This grant program helps conserve land and establish community forests that provide continuing and accessible community benefits.
Community forests are places to hike, bike and enjoy nature. They protect wildlife habitat and water quality, and they can provide economic benefits through timber resources. Community forests have also long been sites for environmental and cultural education.
The Community Forest Program is a grant program that authorizes the U.S. Forest Service to provide financial assistance to local governments, tribal governments and qualified nonprofit entities to help conserve land and establish community forests that provide continuing and accessible community benefits.
The program pays up to 50 percent of the project costs and requires a 50 percent non-federal match.
Lands acquired through the program are actively managed in accordance with a community forest plan to provide community benefits.
Eligible land includes private forestland that is at least 5 acres in size and at least 75 percent forested, is threatened by conversion to non-forest use, provides community benefits, and is not held in trust by the United States.
Public access is required for Community Forest Program projects. Fee title acquisition is also required. Conservation easements are not eligible.
For information on the application process, visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service's Community Forest Program webpage.
For more program-specific information, for questions about the application process and associated deadlines, or to discuss a project, contact the USDA Southeastern Forest Service Regional Office, Community Forest Program Regional Coordinator:
Michael Middlebrook
USDA Forest Service
1720 Peachtree Road NW
Suite 700
Atlanta, GA 30309
(470) 426-0697
michael.middlebrook@usda.gov
