Conservation and Community Partnerships Program

Posted by Sustainable Forestry Initiative on August 29, 2016

Sustainable Forestry Initiative Seeks Proposals for Conservation and Community Partnerships Program

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative is accepting proposals for its SFI Conservation and Community Partnerships grant program. SFI works to foster partnerships between organizations working to improve forest management in the United States and Canada and responsible procurement globally.

The program addresses issues such as improving wildlife habitat management and conservation of biodiversity, avoiding controversial sources of fiber such as those resulting from illegal logging, and assisting local communities through forest education programs and green-building projects for low-income families. Qualified organizations may apply for Conversation grants or Community grants.

1) Conservation grants of up to $15,000 will be awarded in support of projects that measure, demonstrate, or establish methodologies to demonstrate the conservation-related values of SFI-certified forestlands, or such values as result from application of the SFI Fiber Sourcing standard. Ideally, such projects will be scalable to a regional or bio-regional level (e.g., Ponderosa Pine forests, Boreal Plains, Longleaf Pine ecosystem, the central hardwood forest, etc.). Priority will be given to projects focused on conservation values in the areas of water, climate change (including both carbon attributes and forest resiliency), and biodiversity.

2) Secondary priority will be given to projects related to the application of the SFI Forest Management or Fiber Sourcing standards, particularly in the areas of forest health, wildlife, fish, biodiversity, or which support the growth of SFI certification within the aboriginal/tribal community or enhance the capacity of this community to assess and manage natural and cultural resources.

Community grants of up to $10,000 will be awarded for projects focused on educating youth, promoting respect for traditional indigenous values, helping provide sustainable housing for low-income families, and funding other projects to build understanding of the importance of responsible forestry.

For complete eligibility and application guidelines as well as summaries of previously funded projects, see the SFI website.

DEADLINE: OCTOBER 10, 2016

http://www.sfiprogram.org/community-conservation/conservation-community-partnerships-grant-program/grant-rfp-process/