NFWF Announces $7.5 Million in Conservation Grants to Restore Iconic Longleaf Pine Ecosystem

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, through the Longleaf Landscape Stewardship Fund, announced $7.5 million will go toward 22 grant projects to restore, enhance, and protect longleaf pine forests in nine southern states.  An additional $9 million in matching partner contributions brings the total conservation impact for longleaf pine to $16.5 million, the largest grant slate in the program’s history!  Projects will help advance America’s Longleaf’s restoration goals articulated in the Range-wide Conservation Plan.

Longleaf pine forests are not only critically important for wildlife and biodiversity but also provide clean water, recreational opportunities, forest sector jobs, and contribute to our national defense by buffering military installations from encroaching development.

In the upcoming year, LLSF grant awardees will work to establish new longleaf pine acres, improve additional longleaf pine acres through prescribed burning, invasive species removal, and other wildlife-benefitting forest management techniques, and engage private landowners looking to restore and maintain longleaf pine habitat through workshops, trainings, and one-on-one technical assistance.

“Year after year, the Longleaf Landscape Stewardship Fund has served as a catalyst in leveraging federal funds to achieve far more within the longleaf pine landscape than we could accomplish independently,” said Regional Forester Ken Arney with the U.S. Forest Service Southern Region. “Positive outcomes for local economies, national defense, threatened and endangered species, recreation, forest resiliency, clean air and water, and climate change mitigation, validate the outstanding ‘return on investment’ of the stewardship fund.”

Thank you to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and their partners for the continued support of longleaf restoration efforts!  Click here to read the announcement from NFWF and here to read the full slate of 2022 grants.

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