Authorized by statute in the cooperative forestry assistance act (PL 95-313, as amended), this consolidated payment grant (CPG) is the primary award instrument through which the USDA works with and…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, Region 8 - Southern Region, awarded $6.18M to the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services under the Cooperative Forestry Assistance program (CFDA 10.664) on September 5, 2025, with a completion date of September 4, 2030. This consolidated payment grant supports a portfolio of forest management and stewardship initiatives across North Carolina's state, private, and municipal forest lands, including the Forest Stewardship Program, Forest Health Protection Program, Urban & Community Forestry Program, State Fire Capacity Program, Volunteer Fire Capacity Program, and Landscape Scale Restoration Program.

Through this grant, the awardee delivers direct technical and financial assistance to non-federal land managers, private forest landowners, municipalities, and volunteer fire organizations to accomplish forest health objectives. Key services include wildfire prevention and suppression support, hazardous fuels reduction, forest pest and disease management, invasive species control, and sustainable timber production. The award supports the state forestry agency's capacity to cooperatively establish management priorities and implement on-the-ground forest stewardship activities that benefit both non-federal forest lands and broader federal forest health objectives across the region.

Authorized by statute in the cooperative forestry assistance act (PL 95-313, as amended), this consolidated payment grant (CPG) is the primary award instrument through which the USDA works with and through the north carolina forest service to cooperatively set priorities for and implement management programs on state, private, and municipal forest lands that directly and indirectly benefit the health of federal forest land and the nation s forests. This award consists of the forest stewardship program, forest health protection program, urban & community forestry program, state fire capacity program, volunteer fire capacity program, and landscape scale restoration program funding add/remove relevant programs. Through this award, direct assistance is provided to non-federal land managers, producers, private forest landowners, and municipalities to fight fires, reduce fire risk, fight damaging insects and diseases, produce timber, and steward their forests.