Deadline: 02-Oct-2024
Applications are now open for the Landscape Scale Restoration (LSR) program, which aims to promote collaborative, science-based restoration of key forest landscapes.
This program focuses on priority landscapes and may also address issues outlined in the Forest Action Plans of the respective states.
Objectives
- Projects are encouraged to prioritize funding and other resources towards one or more objectives identified below, hereinafter referred to as “Landscape Objectives.” Successful projects will, in many instances, address multiple objectives.
- Reduce the risk of uncharacteristic wildfires;
- Improve fish and wildlife habitats, including for threatened and endangered species;
- Maintain and improve water quality and watershed function;
- Mitigate invasive species, insect infestation, and disease;
- Improve important forest ecosystems;
- Measure ecological and economic benefits including air quality and soil quality and productivity.
Funding Information
- Maximum Federal funding per project (single and multi-state): $600,000 (Note: the per state / per Tribe cap may be under $600,000 as this is dependent on the overall regional allocation each year.
- Minimum Federal funding request: $30,000
Timeline
- Projects can indicate a multi-year implementation timeframe, up to five (5) years with full funding committed at the time of award. Please note: For grants managed/issued by the USFS, the start dates can be either October 1, 2024 or July 1, 2025. Start dates for grants managed by state forestry agencies will be negotiated directly with them.
Quantitative Accomplishments
- Per national direction, quantitative accomplishments (QA) are required. Grant recipients must fill the quantity of at least one category. If multiple categories of accomplishments occur on the same unit (e.g., acre, mile, or tree), choose a primary or principal accomplishment so that each unit is only counted once. Describe cumulative impacts/integration in the proposal (Deliverables and Outcomes) narrative. Eligible QA categories:
- Economic benefit (forest products): Logs/sawlogs produced that contribute to the forest products industry.
- Economic benefit (forest products): Tons of pulpwood or biomass produced that contribute to the forest products industry.
- Hazardous Fuels Management: Acres treated to reduce or mitigate hazardous fuels including prescribed fire, thinning, and other actions that reduce hazardous fuels and mitigate fire risk.
- Invasive Plant/Weed Management: Infested acres treated for invasive plants including chemical, mechanical, and biological actions that improve forest health conditions. This does not include acres surveyed.
- Insect and Disease Management: Acres treated for insects and disease including through chemical, mechanical, and biological actions that improve forest health conditions.
- Landowner Assistance: Forest landowners reached through technical assistance. Include landowners known to have benefited in some significant and lasting way (e.g., developed or implemented a forest management activity or practice) from the Landscape Scale Restoration project through more than one interaction. This does not include a landowner who simply attended a technical or training session without any follow-up or were spoken to only once, such as over the phone, with no follow-up.
- Stewardship/forest management planning: Acres under a new forest management plan. A forest management plan could include a tribal forest management plan, Forest Stewardship Plan, CAP 106 plan, Tree Farm plan, tax abatement plan, or equivalent state forest management plan, watershed, or a landscape plan. If a landscape plan, the plan must focus on discrete/specific geography such as a watershed and does not apply to a state-wide landscape level plan.
- Water Quality Enhancement: Acres of trees and seedlings planted to improve water quality including planting to create riparian buffers, floodplain restoration, and other actions that enhance water quality/quantity.
- Water Quality Enhancement: Number of trees, saplings, and/or seedlings planted to improve water quality including riparian buffers, floodplain restoration, and storm water management actions that are non-structural. In the accomplishments narrative section, specify size of trees planted and describe the plan for tree care to maximize survival.
- Water Quality Enhancement (riparian forests): Miles of riparian forest treated to improve water quality including riparian buffer establishment or maintenance and other actions that enhance water quality. This does not include any structural enhancements or construction (e.g., culverts).
- Wildlife Habitat Enhancement: Acres of forest treated to improve wildlife and fish habitat. Threatened and endangered species that will benefit from project activities should be included in the narrative accomplishments.
- Wildlife Habitat Enhancement: Miles of riparian forest treated to improve wildlife and fish habitat. Threatened and endangered species that will benefit from project activities should be included in the narrative accomplishments.
Eligibility Criteria
- State and territorial forestry agencies or an equivalent state agency, units of local government, Tribes, non-profit organizations (defined as a 501c3), and universities are eligible to submit applications.
- For profit entities are not eligible to apply under this competition.
- They encourage collaboration between States, Tribes, universities, non-profit organizations, and the USDA Forest Service to avoid eligibility issues. Collaboration and coordination with the Southern Group of State Forester’s Committees and/or the USDA Forest Service is encouraged; however, grant funds can only be used for work on non-federal lands. Please note federal research entities cannot be a sub recipient of these funds.
- Projects must take place in one or more of the following states or territories: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virgin Islands of the United States, and Virginia.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.