(WNY News Now) – The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is offering $4.5 million in funding to help private landowners establish new forests, a crucial step in combating climate change and preserving natural resources.
DEC announced $4.5 million is now available through the Establishing Large Forests (ELF) Grant Program for private landowners to establish new forests. ELF expands on New York State’s popular Regenerate NY Forestry Cost Share Grant Program and is designed to support the creation of new forests crucial for mitigating climate change, providing wildlife habitat, protecting air and water quality, and supplying timber, an important renewable resource.
Under the new grant opportunity, private landowners (or their representatives) with five or more acres of unforested land in New York State may apply for a minimum of $30,000 up to a maximum of $750,000 to reimburse costs for establishing new forests. Eligible projects include but are not limited to preparing sites and planting trees and associated forest vegetation, removing competing or invasive vegetation interfering with seedling establishment and growth, and protecting new plantings from deer browse with fencing. Additional consideration will be given to applications with projects that cover large areas.
Applicants must work with a forester or a qualified natural resource professional to develop their projects and must agree to maintain the new forest for at least 15 years. ELF is managed by DEC’s Division of Lands and Forests.
Applications will be accepted until 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. Applications must be submitted through the SFS Grants Management System (SFS). Those wishing to apply need to establish an account in SFS. Once registered, search SFS for “Establishing Large Forests” or “ELF.” For more details about the grant opportunity, including application and scoring criteria, visit DEC’s website or email largeforests@dec.ny.gov.
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