop strategies for managing these resources for the next 10 years. This effort culminated in the development of the South Dakota Forest Action Plan 2020 Revision (FAP).
The FAP is comprised of six sections: A Cover Page with an Executive Summary and Table of Contents, a Forest Resource Assessment, Priority Area Description, Forest Legacy Assessment of Need, Forest Resource Strategy, and Appendices.
The Forest Resource Assessment is a comprehensive look at South Dakota's tree and forest resources and discusses their extent, condition, threats, and opportunities. As such, it provides a unique foundation upon which to develop long-term strategic goals and actions for sustainably managing our state's rural and community forest resources.
The FAP is used to qualify the State for federal funding from the USDA Forest Service State and Private Forestry Programs as required by the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act. These federal funds help RCF deliver forestry programs and implement the FAP in the State.
Every five years the division reviews the FAP and the activities completed to implement the plan. From this review we develop a National Priority and Five-Year Review to highlight our activities and outcomes and relate them to the three national priorities identified in the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act.
Past reports reflect activities completed during implementation of the 2010 South Dakota Forest Action Plan, and can be found at the following links: