The U.S. Forest Service announces the following Landscape Scale Restoration (LSR) grant opportunity:
The purpose of this competitive grant program is to encourage collaborative, science-based restoration of priority forest landscapes, leverage public and private resources, and support priorities identified in State Forest Action Plans.
Eligible Applicants: State forestry agencies, nonprofit organizations, universities, local governments, and Tribes.
The FY 2024 LSR Instructions, project narrative fillable pdf, and budget spreadsheet are attached. These documents and other resources are available in the Grants.gov opportunity: USDA-FS-2024-LSR-Northeast-Midwest.
Note: There is also a separate national funding opportunity for federally recognized Tribes: USDA-FS-2024-National-Tribal.
Webinar: The LSR webinar for applicants with projects in the Northeast and Midwest is Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2-3:30 p.m. ET (1-2:30 p.m. CT). This optional webinar will provide an overview of requirements and scoring criteria in the first hour, with extra time for questions. Please register for this webinar in advance to place it on your calendar. Note: The recording for this webinar will be posted in the Grants.gov opportunity when available.
Office Hours: Applicants are invited to drop by LSR office hours Tuesdays and Fridays 10 a.m.-Noon ET (9-11 CT) from Sept. 12 to Nov. 28 (excluding Nov. 10). Connect by Teams Meeting (Meeting ID: 281 181 095 636; Passcode: racwcy) or call in by phone: +1 202-650-0123, ID: 270 521 21#.
Submission Dates:
1. Oct. 5, 2023: Applicants submit draft project narrative and budget spreadsheet to relevant State Forester(s) for sponsorship consideration.
I encourage you to reach out to the relevant State Forester(s) early in the process. State Foresters are asked to provide letters for applications they will sponsor prior to Nov. 30, so you can include the letter in your Grants.gov application.
2. By 6 p.m. ET, Nov. 30, 2023: Applicants submit applications, including State Forester sponsor letter(s), to Grants.gov opportunity: USDA-FS-2023-LSR-Northeast-Midwest.