On September 27, the USDA, DOI, and DOC released a joint report entitled Recommendations for Regional Economic Development Through Sustainable Forest Products and Outdoor Recreation. Find the full report here.
This report outlines strategies to support rural communities dependent on forests and outdoor recreation through federal initiatives. It was developed in response to Executive Order 14072, which aims to strengthen forests, communities, and local economies.
Key Themes:
- Sustainable Forest Products:Support for sustainable forest management, restoration, and innovative wood products like mass timber and biofuels. Programs promote rural job creation, environmental stewardship, and forest resilience.
- Outdoor Recreation Economy:Focus on enhancing recreation infrastructure and creating jobs through the growing outdoor recreation sector. Investments aim to improve public access to federal lands and develop rural recreation economies.
Recommendations:
- Coordination across federal agencies: Align resources to improve access to funding for sustainable forest and recreation projects.
- Capacity Building: Address barriers like workforce shortages and infrastructure gaps in rural communities.
- Sustainability and Equity: Prioritize climate resilience, sustainable practices, and equitable access to federal funding, particularly for underserved communities.
Funding Opportunities Related to These Strategies:
1. Innovative Finance for National Forests Grant Program
- Eligible Applicants: Non-federal organizations, including nonprofits, local and tribal governments, and public-private partnerships.
- Award Range: Varies depending on the project scope; past awards have ranged from $50,000 to over $500,000.
- Fundable Activities: Development of partnership models that leverage external capital to enhance resilience of National Forest System lands. Projects may include financing mechanisms for forest restoration, recreation infrastructure, or wood product market development.
2. Wood Innovations Grants Program
- Eligible Applicants: State, local, and tribal governments; nonprofits; academic institutions; and businesses.
- Award Range: Typically $50,000 to $250,000.
- Fundable Activities: Projects that expand wood product manufacturing, develop markets for innovative wood products, and support wood energy systems. This includes mass timber production, cross-laminated timber, and wood-based biofuels.
3. Community Wood Grants Program
- Eligible Applicants: State, local, and tribal governments, nonprofits, and businesses.
- Award Range: Up to $1 million per project.
- Fundable Activities: Development of community-scale wood energy systems, sawmills, and wood product manufacturing facilities. These projects support the local processing of wood byproducts, create jobs, and strengthen forest management.
4. Recreation Economy for Rural Communities Program
- Eligible Applicants: Rural communities, including local governments, regional planning organizations, and economic development organizations.
- Award Range: Planning assistance only, no direct funding.
- Fundable Activities: Provides technical assistance for community-driven plans to enhance outdoor recreation opportunities, revitalize main streets, and develop sustainable economies based on recreation.
5. Great American Outdoors Act
- Eligible Applicants: Federal agencies, but benefits extend to local contractors, tribes, and state partners involved in recreation infrastructure projects.
- Award Range: Varies by project.
- Fundable Activities: Maintenance and improvement of public lands and recreational facilities. Projects include campground upgrades, trail maintenance, and resilience projects in response to climate change.
6. Forest Products Infrastructure Assistance Program
- Eligible Applicants: Forest product facilities, sawmills, and other wood processing businesses.
- Award Range: Typically $500,000 to $5 million per project.
- Fundable Activities: Financial assistance to support the development of wood processing infrastructure, particularly in regions at high risk of wildfires. Funds can be used for equipment, facility upgrades, and expansion to increase capacity for processing wood from forest restoration projects.
7. Economic Development Administration (EDA) Public Works Program
- Eligible Applicants: District organizations, Indian tribes, state and local governments, nonprofits, and institutions of higher education.
- Award Range: Typically $600,000 to $3 million.
- Fundable Activities: Construction of public infrastructure, including roads, water and sewer systems, business incubators, and broadband expansion, to support economic growth in distressed communities.
8. EDA Economic Adjustment Assistance Program
- Eligible Applicants: Same as Public Works Program.
- Award Range: Up to $2 million for infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects.
- Fundable Activities: Economic recovery planning, technical assistance, construction of public works, and infrastructure improvements to support areas that have experienced sudden economic distress (e.g., natural disasters or major business closures).
9. Strengthening Recreation Economies in Gateway Communities Initiative
- Eligible Applicants: Rural communities, local businesses, tribal organizations, and regional planning organizations.
- Award Range: Planning assistance only.
- Fundable Activities: Supports economic development in rural communities adjacent to national forests by enhancing recreation infrastructure, improving quality of life, and promoting tourism.
10. Wood Products Infrastructure Assistance Program
- Eligible Applicants: Facilities that process wood byproducts from federal and tribal forest management projects.
- Award Range: $400 million total allocation under the BIL for wood processing infrastructure.
- Fundable Activities: Financial assistance to establish or expand facilities that use wood byproducts, thereby supporting restoration and wildfire risk reduction efforts.
11. Travel, Tourism, and Outdoor Recreation Program (EDA)
- Eligible Applicants: Local governments, tribes, and nonprofits.
- Award Range: Up to $10 million.
- Fundable Activities: Infrastructure improvements, workforce training, and marketing efforts to boost travel, tourism, and outdoor recreation in communities impacted by COVID-19.
12. Justice40 Initiative
- Eligible Applicants: Disadvantaged communities, including low-income and historically marginalized populations.
- Award Range: Varies by program.
- Fundable Activities: Investments in clean energy, sustainable housing, workforce development, and other projects that directly benefit disadvantaged communities. Funding streams under this initiative could include grants for recreation site improvements and urban forestry projects.
13. American Rescue Plan Act - EDA Travel, Tourism, and Outdoor Recreation
- Eligible Applicants: Local governments, tribes, and nonprofits.
- Award Range: Typically up to $1 million per award.
- Fundable Activities: Rebuilding and revitalizing tourism, travel, and outdoor recreation sectors affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
14. Conservation Finance Program (U.S. Forest Service)
- Eligible Applicants: Non-federal entities, including nonprofits, tribal entities, and private businesses.
- Award Range: Variable.
- Fundable Activities: Innovative funding models to support forest restoration, product market development, and recreation infrastructure. Examples include environmental markets, user fees, and partnerships with private investors.
The report was summarized by ChatGPT and reviewed by GMA staff for the purposes of this post.