Congress has authorized funding to the national forest foundation (NFF) via the forestservice (FS) in fiscal year 2025 for the purpose of securing matching funds from non-federal, third parties, in…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service awarded a $2.76 million Cooperative Agreement to the National Forest Foundation (NFF) under the National Forest Foundation program (CFDA 10.682) on September 18, 2025, with a completion date of September 7, 2030. This award provides federal funding that the NFF matches on a one-to-one basis with non-federal contributions from third parties to support conservation and stewardship projects on National Forest System (NFS) lands or adjacent lands that directly benefit NFS resources. The NFF administers these matching funds through a competitive proposal and application process, distributing subawards to nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, Native American tribes, and other eligible entities that implement on-the-ground forest conservation, restoration, and stewardship activities aligned with Forest Service mission priorities.

Under this agreement, the NFF has already distributed subawards to implement specific conservation projects. The Friends of the Bridger-Teton received funding (awarded June 1, 2026) to improve safety, accessibility, and visitor experience through fuels reduction, developed recreation maintenance, and construction of an accessible Granite Falls trail. The Selway-Bitterroot Foundation, Inc. received a subaward (awarded May 1, 2026) to build community support for wilderness stewardship by engaging local youth in weeklong Wilderness Expeditions that combine backcountry skills training with hands-on stewardship activities across Idaho and Montana's pristine wilderness areas.

Congress has authorized funding to the national forest foundation (NFF) via the forestservice (FS) in fiscal year 2025 for the purpose of securing matching funds from non-federal, third parties, in order to accomplish projects and programs on FS lands, or adjacent landsdirectly benefiting FS lands, that are consistent with forest service mission and programs. Thepurpose of this work statement is to define each party's responsibility in this cooperative effort. The forest service and the NFF have a mutual interest in sustainable resource management, which considers social, economic, and ecological factors in stewardship of the resources ofnational forests and grasslands. By entering into this agreement, both parties demonstrate theircommitment to the health and vitality of the lands administered by the FS and to workingcollaboratively toward this end. Under the terms of this agreement, the FS will provide funds tothe NFF, which will be matched by non-federal funding through subawards, contracts oragreements on a one-to-one basis, and will be distributed to mutually agreed strategic prioritiesand through a proposal and application process.