$190 million in incentives offered to support state-endorsed cost-share programs
By Emma Coke, Ashland.news
Two grant opportunities worth a combined $190 million were recently opened by the U.S. Forest Service to support to support state-endorsed cost-share programs to assist private landowners in climate change adaptation and mitigation.
Funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, the purpose of the two grants is to lower the financial burden of, and encourage private landowners to, adopt forest management practices that will ensure climate resiliency. Private landowners manage over 60% of all forests in the U.S., according to the U.S. Forest Service’s press release, making their mitigation efforts critical.
The first grant is available to support state-endorsed cost-share programs which lower the financial barriers of adopting forest resiliency practices. According to the press release, such practices could include working with the state or a nonprofit to thin smaller trees, allowing larger trees more access to resources and room to grow. A total of $140 million is set aside for this grant.
Virtual office hours for this grant will occur 11 a.m. to noon on Friday, Sept. 6, via a Forest Landowner Support Microsoft Teams meeting. No registration is necessary. Applicants must be state forestry agencies; nonprofit organizations; institutions of higher learning; or units of local government.
The second grant issues payments directly to landowners as financial compensation for adopting management practices that increase carbon uptake capabilities of forests. The remaining $50 million is set aside for this grant, and is available for nonprofits, state forestry agencies and their equivalents.
The Forest Landowner Support team will also host virtual office hours for this grant from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 5, via a Microsoft Teams meeting. No registration is necessary. Applicants must be state forestry agencies or nonprofit organizations.
To learn more about these grant opportunities along with others, check out the link.
Email Ashland.news reporter intern Emma Coke at emmasuecoke@gmail.com.
Aug. 26: Story updated to clarify that, while grant funds are intended to help private landowners, the money will be funneled through state agencies, educational institutions, local government or nonprofit groups.
