Windbreak Renovation Initiative

Since 2015, the North Dakota Forest Service (NDFS) Windbreak Renovation Initiative (WRI) has offered technical and financial assistance to private windbreak owners statewide to restore, protect and enhance their deteriorating windbreaks. Many of North Dakota’s important forest resources are in need of maintenance, but not all of them are eligible for WRI. Many tree plantings block the wind and yet are still not windbreaks. For WRI, we define a windbreak as a system of multiple rows of trees and shrubs primarily designed and engineered to modify the flow of wind.

Most Likely a Windbreak

• L-shaped or U-shaped tree planting surrounding a rural residence or farmyard consisting of multiple rows of trees and shrubs with each row being the same species within the row, but most rows being different from one another.
• Long, linear tree plantings across a farm field, usually from field edge to field edge. May be a system of single rows or one multiple-row planting.
• Living snow fence parallel to a roadway

If your trees don’t fit into these categories, fear not! NDFS offers Technical Assistance to owners of all TYPES OF FORESTS! Even if your trees aren’t a Windbreak and therefore not eligible for WRI, we still want to help you maintain and protect them. Please contact us for more information!

Windbreak Renovation Grants

Every windbreak is unique and every windbreak renovation is, too. NDFS believes a solid plan is the key to any successful project.

WRI grants are heavily “front-loaded” meaning that a lot of technical planning requiring many hours of time is necessary before a grant application will be accepted. We work with landowners on a first-come first-served basis and strive to meet all requests in a timely manner – kindness, consideration and patience are appreciated.

WRI 2.0 Grant Links

2022 WRI Grant Application
WRI Grant Deadlines & Timelines
How to Apply for a WRI Grant
Key Differences 1.0 – 2.0
WRI 2.0 Eligible Practices & Rates
WRI Renovation Practices Map Template
County Rents and Values