OSI Northeast Resilient Landscapes Initiative Fund Grant

The OSI Northeast Resilient Landscapes Initiative Fund supports conservation projects in New England, the mid-Atlantic, and Central Appalachians aimed at preserving biodiversity amidst climate change. This fund provides grants and loans to nonprofits for acquiring climate-resilient lands, enhancing ecological connectivity. Projects must meet specific criteria regarding landscape resilience and stewardship to be eligible. By focusing on high-priority areas, the initiative ensures effective use of resources to safeguard vital habitats and species.

OSI partners with conservation organizations in the Northeast to assemble networks of protected lands most likely to preserve plant and animal diversity in a changing climate. The Fund supports projects in four focus areas in New England, the mid-Atlantic, and the Central Appalachians offering the greatest opportunity to conserve missing links for resiliency in the overall landscape.
Grant Opportunities
The Fund provides capital grants and loans to qualified non-profits for the acquisition of land or conservation easements on climate-resilient lands, capitalized with a grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Through an in-depth review process, we selected four focus areas in order to target funds most effectively. A fact brochure with maps for each focus area can be downloaded:

• Potomac Headwaters – West Virginia & Virginia
• Highlands and Kittatinny Ridge – New Jersey & Pennsylvania
• Middle Connecticut River – Vermont & Massachusetts
• Southern New Hampshire & Maine Forests

Eligibility

To determine eligibility and assess a project’s resiliency attributes, applicants will use the newest data and produce maps with a new TNC Mapping Tool. The Definitions and Map Guide defines and explains resiliency concepts, details map requirements, and provides examples. Projects must be in one of the four focus areas and meet all of the following Threshold Criteria:Lie within an OSI Resilient Focus Area.Rank above average for Landscape Resilience.Achieve permanent protection of high resilience habitat through fee purchase of land or a conservation easement.Meet or exceed OSI Conservation Easement Standards.Be spearheaded by an organization with the capacity and financial ability to execute the transaction and ensure long-term stewardship and management of the property consistent with the Fund’s objectives.Be completed within 18 months of receiving notification of OSI’s grant award.Match Property EligibilityTo be eligible as match, a property must: be adjacent or proximate to the subject property; meet the Fund’s criteria; be part of a larger plan that includes conservation of the match and subject properties; and close prior to the closing of the subject property but not more than one year before date of application. In addition, to determine eligibility of match parcels OSI will consider whether the match and the subject properties lie in the same watershed, geophysical setting, TNC Resilient Focal Area, Forest Matrix Block, natural community and/or State Wildlife Action Plan priority area.Eligible Uses of FundsGrants may be used to acquire permanent conservation easements and fee interest in land. In exceptional cases, grants may be applied to cover transactional costs, including cost of appraisals, surveys, title, and environmental assessments. The Fund may also provide short-term low-interest loans for projects that require bridge financing and that meet the grant criteria. Grant funds cannot be used for endowments, stewardship costs, baseline documentation reports, staff time, buildings or other non-capital project expenses.

Ineligibility

Grant funds cannot be used for endowments, stewardship costs, baseline documentation reports, staff time, buildings or other non-capital project expenses.The following do not qualify as matching funds:Ecological or land restoration dollarsStewardship endowments and land management expensesStaff time, travel or expenses