Browse Ambrook’s collection of funding programs by Forest Service (FS)

Scott Stewart

Forest Legacy Program Manager

Claire Harper

The purpose of the Forest Legacy Program is to identify and conserve environmentally important forest areas that are threatened by conversion to non-forest uses. Providing economic incentives to landowners to keep their forest as forests encourages sustainable forest management and supports strong markets for&#x2004;forest products.


Landowners may participate in the Forest Legacy Program by either selling their property outright or by retaining ownership and selling only a portion of the property’s development rights; both are held by state agencies or another unit of government. The use of a conservation easement, a legal agreement between a landowner and a non-profit land trust or governmental agency, allows the land to remain in private ownership while ensuring that its environmental values are retained.




The purpose of the Forest Legacy Program is to identify and conserve environmentally important forest areas that are threatened by conversion to non-forest uses. Providing economic incentives to landowners to keep their forest as forests encourages sustainable forest management and supports strong markets for forest products.

Landowners may participate in the Forest Legacy Program by either selling their property outright or by retaining ownership and selling only a portion of the property’s development rights; both are held by state agencies or another unit of government. The use of a conservation easement, a legal agreement between a landowner and a non-profit land trust or governmental agency, allows the land to remain in private ownership while ensuring that its environmental values are retained.


A proposed project’s eligibility to be included in the Forest Legacy Program (FLP) is determined by both the Federal requirements included in this section plus any requirements identified by a State Forest Action Plan or other pertinent State law. For the purposes of these implementation guidelines, a proposed FLP tract meets the minimum eligibility if: 
- It is within, or partially within, a designated FLA.
- It has a minimum of 75 percent forestland or a documented plan that includes sufficient landowner capacity to reforest to at least 75 percent forestland. 
- It can be managed consistent with the purpose for which it was acquired by FLP.
- The landowner is willing to sell or donate the interest in perpetuity.
- The landowner acknowledges that the conservation easement will be held by a government entity if Federal funds are used for the acquisition.

State and local governments, individuals, tribal governments, and non-profit organizations are all eligible recipients.

Payment per unit of land to do or avoid certain practices related to land management.

Easement

A lump sum of money for a specific purpose that does not need to be paid back.

Grant

A payment that requires some percentage of matching contributions by the recipient.

Cost Share

Forestry

Forest Residues

Timber

- Inflation Reduction Act Call For Funding
- Land and Water Conservation Fund Call for Funding
- Forest Legacy Program Scoring Guidance

Air Quality

Carbon Capture

Certification

High Tunnel

Landscape

Regenerative

Soil Health

Wildlife & Pollinator Habitat

Trees

Certified Organic

Certified Grassfed

Cover Crops

Reduced Tillage

Water Management

Landowners with completed FLP conservation easements on their property(s) have the longterm responsibility for managing their land in a manner consistent with the purposes of the FLP and the terms specified in the conservation easement and Multi-Resource Management Part II – Forest Legacy Program Structure and Funding 16 Forest Legacy Program Implementation Guidelines Plan. Landowners who purchase or inherit properties with FLP conservation easements also assume these long-term roles.

Forest Service

The CitSci&#x2004;Fund is a collaborative approach** **to resource management – each project will have one Forest Service Project Lead and one Partner Project Lead, and demonstrate how volunteers are meaningfully involved. The competition is open to all Forest Service units along with their partners. All recipients participate in a learning cohort intended to accelerate learning and success of projects.

The project incubator model is uniquely designed to nurture projects in different phases of development through coaching, training, and shared learning. Projects can enter the incubator at any Phase and then apply for the consecutive Phase during the next eligible funding cycle. Projects that successfully complete Phase 3, are considered “model projects” that could be replicated on other Forest Service units. Over the course of the incubator, projects are eligible to receive up to $60,000 over the course of 6 years.

The incubator has three phases of funding for projects in every stage of maturity:

- Phase 1: Ideation and Design - up to $10,000

- Phase 2: Implementation - up to $30,000

- Phase 3: Ongoing Implementation and Knowledge Transfer - up to $20,000



The CitSci Fund is a collaborative approach to resource management – each project will have one Forest Service Project Lead and one Partner Project Lead, and demonstrate how volunteers are meaningfully involved. The competition is open to all Forest Service units along with their partners. All recipients participate in a learning cohort intended to accelerate learning and success of projects.
The project incubator model is uniquely designed to nurture projects in different phases of development through coaching, training, and shared learning. Projects can enter the incubator at any Phase and then apply for the consecutive Phase during the next eligible funding cycle. Projects that successfully complete Phase 3, are considered “model projects” that could be replicated on other Forest Service units. Over the course of the incubator, projects are eligible to receive up to $60,000 over the course of 6 years.
The incubator has three phases of funding for projects in every stage of maturity:
- Phase 1: Ideation and Design - up to $10,000
- Phase 2: Implementation - up to $30,000
- Phase 3: Ongoing Implementation and Knowledge Transfer - up to $20,000

The CitSci Fund supports projects that use citizen science as a collaborative approach to resource management – all proposals must identify a Forest Service Project Lead and a Partner Project Lead and clearly identify how volunteers have been and will be engaged in the project. The outcomes from this program are being used to demonstrate how citizen science can help the Agency deliver mission results including the increased collection and analysis of usable data for resource management. Successful proposals will clearly state the nature of the work to be accomplished and how the proposed partnership and citizen science project will add value in realizing needed work. Projects that are addressing needs or interests identified by the community will be highly competitive. Partners that are providing matching funds above 20% and not reliant on volunteer time as part of these matching funds will be highly competitive. Projects can be on any topic including biological, social, cultural, economic, infrastructure, etc. Projects can take many forms from large-scale data collection using apps, to site-specific longterm research, to classroom curricula that immerse students in monitoring and evaluation. Projects must engage citizen scientists over a continuous period of time – single event projects will not be accepted. For example, a 24 hour bioblitz would not be a competitive project, but a bioblitz that takes place over an entire calendar year would be.

- Project Plan
- Program Information and Instructions (2020)
- Sample Application Form
- Presentation Slides
- Review Criteria


Stewardship

Labor

Proposal Evaluation
 Two teams of evaluators will review projects in two rounds with some overlap of reviewers. During the round one review each project will be assigned randomly to at least three reviewers who will score the project based on the Evaluation Criteria (See Evaluation Criteria document on program webpage). Two teams of Forest Service evaluators will review projects in two rounds with some overlap of reviewers. During the round one review each project will be assigned randomly to at least three reviewers who will score the project based on the review criteria. These scores are then normalized using Z-scores to remove bias from reviewers. From there, the top projects are determined by seeing where there is a marked drop-off in scores - this will determine the top 20% or so of the proposals. In the round two review, all proposals will be reviewed by the entire team using the same criteria and again normalized using Z-scores. At this point, the top projects that are equal to or less than the amount of funding available are then looked at to take into consideration if they represent geographic, disciplinary, and deputy area diversity. Finalists will then be notified and a call will be scheduled with both project team leads to ensure that they can complete the Commitments and Outcomes as described in the Instructions.

To apply, reach out to your local USDA service center.

Clint Cross

Matthew Vandersande

USDA's Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service are working together to improve the health of forests where public forests and grasslands connect to privately owned lands.


Through the Joint Chiefs' Landscape Restoration Partnership, the two USDA agencies are restoring landscapes, reducing&#x2004;wildfire threats to communities and landowners, protecting water quality and enhancing wildlife habitat.


The partnership began in 2014, and each year the agency selects new three-year projects. 


### **2022 Projects**

USDA will invest more than $48 million this year through the Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership for projects that mitigate wildfire risk, improve water quality, restore forest ecosystems and ultimately contribute to USDA’s efforts to combat climate change. This year, USDA’s Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will invest in 41 projects, including 17 new ones, bringing together agricultural producers, forest landowners, and National Forest System lands to improve forest health using available Farm Bill conservation programs and other authorities.

- [2022 new project summaries](https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/programs/initiatives/?cid=nrcseprd1874880)

- [2022 press release](https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/newsroom/releases/?cid=nrcseprd1874899)


### **Project Accomplishments**

This year’s selections bring the total number of Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration projects to 110. Since 2014, these projects have delivered important forest and rangeland funding to 41 states and Puerto Rico. They provide private landowners with conservation resources that help them complete restoration efforts on their land for healthier and more resilient forest ecosystems.



USDA's Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service are working together to improve the health of forests where public forests and grasslands connect to privately owned lands.

Through the Joint Chiefs' Landscape Restoration Partnership, the two USDA agencies are restoring landscapes, reducing wildfire threats to communities and landowners, protecting water quality and enhancing wildlife habitat.

The partnership began in 2014, and each year the agency selects new three-year projects. 

2022 Projects
USDA will invest more than $48 million this year through the Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership for projects that mitigate wildfire risk, improve water quality, restore forest ecosystems and ultimately contribute to USDA’s efforts to combat climate change. This year, USDA’s Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will invest in 41 projects, including 17 new ones, bringing together agricultural producers, forest landowners, and National Forest System lands to improve forest health using available Farm Bill conservation programs and other authorities.
- 2022 new project summaries
- 2022 press release

Project Accomplishments
This year’s selections bring the total number of Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration projects to 110. Since 2014, these projects have delivered important forest and rangeland funding to 41 states and Puerto Rico. They provide private landowners with conservation resources that help them complete restoration efforts on their land for healthier and more resilient forest ecosystems.

List of Forest Service (FS) Funding Opportunities