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OVERVIEW INFORMATIONCatalog of Domestic Assistance Number is 10.674Program name is Wood Utilization AssistanceImportant Dates:October 27, 2014 Issuance of Request for ProposalsJanuary 23, 2015 Proposal submission deadlineSynopsis of Funding OpportunityThe U.S. Forest Service (Forest Service) requests proposals to substantially expand and accelerate wood energy and wood products markets throughout the United States to support forest management needs on National Forest System and other forest lands. This Request for Proposals focuses on the following priorities:* Reduce hazardous fuels and improve forest health on National Forest System and other forest lands. * Reduce costs of forest management on all land types.* Promote economic and environmental health of communities.Funding will be awarded in two separate grant categories: GRANT CATEGORY 1: EXPANSION OF WOOD ENERGY MARKETSThe intent of this category is to stimulate, expand, or support wood energy markets that depend on forest residues or forest byproducts generated from all land types. Preference will be given to projects that make use of low-value wood generated from National Forest System and other forest lands with high wildfire risk. Subcategories include:1. Statewide Wood Energy Teams 2. Wood Energy Projects3. Wood Energy MarketsGRANT CATEGORY 2: EXPANSION OF WOOD PRODUCTS MARKETSThe intent of this category is to promote markets that create or expand the demand for non-energy based wood products. Preference will be given to projects that support commercial building markets or other markets that use existing or innovative wood products. Wood energy projects will not be considered under this category because those projects can apply for funding under Grant Category 1. Completed electronic applications are due to the Regional Biomass Coordinator designated for your Forest Service region by 11:59 p.m. on January 23, 2015.Each submittal must consist of two separate PDF files, as follows: 1. Proposal narrati

OVERVIEW When approved, this Award of $235,250 will fund the second phase of investigation for the Hemlock Forest Restoration Project Study (aka Hemlock Project). This Project is the first of-its-kind comprehensive, quantitative assessment of the water-cycle consequences (both positive and negative) of forest restoration in a Sierra Nevada mixed-conifer forest. The 12,000-acre landscape-restoration project site known as the Hemlock Project is located in the Stanislaus National Forest and Mokelumne River basin, which is an area that Congress has authorized the Bureau of Reclamation to investigate for water storage and improved water-management reliability in the Mokelumne River basin. The Hemlock Project is being managed with the involvement and cooperation of the Stanislaus National Forest who expects that the Hemlock Project's forest modifications will restore watershed functions by creating different forest-stand structures and densities. These modifications have multiple benefits including reducing the forest's susceptibility to insect, disease, and drought-related mortality; reducing surface fuels, increasing the height to canopy, and decreasing crown density; retaining large, fire-resistant trees; maintaining and enhancing wildlife habitat; enhancing the extent and connectivity of aspen stands; and improving resource and watershed conditions. These actions will also enhance water-supply reliability by restoring the fraction of precipitation that leaves the basin as runoff versus evapotranspiration; guard against erosion, water-quality problems and snowpack losses associated with wildfire; and maintain water and forest health as the climate warms and evaporative demand increases. This application is for the second phase of funding, generally representing years 3 through 4 of the proposed 10 year period of investigation for the Hemlock Project Study

The National Forest Foundation (NFF) Matching Awards Program (MAP) provides funding for results-oriented on-the-ground projects that enhance forest health and outdoor experiences on National Forests and Grasslands. MAP supports the implementation of on-the-ground conservation and restoration projects that have an immediate, quantifiable impact on the National Forest System. These projects provide a lasting impact to the lands, waters, and wildlife of the National Forest System through the alteration of the physical environment. The current NFF strategic plan focuses on the Program Areas of Outdoor Experiences and Forest Health. Organizations may self-select into one of the Program Areas defined below, or choose to submit a proposal that cohesively integrates the two Program Areas. Projects that strongly integrate the program areas are highly encouraged. The NFF does not have funding targets for the Program Areas, and strongly encourages applicants to integrate the programs areas cohesively in their proposals.

The Secretary of Agriculture has a congressionally designated advisory council that assists the U.S. Forest Service in establishing the grant categories and recommendations of final proposals for the Forest Service to consider. This is the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council (Council).The Council serves to advise the Secretary of Agriculture on the status of the nation's urban and community forests and related natural resources. The Council seeks to establish sustainable urban and community forests, by encouraging communities of all sizes to manage and protect their natural resources, which, if well managed, improves the public's health, well-being, economic vitality, and creates resilient ecosystems for present and future generations.Urban and Community Forestry Program RequirementsThe Council recommends urban and community forestry projects that have national or multi-state application and impact through the U.S. Forest Service's competitive Urban and Community Forestry Challenge Cost-Share Grant Program. A proposal's content must meet the Urban and Community Forestry program authorities as designated by Congress in the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act, (Section 9 PDF, pp. 19-24) State & Private Cooperative Forestry Handbook of Programs and the annual criteria set forth by the Council. A listing of the previously funded projects can be viewed at Urban Forestry South list of past NUCFAC grants

The "Forest Finance and Investment Incubator" Program, a cooperative agreement that will spur private sector financing of national and sub-national climate strategies. The Forest Finance and Investment Incubator program will utilize existing strategies and developing country frameworks to assess readiness for the development of concrete financial investment plans for forests and other landscapes. These investment plans will lead to the identification of mechanisms for investment from the U.S. forestry and agriculture sectors that mobilize financial resources for downstream forest activities and projects.

The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs' (OES) Office of Conservation and Water (ECW) at the Department of State, announces the Notice of Funding Opportunity ("NOFO") for Mapping and Analysis of Illegally Harvested Timber and Forest Products in Global Trade, to work with developing countries and partners to gather data and build capacity to identify, analyze, and map illegal timber and forest products trade in key regions for forest production and trade. The results aim to influence policy makers in these regions, and will inform ongoing U.S. programs and the design and implementation of future interventions to assist developing countries in combating illegal logging and associated trade (ILAT). Eligibility is limited to U.S. non-profit/nongovernmental organizations subject to section 501(c)(3) of the U. S. tax code, foreign not-for-profit/nongovernmental organizations, and educational institutions. A cooperative agreement (CA) for up to $492,500 U.S. Dollars (USD) in FY 2017 Economic Support Funds (ESF) will be awarded for work that will support data analysis of global ILAT, including species of concern, drivers of the trade, trade routes and other relevant intelligence at the global, regional, national and subnational levels. The initial period of performance will be for 24 months. Funding authority rests in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended.

The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs' (OES) Office of Conservation and Water (ECW) at the Department of State, announces the Notice of Funding Opportunity ("NOFO") for Mapping and Analysis of Illegally Harvested Timber and Forest Products in Global Trade, to work with developing countries and partners to gather data and build capacity to identify, analyze, and map illegal timber and forest products trade in key regions for forest production and trade. The results aim to influence policy makers in these regions, and will inform ongoing U.S. programs and the design and implementation of future interventions to assist developing countries in combating illegal logging and associated trade (ILAT). Eligibility is limited to U.S. non-profit/nongovernmental organizations subject to section 501(c)(3) of the U. S. tax code, foreign not-for-profit/nongovernmental organizations, and educational institutions. A cooperative agreement (CA) for up to $492,500 U.S. Dollars (USD) in FY 2017 Economic Support Funds (ESF) will be awarded for work that will support data analysis of global ILAT, including species of concern, drivers of the trade, trade routes and other relevant intelligence at the global, regional, national and subnational levels. The initial period of performance will be for 24 months. Funding authority rests in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended.

The overall goal of the program is to improve the quality and connectivity of forest and freshwater habitat in order to increase the distribution and abundance of fish, birds and other wildlife, as evidenced by a suite of species that collectively are indicators of forest and freshwater habitat condition. The program aims to: improve the management of public and private forestlands in order 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 bolster populations of eastern brook trout, eastern hellbender and native freshwater mussels by removing barriers to fish passage, restoring riparian and in-stream habitat, and improving water quality and hydrology. 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.

The Valles Caldera National Preserve (VALL) is currently undergoing a landscape restoration project, funded under the DOI Resilient Landscapes program, to restore natural fire regimes to the forest and grassland watersheds on the Preserve. Large-scale restoration efforts involve forest thinning to reduce fuel loads, and prescribed and managed fires to further eliminate fuels and allow for natural fire regimes to return to the landscape. Fires can have varying impacts on watershed function, particularly with respect to water quality and discharge amounts and timing. Post-fire flash floods can result if watersheds are burned severely. VALL has been subjected to two recent large-scale uncharacteristic wildfires (the 2011 Las Conchas fire, and the 2013 Thompson Ridge fire), which led to multiple post-fire flash floods and subsequent damage to fisheries and aquatic macro-invertebrate communities on severely-burned watersheds. While fish and invertebrate communities are currently recovering, ongoing restoration efforts using prescribed fires may continue to impact these biological resources. The goal of the proposed work will be to monitor and characterize response and rate of recovery of the aquatic systems subjected to wildfire and restoration activities throughout the VALL.

The purpose is to support work on the ground to enhance and scale-up ongoing stakeholder engagement in developing tropical forest countries that are participants in the global Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF). This engagement, which is in addition to the global and regional consultations already carried out by the FCPF, will help individual FCPF countries fill gaps in support for additional stakeholder engagement requested of them before grants can be signed, and to implement components of their REDD+ readiness strategies.

NRCS is the Department of Agriculture's (USDA) conservation agency working with farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners nationwide to identify and address natural resource objectives in balance with operational goals in order to benefit soil, water, wildlife, and related natural resources locally, regionally, and nationally. NRCS works in partnership with other entities to accelerate getting conservation on the ground. Through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), NRCS seeks to co-invest with partners in innovative, workable, and cost-effective approaches to benefit farming, ranching, and forest operations, local economies, and the communities and resources in a watershed or other geographic area. RCPP partners develop project applications, as described in this notice, to address specific natural resource objectives in a proposed area or region.

Save the Redwoods League supports basic and applied hypothesis-driven research on the biology and ecology of coast redwood and giant sequoia forests. To conserve and restore these ecosystems in the coming decades, the League funds research that expands our understanding of ecosystem function, community interactions, rare and threatened species, and the impact of climate change on redwood forests. We welcome proposals on all topics that advance our understanding of these ecosystems.

The consequences of climate variability and change are becoming more immediate and profound than previously anticipated. Over recent decades, the world has witnessed the onset of prolonged droughts on several continents, increased frequency of floods, loss of agricultural and forest productivity, degraded ocean and permafrost ecosystems, global sea level rise and the rapid retreat of ice sheets and glaciers, loss of arctic sea ice, and changes in ocean currents. These important impacts highlight that climate variability and change can have significant effects on decadal and shorter time scales, with significant consequences for plant, animal, human, and physical systems. The EaSM funding opportunity enables interagency cooperation on one of the most pressing problems of the millennium: climate change and??how it is likely to affect our world. It allows the partner agencies -- National Science Foundation (NSF) and??U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) -- to combine resources to identify and fund the most meritorious and highest-impact projects that support their respective missions, while??avoiding duplication of effort and fostering collaboration between agencies and the investigators they support.This interdisciplinary scientific challenge calls for the development and application of next-generation Earth System Models that include coupled and interactive representations of such??components as ocean and atmospheric currents, agricultural working lands and forests,?? biogeochemistry, atmospheric chemistry,?? the water cycle and land ice.?? This solicitation seeks to attract scientists from the disciplines of geosciences, agricultural sciences, mathematics and statistics. Successful proposals will develop intellectual excitement in the participating disciplinary communities and engage diverse interdisciplinary teams with sufficient breadth to achieve the scientific objectives. 

The program supports on-the-ground restoration projects and applied science aimed at enhancing the age and structural diversity of forests in the region; improving the quality of habitat in river and stream systems, especially for eastern brook trout, eastern hellbender, and threatened and endangered freshwater mussels and their host species; and restoring the integrity and complexity of streamside forests, especially those providing habitat for Louisiana water thrush and eastern brook trout.

Through this Call for Expressions of Interest (EOI), USAID/Mexico seeks partners to research, develop, test and evaluate innovative approaches to increase access to finance and catalyze investments to reduce deforestation and forest degradation in Mexico by improving land management practices and reducing the drivers of land-use change. þffBlended finance is the strategic use of development funds, such as those from government aid and philanthropic sources, to mobilize private capital for social and environment results, such as improving infrastructure, education, agriculture, healthcare, and more. Blended finance strategies are designed to encourage members of the private sector, such as companies and investors, to invest in activities and projects that can achieve both financial returns and positive social and environmental outcomes. Through this Addendum to the Broad Agency Announcement (BAA-MEX-PCM-2020), USAID/Mexico seeks partners to research, develop, test and evaluate innovative approaches to increase access to finance and catalyze investments to reduce deforestation and forest degradation in Mexico by improving land management practices and reducing the drivers of land-use change, especially in the States of Campeche, Chiapas, Jalisco, Oaxaca, and Quintana Roo.

Park Service units (Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore). The aim of the work is to provide information useful for the consideration of fire as a management tool and to provide some baseline evidence regarding past climate variability and the potential impacts of future climate variations. Additionally, baseline evidence of forest compositional and structural change over time could be considered to better understand the trajectories of vegetation patterns in light of past landscape history, including the role of past fires. STATEMENT OF WORK The University of Minnesota staff will develop fire history for Apostle Islands locations and Sleeping Bear Dunes locations by collecting cross sections and partial cross sections from remnant logs, stumps, and snags in forest stands. Once data is collected, a field sampling summary will be prepared for both sites. After data is collected, during the academic year 2017-2018, samples will be processed, information will be compiled, samples will be cross-dated, and relevant literature, traditional ecological knowledge, and ethnographic information will be compiled in cooperation with Park Service personnel. The fire history will then be evaluated in light of past and future climate conditions and final reports prepared.

The John Z. Duling Grant Program was established and funded by a bequest from the estate of John Z. Duling of Indiana, a strong advocate of research who in 1972 proposed the establishment of the ISA Research Trust. The goal of this program is to provide start-up or seed funding to support innovative research and technology transfer projects that have the potential of benefiting the everyday work of arborists. John Z. Duling Grants may be used to support exploratory work in the early stages of untested, but potentially transformative, research ideas and approaches. Examples may include application of new approaches to research questions, or application of new expertise involving novel disciplinary or interdisciplinary perspectives. Projects are expected to be completed within one to three years with a maximum grant award of $25,000. No project may receive more than one award from this program. Due to the similarity of the Jack Kimmel International Grant and John Z. Duling Grant, applicants may submit to only one of these programs per annual project funding cycle. Note Well:  In 2020, TREE Fund's John Z. Duling Grant program will be focused specifically on urban forest management. Suggested areas of inquiry are (but are not limited to): Inventory and/or resource assessment; Development of management guidelines; Establishment, quantification and/or maintenance of ecosystem services; Pest/pathogen management; Assessing/maximizing returns on investments in urban forests;

This project/program is to restore and maintain healthy, productive ecosystems and wildlife populations through management activities. The project should include (but not limited to):  Commercial and non-commercial thinning of forests, Hand and mechanized treatment of vegetation to reduce hazardous fuel conditions and or improve habitats  Seeding of appropriate wildlife browse and forage species for habitat enhancement, and seeding for erosion and noxious weed control on sites disturbed by management activities. Seeding will be of native species unless science and experience have proven non-native, non-invasive species are more effective. Layout of treatment unit boundaries under the direct supervision of BLM staff. Prescribed fire may be part of the overall project. Federal agency personnel will serve as the lead partner for any prescribed fire planning and operations. All personnel used for prescribed fire operations will meet NWCG requirements

This project/program is to restore and maintain healthy, productive ecosystems and wildlife populations through management activities. The project should include (but not limited to):  Commercial and non-commercial thinning of forests, Hand and mechanized treatment of vegetation to reduce hazardous fuel conditions and or improve habitats  Seeding of appropriate wildlife browse and forage species for habitat enhancement, and seeding for erosion and noxious weed control on sites disturbed by management activities. Seeding will be of native species unless science and experience have proven non-native, non-invasive species are more effective. Layout of treatment unit boundaries under the direct supervision of BLM staff. Prescribed fire may be part of the overall project. Federal agency personnel will serve as the lead partner for any prescribed fire planning and operations. All personnel used for prescribed fire operations will meet NWCG requirements

The U.S. Forest Service supports Moving Toward Shared Stewardship Across Landscapes as part of a conceptual framework for making strategic investments across landscapes to co-manage wildfire risk and achieve positive outcomes at the most appropriate scale. Within this framework, The Northeastern Area Cohesive Fire Strategy Competitive Request for Applications is designed to support and carry out the goals of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy (NCS) across the Midwestern and Northeastern States as well as meet the intent of the current year budget direction. These national goals are: Restore and Maintain Landscapes: Landscapes across all jurisdictions are resilient to fire-related disturbances in accordance with management objectives. Create Fire Adapted Communities: Human populations and infrastructure can withstand a wildfire without loss of life and property. Improve Wildfire Response: All jurisdictions participate in making and implementing safe, effective, efficient risk-based wildfire management decisions.

To bring together experts from the U.S. and international private sector, government, and civil society to identify and assess developing countries where investments in Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+) programs are making progress, resulting in more attractive enabling environments for leading companies to source commodities while reducing deforestation.