Black belt and appalachian forest landowner support project under the inflation reduction act

This Cooperative Agreement award, totaling $10,000,000.00, is provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service under the Inflation Reduction Act Landscape Scale Restoration program (CFDA 10.731). The grant supports the "Black Belt and Appalachian Forest Landowner Support Project," which aims to provide cost-share, technical assistance, outreach, and education to help underserved forest landowners, including those with heirs' property, participate in emerging environmental markets such as carbon offset and ecosystem services programs.

The primary products and services delivered through this funding include assisting landowners to address heirs' property issues, providing forestry technical assistance, helping landowners access USDA and other programs, and supporting landowner participation in environmental markets. The prime awardee, the Center for Heirs Property Preservation, is partnering with several sub-awardees, including the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, World Wildlife Fund, Winston County Self Help Cooperative, American Forest Foundation, and Mississippi Center for Justice, to implement these efforts across the Black Belt and Appalachian regions.