Central Appalachia Habitat Stewardship Program Grant

The Central Appalachia Habitat Stewardship Program aims to restore and sustain healthy forests, rivers, and streams to support diverse native bird and aquatic species. Funded by major organizations including the Richard King Mellon Foundation, this initiative focuses on improving forest management and stream health to enhance wildlife populations. Strategies include engaging landowners through education and financial assistance, targeting species like the golden-winged warbler and brook trout to ensure ecological balance and habitat connectivity.

Background
The Central Appalachia Habitat Stewardship Program will award grants to voluntarily restore and sustain healthy forests, rivers and streams that provide habitat for diverse native bird and aquatic species populations. Major funding is provided by the Richard King Mellon Foundation, USDA’s Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This year, additional funding is provided by Altria Group and Cleveland-Cliffs.
The overall goal of the program is to improve the quality and connectivity of forest and freshwater habitat to increase the distribution and abundance of birds, fish, and other wildlife, as evidenced by a suite of species that are collectively indicators of forest and freshwater habitat condition. The program aims to:
Improve the voluntary management of public and private forestlands to create blocks with a mosaic of mixed-aged forests that support a diversity of bird and wildlife species, especially targeting golden-winged warbler, wood thrush, and cerulean warbler; and Improve stream health by voluntarily removing passage barriers, restoring riparian buffers, and improving water quality and hydrology to bolster populations of brook trout, eastern hellbender and freshwater mussels.
Applicants are encouraged to deploy a range of strategies to engage public and private landowners in active stewardship through technical and financial assistance, demonstrations, education and outreach, and other innovative approaches.

Eligibility

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