The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is accepting applications for the second round of its Field to Forest Cost Share Program through December 1. Private landowners participating in the program can receive up to 75% reimbursement for tree-planting costs and an additional $500 per acre after they complete planting.
Reforesting open lands, such as former pastures or crop fields, offers landowners a chance to improve the long-term health and value of their property while contributing to a more resilient landscape. Planting trees can slow runoff, combat erosion, improve water retention, and rebuild healthy soils. New forests also create habitat, support wildlife and improve resilience to droughts and floods. For private landowners, transforming open land into forest can also increase property value, offer future timber income and create new recreational opportunities.
The first round of the Field to Forest program opened in 2025 and generated strong interest across the state. More than 100 landowners were initially enrolled in the program to plant or seed 935 acres in spring 2026. One of the initial participants was Robert Dahl of Tamarack, who used the reimbursement to plant 7,700 trees with his son.
“I’m hoping to make this land forested for my kids to enjoy,” Dahl said. “I want to improve wildlife viewing and hunting opportunities on this land, but I have the future generations of my family in mind while I’m working it.”
The program supports large-scale tree planting or seeding on three acres or more of open land that was historically forested. It is not intended for residential landscaping, planting in existing forests, or converting grasslands to forests. To promote forest diversity, each project must include at least 3 tree species.
Landowners participating in the program can purchase seedlings from Soil and Water Conservation Districts, private nurseries or the Minnesota State Forest Nursery. Funding is limited, and applications are first-come, first-served and will be reviewed on a rolling basis by DNR forestry staff. Planting and seeding projects are scheduled through spring 2027, with reimbursement and incentive payment provided after a DNR forester verifies that the landowner has completed the project.
Interested landowners should contact their local DNR stewardship forester to begin the application process.
Funding for this program is provided through a grant from the U.S. Forest Service.
