Grants / Department of Agriculture / Forest Service

USDA-FS-2026-CFP: Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program

Closed Closed October 13, 2026 Opportunity USDA-FS-2026-CFP ☆ Save

This grant is closed. Who won this program's grants before is below, and similar open grants are at the end of the page. It is in our archive of Forest Service notices from 2026.

• Award ceiling$600,000
• Award floor$1
• Total funding$5.0 million
• Cost sharingRequired
• Funding typeGrant

Key dates

Who can apply

This opportunity was open to nonprofits, state and local governments and tribes.

• City or township governments
• Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
• Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education

Eligible local governments are any municipal government, county government, or other local government with jurisdiction over local land use decisions. Eligible Indian Tribes are federally recognized Indian tribes and Alaska Native Corporations. Qualified nonprofit organizations eligible for this opportunity are organizations that are consistent with Section 170(h)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and operates in accordance with one or more of the conservation purposes.

More grants for nonprofits, state and local governments, tribes.

Is this a realistic fit?

• Past Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program (CFP) awards averaged $363,061; this notice allows up to $600,000 per award.
• Most of the program's money (63% over five years) went to nonprofits.
• The notice requires cost sharing or matching funds, so you must contribute part of the project cost.

What the grant funds

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service, State, Private & Tribal Forestry, is requesting applications for the Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program (Community Forest Program or CFP). CFP is a competitive grant program that provides financial assistance to Indian Tribes, local governments, and qualified conservation non-profit organizations to establish community forests through the fee simple acquisition of private forest land. The purpose of the program is to establish community forests by protecting forestland from conversion to non-forest uses and provide community benefits including public recreation, environmental and economic benefits, and forest-based educational programs. Public access is required for all projects. Applications are not submitted electronically via Grants.gov. The full Notice of Funding Opportunity and supporting documents (including scoring guidance and FAQs) are available under the 'Related Documents' tab of this listing and can be downloaded. To apply, interested local government and nonprofit applicants must submit applications to the State Forester where the property is located. Tribal applicants must submit applications to equivalent Tribal government officials. All applications must be received by State Foresters or Tribal governments by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on Tuesday, October 13, 2026. All applicants must also send an e-mail to SM.FS.CFP@usda.gov to confirm that an application has been submitted. State Foresters or Tribal government officials must forward applications to the appropriate Forest Service Regional office or International Institute of Tropical Forestry by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on Tuesday, October 27, 2026. Projects must conform to laws and authorities in Section 7A of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act ([16 U.S.C. 2103d] Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program) as amended.

Category: Natural Resources.

Applying now

This notice no longer takes applications. Agencies often post the same opportunity again under a new number, so check the program's notices on Grants.gov and the similar open grants below.

The notice on Grants.gov keeps its full text and attachments, which is useful for planning a resubmission.