Before you begin, we recommend watching this SFIA Enrollment Video. Or you may skip directly to the enrollment steps below.
Step 1. Obtaining a Stewardship Plan
Before you can enroll in the SFIA, you will need to obtain a Stewardship Plan from a Certified Stewardship Plan Writer. Click here to find a plan writer in your area – you can also call your local DNR or SWCD office. Your plan writer can help you determine how many acres on your property qualify for the SFIA program and if you need or may want to exclude any acreage.
Once your Stewardship Plan is complete, you should receive a letter in the mail from the DNR with a Plan Registration Number – keep this number handy as you will need to include it with your SFIA Application.
Step 2. Preparing Covenant Paperwork
Once you have a registered Stewardship Plan in place, you will need to download and fill out a covenant and file it with the county in which your land is located. Covenant lengths you can choose from are 8, 20, or 50 years. Before filling out your covenant, you will need the following information on hand that will need to be included with the covenant before filing it with the county:
Legal Description of Real Property or Certificate of Title Number for Real Property. This can be obtained from your property deed or by making a request to your county’s Assessor or Recorder’s office. Be sure to have all parcel numbers on hand you want to include.
Map or Survey of the Property that clearly indicates all portions of the property you listed in the Legal Descriptions you provided that you intend to include in the covenant, and (if applicable) clearly shows the omission of three acres for any structure that is not considered a minor, ancillary, and nonresidential structure (house, barn, hunting cabin, etc.) - open water of less than three acres in size may be included but open water greater than three acres must be excluded in its entirety. Talk with your plan writer about getting this map created while your Stewardship Plan is being written, since this is a great time to do so.
Click below to download a covenant of your choice:
Step 3. Covenant Filing
After you have filled out Exhibit A & B in your covenant, you will need to sign it in front of a notary. This can be done at the same time you take your covenant into the county for filing, since most county offices have a notary on staff, or you can find a notary public in your local area. Once signed and notarized, you will need to submit your covenant to the Recorder/Registrar’s office in the county wherein your property is located. Be sure to ask the staff member who is recording your covenant to stamp it with the date you recorded it and provide you with a copy.
Once you submit your covenant to the county, you will receive a Covenant Recording Number, which you will need to enroll in the SFIA.
Step 4. Filling out the SFIA Application
Once you have obtained a Covenant Recording Number, the next step is to fill out an SFIA Enrollment Application. You will need to have your Covenant Recording Number, a copy of your notarized covenant, the latest property tax statements for all parcels listed in your covenant, a list of the eligible acres for each parcel (you can get this from your Stewardship Plan), and (if applicable) a copy of your conservation easement document. Directions for filling out the SFIA application can be found on pages 3 and 4 of the application – click here.
Step 5. Submitting the SFIA Application
Once you are finished filling out your SFIA Enrollment Application, you will need to submit it and all required documentation to the Minnesota Department of Revenue. It is important to note that the SFIA application must be submitted by October 31 for payments starting the following year.
Submit the SFIA application and supporting documentation to:
Minnesota Department of Revenue
Mail Station 3340
600 N. Robert St.
St. Paul, MN 55146-3340
Questions
If you have any questions regarding SFIA enrollment, you may contact the MN Dept of Revenue at 651-556-6088 or proptax.sfia@state.mn.us.
Other resources to help answer questions you may have are:
You can also call your Stewardship Plan writer for assistance.
information found on this page is provided by the Minnesota Department of Revenue.
© 2023 Minnesota Department of Revenue
https://www.revenue.state.mn.us/sustainable-forest-incentive-act