The matching awards program provides competitive subawards to support projects that benefit americas national forests and grasslands by pairing federal funds with nonfederal dollars raised by award…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service Washington Office Acquisitions awarded the National Forest Foundation a $5.518 million Cooperative Agreement on June 3, 2026, to administer the Matching Awards Program under CFDA 10.682 (National Forest Foundation). The program provides competitive subawards to support projects that benefit America's national forests and grasslands by pairing federal funds with nonfederal dollars raised by award recipients, prioritizing projects that deliver measurable benefits to the National Forest System and engage the public in in-person stewardship.

The National Forest Foundation, a tax-exempt nonprofit based in Missoula, Montana, distributes matching funds to approximately 16 to 22 organizations per award cycle, including nonprofit organizations, conservation corps, state and local governments, and Native American tribes. Subaward recipients deliver on-the-ground work including forest restoration, wildlife habitat enhancement, invasive species management, trail maintenance, and community engagement on or adjacent to National Forest System lands throughout the United States.

Performance runs through September 30, 2030. The Matching Awards Program authorizes the Foundation to accept and administer private gifts and federal funds to further Forest Service mission-based conservation partnerships, with benefits flowing to nonprofits, for-profit organizations, state and local governments, and Native American tribes working across the 193-million-acre National Forest and Grasslands system.

The matching awards program provides competitive subawards to support projects that benefit americas national forests and grasslands by pairing federal funds with nonfederal dollars raised by award recipients. This program prioritizes projects that provide measurable benefits to the national forest system and engage the public in caring for their public lands through in-person engagement.