Deadline: 10-Feb-22
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is soliciting proposals for its Cumberland Plateau Stewardship Fund 2022 within the Cumberland Plateau region that will help accelerate the restoration and enhancement of critical forest and freshwater habitats and associated wildlife species in the region.
Funding is provided by the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, International Paper’s Forestland Stewards Partnership, and the Altria Group. Approximately $1 million is expected to be available for grants this funding cycle.
The Cumberland Plateau Stewardship Fund (Fund) seeks to support multiple strategic objectives, including implementation of the Forestland Stewards partnership business plan, which includes strategic priorities and goals to enhance forest ecosystems for the benefit of wildlife species and freshwater systems, while promoting and supporting working forests.
The Fund also seeks to support implementation of the Shortleaf Pine Restoration Plan and the Restoring Sustainability for White Oak and Upland Oak Communities: An Assessment and Conservation Plan, for those portions of the historical shortleaf pine and white oak/upland oak ranges that fall within the Fund’s program area, as well as restoration and enhancement of aquatic habitat and species within high priority watersheds identified through The Southeastern Aquatic Biodiversity Conservation Strategy that are located within the Fund’s program area.
Program Priorities
- Conservation Co-Benefits: Projects that will implement habitat restoration or improvement practices that benefit wildlife while also sequestering carbon and/or improving water quantity or quality are encouraged, with a particular interest in tree planting projects.
- Community Impact and Engagement: Projects that incorporate outreach to communities, foster community engagement, and pursue collaborative management leading to measurable conservation benefits are encouraged.
- Projects should seek to implement one or more of the strategies to improve shortleaf pine, white oak and other upland oak forest, riparian forest, soil health, water quality, and/or in-stream habitats and populations of at-risk, listed and other wildlife species, such as northern bobwhite and prairie warbler, as well as fish, amphibians and other aquatic species.
- Establishing Shortleaf Pine and Upland Oak Forests: Includes projects that create new shortleaf pine, white oak and/or other upland oak forest habitat, including site preparation and planting on public and private lands.
- Enhancing and Maintaining Existing Shortleaf Pine and Upland Oak Ecosystems: Includes projects that support the enhancement and management of existing shortleaf pine, white oak, and/or other upland oak forest systems on public and private lands, with an emphasis on improving forest conditions to benefit wildlife.
- Restoring Abandoned and Legacy Mine Lands: Focus is on projects that reforest abandoned and/or legacy mine lands, including site preparation and planting, and can take place on public and private lands, with an emphasis on planting native tree species to benefit wildlife, reduce erosion and runoff, and sequester carbon.
- Restoring and Enhancing Riparian Forests and Watershed Health to Support Aquatic Species: Includes projects that restore riparian forests, implement forestry and agricultural best management practices, and/or restore in-stream habitats to improve soil, forest, and watershed health, enhance freshwater habitat and support at-risk aquatic species.
- Expanding and Coordinating Technical Assistance and Outreach: Includes projects that implement targeted outreach and assistance to measurably increase private landowner and/or producer participation in conservation practices.
- Conservation Easements: Limited funding is available to facilitate targeted conservation easement projects that protect existing, high quality shortleaf pine, oak and/or riparian forest habitat, or key sites targeted for shortleaf pine and/or oak ecosystem and/or riparian forest restoration that are part of larger forest restoration proposals.
Funding Information
- The Cumberland Plateau Stewardship Fund anticipates awarding approximately $1 million in grants in 2022. Grant awards are expected to range from $100,000 to $500,000.
- Anticipated completion time for funded projects typically will be 24-36 months following finalization of a grant agreement.
- Projects should have a minimum match of 1:1 non-federal cash or in-kind, but larger match ratios and matching fund contributions from a diversity of partners are encouraged and will be more competitive. Projects unable to provide a 1:1 non-federal match are eligible, but applicants must contact NFWF to discuss match waiver options prior to submitting a proposal. Applicants are encouraged to describe federal partner contributions in the proposal narrative, although those contributions will not count toward the 1:1 match.
Geographic Areas
Projects within the Cumberland Plateau in Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia are eligible with preference given to projects located within the identified focal areas. Focal areas were selected by analyzing upland and riparian forest and freshwater systems, and represent locations with the greatest potential for restoration and benefit to priority species. These focal areas are based on resource mapping, interviews with the practitioners in the field, funding sources for this RFP, and capacity to carry out the work.
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligible applicants include non-profit 501(c) organizations, state government agencies, local governments, municipal governments, Tribal Governments and Organizations, and educational institutions.
- Ineligible applicants include U.S. Federal government agencies, businesses, unincorporated individuals, and international organizations. U.S. Federal agencies, businesses and unincorporated individuals are encouraged to partner with applicants, but are not eligible to submit an application.
For more information, visit NFWF.
For more information, visit https://www.nfwf.org/programs/cumberland-plateau-stewardship-fund/cumberland-plateau-stewardship-fund-2022-request-proposals
