Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** to address the need for more…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** to address the need for more private landowners engaged in forest management, this project utilizes a multifaceted approach through three tiers of education: instruction by experts, field-based learning with mentors, and peer to peer learning with the goal of developing the knowledge and skill sets of beginning forest landowners in basic forest and natural resource management and management planning to allow them to actively manage their forest land. Other collaborating groups include the illinois forestry association (private landowner group NGO), the illinois DNR division of forestry, the shawnee resource conservation anddevelopment area, and the nature conservancy.project objectives are: 1. Recruit a cohort of beginning forest landowners each year, 2. Equip beginning forest landowners with technical knowledge and resources about forest management, 3. Facilitate beginning forest landowners gaining first-hand experience of forest management techniques and processes through field-based mentoring opportunities, 4. Build a community to connect beginning forest landowners with a support network to continue learning and development, and 5. Increase the knowledge of all forest landowners in the region through open, general audience, forest management educational programs. Expected course outcomes include 45-60 new forest landowner course participants, 480-640 forest landowners (non-course participants) with increased knowledge of forest management, 10-20 new forest landowners that obtain a forest stewardship plan, 20-30 new forest landowners that are active in a landowner collaborative program, and 25-35 new forest landowners that initiate active forest management. 10.9% of total federal funds requested are allocated to nongovernmental organizations.