Through the Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program, President Barack Obama is offering grants to establish community forests that bolster rural economies, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The implementation rules for the program were published today in the Federal Register.
Community forests created under the program will support working forests through sustainable management, timber and non-timber production, wood-for-energy production, and recreation and tourism. It will also focus on education and forest stewardship. The Forest Service, which is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), administers the program.
The grants are available to local governments, American Indian tribes and qualified nonprofit organizations. Currently, $1.5 million is available, and the U.S. Forest Service has requested $5 million more in the president's 2012 budget. Grant requests should be announced in about 60 days, according to the Forest Service.
Grant awardees are required to ensure public access to the protected lands. The community must be involved in the process of establishing a forest, developing a forest plan and determining long-term management needs, and each grant requires a non-federal match of 50 percent.
"The Community Forest Program will bring money and jobs to our rural communities," said Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell. "These community forests will also provide a model of effective forest stewardship for private landowners. They protect habitat, conserve and protect water supplies, and provide educational opportunities, all while contributing to the local economy."
