NFWF's Longleaf Stewardship Fund Announces $5.6 Million in Grants to Advance Longleaf Pine Habitat and Support Wildlife in Eight Southeast States

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Longleaf Stewardship Fund awarded 23 grants totaling $5.6 million to restore, enhance, and protect longleaf pine forests in the Southeast.  With non-federal matching contributions of $6.9 million, a total of $12.5 million will go towards an impressive longleaf ecosystem conservation impact!  All of the funded projects help advance the restoration goals of America’s Longleaf Restoration Initiative laid out in the Range-wide Conservation Plan.

ALRI has many dedicated partners that work tirelessly to restore longleaf pine habitat and these grant funds go a long way in assisting them and the local implementation teams in their restoration efforts.  This year’s grant slate includes projects performing crucial management activities such as new planting, prescribed burning, invasive species removal, silviculture treatments, and habitat improvements for longleaf-dependent species like the gopher tortoise, red-cockaded woodpecker, southern hognose snake, and northern bobwhite quail.  Additionally, funds will be used to engage landowners through field days, workshops, and the development of forest management plans.

“More so than ever, I recognize and appreciate how America’s Longleaf Restoration Initiative brings communities and diverse groups together with a common purpose of restoring the longleaf pine ecosystem,” said Ken Arney, regional forester for the southern region of the U.S. Forest Service. “The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, through the Longleaf Stewardship Fund, has been instrumental in moving this initiative forward and has been a true partner in expanding the corresponding ecosystem services we require for survival and quality of life.”

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 2020 grants.

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