This grant allows for the acquisition of land to protect IT from being converted into non-forest uses to maintain public access, recreation, and sustainable forestry operations

Great Peninsula Conservancy received a $1.2 million Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service under the Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program (CFDA 10.689) awarded September 8, 2025. The grant funds the acquisition of privately-owned forestland in Washington State to prevent conversion to non-forest uses while establishing a community forest that delivers measurable public benefits. Primary deliverables include fee simple land acquisition with secured public access for recreation, sustainable forestry operations, and environmental stewardship. The project is scheduled for completion by December 29, 2028.

The funded initiative supports core program objectives by protecting forestland from development while providing community benefits including recreational access (hiking, hunting, and fishing), sustainable timber and non-timber forest product opportunities, forest-based educational programming, and environmental conservation outcomes. As an established conservation nonprofit with demonstrated expertise in forest acquisition and management, Great Peninsula Conservancy leverages a required non-federal cost-share contribution to maximize the federal investment. This award represents one component of the organization's broader portfolio of federally-funded conservation projects totaling approximately $4.3 million across multiple U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service and U.S. Department of Interior Fish and Wildlife Service initiatives.