Funding for Private Landowners to Grow the Forests of the Future
The purpose of this grant program is to support landowners in restoring their forests or assist with establishing new forests. Healthy forests cover provide vital services to our communities, such as clean water, wildlife habitat, a sustainable economic resource, and is an essential tool in mitigating the impacts of climate change. Today, New York forests face challenges to regeneration including:
- deer browse- deer consuming tree seeds and young trees;
- competing vegetation- which shades out seeds and young trees, limiting germination and restricting tree growth;
- extreme weather events- hotter and drier growing seasons paired with more intense rain events, which weaken trees, making it more difficult for them to defend against insects and disease outbreaks.
Active management of our forests is essential to increase the health and resiliency of New York’s forests and the continued regeneration of young trees into the future.
Through Regenerate NY, landowners can apply for financial assistance for projects on their land that support the establishment and renewal of healthy forests. New this year, grants will follow a new system called a Performance Based Payment. This new payment structure will allow landowners to receive partial advance payments to carry out planned work, by submitting workplans and budgets at the beginning of the planning process. Funds will be released each year of the project following the workplan and annual reports.
More information for applicants, including further details on each of the sections below, can be found in the Request for Applications (RFA).
