Funding for Private Landowners to Plant the Forests of the Future
The purpose of this grant program is to increase the amount of forested land in New York State to help address climate change, protect air and water quality, increase access to a renewable resource, support local economies, mitigate impacts from extreme heat and flooding, and more. Approximately 97% of New York State land that is available for establishing new forests is privately owned, making private landowners a crucial partner in meeting the reforestation goals outlined in the Climate Act’s Scoping Plan.
Through ELF, private landowners can apply for financial assistance to establish new forests on properties with 5 acres or more that are not currently forested. This is a reimbursement program, so all costs would be covered by the landowner or fiscal sponsor first and then they would be refunded.
More information for bidders/applicants, including further details on each of the sections below, can be found in the Bid Document/Request for Applications (PDF). Please also see the Q&A document (PDF), which was periodically updated until the end of the open questions period that closed on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, at 3 p.m.
Recently, NRCS updated it’s EQIP guidance documents to 2025 iterations and removed the 2024 versions that were used to develop the ELF RFB. For consistency and quicker reference, here are the 2024 NRCS EQIP rates (PDF) and 2024 NRCS EQIP Practice Scenarios (PDF) documents that are cited within the ELF RFB.
As referenced in the RFB, these are Federal Attachment A-3 Federal Terms (PDF) for the Establishing Large Forests Grant Opportunity.
Webinar for Interested Bidders
A webinar about project eligibility and the bidding process (including info on the use of the Statewide Financial System) was held from 10 a.m. to noon on Thursday, November 14, 2024. A recording of the webinar is available for those who could not attend.
Program Overview
Eligibility
Eligible bidders include:
Non-industrial private landowners,
Land Trusts, and
Companies or organizations acting on behalf of non-industrial private landowners. Examples include:
Quasi-government agencies (e.g., SWCD)
Private forestry business
Natural resource business focused on tree planting
Not-for-profit (NFP) corporations (qualified under Section 501(c)(3) of the federal Internal Revenue Code)
Companies or organizations acting on behalf of non-industrial private landowners must accept full responsibility for the project, including meeting post-award requirements needed for contract execution, receiving and disbursing funds related to the grant, executing the project deliverables, and reporting on grant activity.
Before awarded projects may be implemented, the awardee must:
- Submit a Customer Data Worksheet (AD-2047);
- Certify highly erodible land conservation (HEL) and wetland conservation (WC) compliance through Form AD-1026; and
- Obtain a Farm Service Agency Farm ID, Tract ID(s), and Field ID(s) from your local USDA Service Center.
As a part of these requirements a copy of your subsidiary print form, which can be obtained from the local USDA FSA office, is required to be submitted to DEC each year by the awardee for reimbursement. To find your local FSA office, use the USDA’s service center locator.
DEC will also conduct an environmental evaluation for the project (CPA-52) and highly erodible land/wetland determinations that may impact the project. If this is the case, there may be a need for changes to the project and/or a contract amendment prior to the commencement of work.
Eligible Projects
Projects must involve planting trees to establish new forests on 5 acres or more of privately owned, unforested land. The project area does not have to be contiguous, however, it must all be on the same property, or contiguous properties under the same ownership. Projects may include practices such as installing deer exclosures, site preparation, treatments of interfering vegetation and invasive species, and/or temporary watering infrastructure to ensure planting success.
Please see the Commercial Tree Species of New York for a list of approved tree species for this grant program. Substitutions may be allowed with DEC approval. Bidders must work with a forester or other natural resource professional to develop their project. Find a DEC cooperating forester. Lands owned by the state, county, city or any other municipality or governmental entity are not eligible for this opportunity. Grant funding CANNOT be used to establish or maintain orchards, landscaping, nurseries, or Christmas tree farms.
Awards
Minimum grant amount per project is $30,000; Maximum grant amount per project is $750,000.
Match Requirements
There is NO match requirement for this grant.
Reimbursement
This is a reimbursement grant program. All costs must be incurred by the landowner, company or organization acting on behalf of the landowner prior to reimbursement. Landowners or fiscal sponsors can be reimbursed for up to 100% of eligible project expenses that are incurred after the grant is awarded. Reimbursement may take up to 30 days from receipt by DEC. Costs for projects that occur before the grant is awarded cannot be reimbursed.
Bidding Process
Only one project grant is allowed per property. However, a bidder with multiple non-contiguous properties may apply for a project grant for each property, provided they are all submitted under one bid (e.g., a single bid with 3 projects on 3 separate properties, each with a maximum award of $750,000, for up to a total bid amount of $2,250,000).
All bids must be submitted through the Statewide Financial System (SFS). Paper bids will not be accepted. Bidders must register in SFS before they can apply and not-for-profits must also prequalify before the application deadline or their grant proposal will not be evaluated. Bids are no longer being accepted for the ELF Grant opportunity.
Resources for bidders, including instructional videos, live webinars, and supporting documents, are available on the SFS website. Bidders may also review our Establishing Large Forests Bid Checklist (PDF) to help them assemble any required supporting documentation in advance of applying. Questions regarding registration, prequalification, and submitting bids should be directed to (855) 233-8363 or email [email protected].
Announcement of awards anticipated for the summer of 2025.
Program Questions
Questions about ELF should be directed to:
Ian Crisman
Program Coordinator
NYSDEC, Lands and Forests
(518) 402-8496
[email protected]
