North Carolina State University and others are hosting a webinar April 29 from 12-2:00 pm on the economics of using forests in the U.S. as a natural climate solution. This webinar will include recent results from forest economic models that estimate the costs and potential benefits of carbon sequestration in U.S. forests.  A panel discussion will review the challenges of moving from idea to reality. Register here. Find out more here. 

The USDA National Institutes of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Renewable Resources Extension Act provides a framework and funding for Extension Programing that promotes healthy and productive forest and rangeland ecosystems. Yet, a rapidly changing global climate has created uncertainty about the future of our natural resources and sowed disagreements over the science of climate change. While some Forest and Rangeland stakeholders may acknowledge climate change as an issue, many are skeptical of the science, and others completely deny the scientific evidence. Still, the sustainability of our forests and rangeland ecosystems depends on the ability of managers to adopt climate resilient practices. In this webinar, learn more about climate change education and natural resource Extension programming, April 29^th at 1:00pm ET Time. Register here.

The Florida Land Steward program will host a webinar which includes guidance for landowners and resource professionals for keeping good records of pesticide use. The American Tree Farm System's 2021 Standards of Sustainability include a new pesticide documentation requirement to meet the standards of forest certification. This webinar will help Tree Farmers and other landowners and land managers understand the benefits of keeping pesticide (including herbicide) use records and meet the requirements of the certification standard. The webinar will be held April 21, 2021. Register here.

The Florida Land Steward program will host a webinar May 6, 2021 at 2:00 pm ET which will explain the ins and outs of the forest carbon markets for landowners. After many years in the works, forest landowners now have an opportunity to participate in the forest carbon market via short-term timber harvest deferral agreements. SilviaTerra's Natural Capital Exchange (NCAPX) is transforming access to forest carbon markets for landowners of all sizes and rapidly expanding across the U.S. this year. Join this webinar to learn about this unique alternative income opportunity. Register here

The Forest Stewards Guild is hosting a “Women on the Land” webinar series will be held weekly in May and will include landowner and professional speakers who will be covering the topics of forest ecology, creating a plan and working with a forester, active stewardship and the future of their woodlands. The series is geared toward women landowners in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Lake States, but the themes will be relevant to a wider audience as well. Register here for the series.

The USDA National Agroforestry Center is requesting proposals to create regionally-applicable and practice-specific agroforestry educational materials based on producer production information, experiences and testimonies. Awards are anticipated to be up to $100,000, with a minimum of $35,000 for any one project. The agreements awarded under this announcement will support the USDA goal to strengthen the stewardship of private lands through technology and research. These materials will also address natural resource professionals’ need for more information that supports producer adoption of agroforestry. Proposals must be submitted by May 28, 2021. There is a 1:1 Forest Service match and a wide variety of stakeholders are eligible to apply. Complete details on this request for proposals and how to submit a proposal can be found here.

For questions regarding this Request for Proposals or administrative regulations, contact Richard Straight ([email protected]; or Kate MacFarland ([email protected] )

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Marketing Service’s Access and Development Program (Acer) has funds available to support market development and promotion projects to improve consumer knowledge, awareness and understanding of the maple syrup industry and its products. The program also supports producer and landowner education projects for increasing multiple aspects of maple syrup production. Applications due May 24, 2021. For more information click here. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Marketing Service’s has a $1 million matching grant fund for exploring new opportuniites for U.S. Food and Agricultural Products, which in the past has included funded projects for forest products. Applications are due May 24, 2021. For more information, click here. 

The US department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is seeking proposals for to fund up to $75 million dollars in unique projects under the Regional Conservation Partnership Program’s (RCCP) Alternative Funding Arrangements (AFA). The focus is on taking innovative and non-traditional approaches to conservation solutions at the local, regional and national scales. NRCS will prioritize projects related to climate smart agriculture and forestry. Proposals are being accepted from now through May 29^th. Find out more here. 

The Environmental Justice Small Grants Program supports and empowers communities working on solutions to local environmental and public health issues. The program is designed to help communities understand and address exposure to multiple environmental harms and risks. Environmental Justice Small Grants fund projects up to $50,000, depending on the availability of funds in a given year. All projects are associated with at least one qualified environmental statute. The EJSG program awards grants that support community-driven projects designed to engage, educate, and empower communities to better understand local environmental and public health issues and develop strategies for addressing those issues, building consensus in the community, and setting community priorities. These grants are for one-year projects. This opportunity places special emphasis on projects focusing on COVID-19 impacts, as well as climate and disaster resiliency. Additionally, EPA is emphasizing projects addressing diesel pollution in underserved communities living near ports and railyards as part of EPA’s Ports Initiative. Finally, to promote equitable accessibility to EPA grant funding and to assist small entities, approximately half of the total available funding under this announcement is intended to be reserved for small non-profit organizations as defined in the announcement. Deadline for proposals is May 7, 2021. To find out more, click here.