The Central Appalachia Habitat Stewardship Program awards grants to voluntarily restore and sustain healthy forests, rivers and streams that provide habitat for diverse native bird and aquatic species populations.
Donor Name: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)
State: Selected States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 07/17/2025
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: 4 Years
Details:
The overall goal of the program is to improve the quality and connectivity of forest and freshwater habitat to increase the distribution and abundance of birds, fish, and other wildlife, as evidenced by a suite of species that are collectively indicators of forest and freshwater habitat condition. The program aims to:
- Improve the voluntary management of public and private forestlands to create blocks with a mosaic of mixed-aged forests that support a diversity of bird and wildlife species, especially targeting golden-winged warbler, wood thrush, and cerulean warbler; and
- Improve stream health by voluntarily removing passage barriers, restoring riparian buffers, and improving water quality and hydrology to bolster populations of brook trout, eastern hellbender and freshwater mussels.
Applicants are encouraged to deploy a range of strategies to engage public and private landowners in active stewardship through technical and financial assistance, demonstrations, education and outreach, and other innovative approaches.
Major funding is provided by the Richard King Mellon Foundation, USDA’s Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This year, additional funding is provided by Altria Group and Cleveland-Cliffs.
Program Priorities
In addition, projects that incorporate outreach to communities, foster community engagement, and pursue collaborative management leading to measurable conservation benefits are encouraged. Where possible, projects should be developed through community input and co-design processes and should consider traditional knowledge where relevant. Additionally, projects should engage community-level partners (e.g., municipalities, NGOs, community organizations, community leaders) to help design, implement, and maintain projects to secure maximum benefits for communities, maintenance, and sustainability post-grant award.
- Restore and Manage Forest Blocks in Focal Geographies
- Forest and Grassland Management for Wildlife, Water, and Other Ecosystem Services
- Restore Aquatic Ecosystems.
Funding Information
Grant requests must range from $75,000 to $500,000.
Grant Period
Projects should start six months after the award date and be completed within four years.
Geographic Focus
The Central Appalachia Habitat Stewardship Program will award grants within the broad program boundary, which includes portions of Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Eligibility Criteria
- 501(C) non-profit organizations
- Community-based organizations
- Local Governments
- Municipal governments
- Tribal governments and organizations
- K-12 educational institutions
- Institutions of High Education
- State Government Agencies.
For more information, visit NFWF.
