With the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (the 2008 Farm Bill), Congress tasked states and territories to craft assessments of the forests within their boundaries and develop strategies to address threats and forest management opportunities. Now known as Forest Action Plans, these assessments and strategies provide an analysis of forest conditions and trends in the state and delineate priority forest landscape areas. They offer long-term plans for investing state, federal, and other resources where they can be most effective in achieving national conservation goals by addressing the State and Private Forestry (SPF) national priorities and objectives: 1) Conserve working forest lands, 2) Protect forests from harm, and 3) Enhance public benefits from trees and forests. Administered by the US Forest Service and implemented by State forestry agencies, the SPF Forest Stewardship Program encourages private forest landowners to manage their lands using professionally prepared Forest Stewardship plans. Participation in the Forest Stewardship Program requires that states and territories submit a raster dataset of priority areas specific to the Program - aligned with priority landscapes identified in Forest Action Plans - called Forest Stewardship Priority Areas, where they will focus their Program delivery efforts. Program performance measures include acres covered by active Forest Stewardship plans that are within Forest Stewardship Priority Areas

State and territory Forest Stewardship Priority Areas data set submissions are valid for up to 10 (ten) years, but must be reviewed every 5 years and may be updated as frequently as annually.