Grants / Department of Agriculture / Forest Service

Great Lakes Restoration Initiative: Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program

Open Closes December 8, 2026 (38 days left) Opportunity USDA-FS-2026-GLRI-CFP

• Award ceiling$1.0 million
• Award floornot stated
• Expected awards6
• Total funding$3.5 million
• Cost sharingRequired
• Funding typeGrant

Key dates

Add the deadline to your calendar

Who can apply

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

• County governments
• 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

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

Is this a realistic fit?

• The notice requires cost sharing or matching funds, so you must contribute part of the project cost.

What the grant funds

Federally recognized Indian Tribes, local government entities, and nonprofit organizations that are qualified to acquire and manage land may apply for up to $1,000,000 for the fee simple acquisition of private forest land in portions of the Lake Superior Basin of Michigan and Wisconsin. Projects submitted for funding consideration must be forested properties at least five acres in size that are threatened by conversion to non-forest uses and that provide community benefits including economic, environmental, educational, and recreational benefits. An additional focus of this opportunity is to protect, enhance and increase resilience of habitats necessary for sustaining native aquatic and terrestrial species important to the Lake Superior ecosystem. Competitive proposals will be those that demonstrate exceptional public benefits, meaningful community engagement, and strategic contributions to terrestrial habitat connectivity within the defined Terrestrial Habitat Connectivity Pilot Area. For additional information and requirements, please refer to the Notice of Funding Opportunity document linked in both the "Related Documents" tab and the "Instructions" link located in the "Package" tab.

Category: Community Development, Environment, Natural Resources, Recreation and Tourism.

How to apply

1. Read the full notice and attachments on Grants.gov. The notice is the official source for deadlines and requirements.
2. Make sure your organization has an active SAM.gov registration and Unique Entity ID; registration can take several weeks.
3. Register on Grants.gov and submit through Workspace before the deadline and time given in the notice. Our application guide walks through each step.

Questions go to Liam M Krause, Grantor, liam.krause@usda.gov, 4142384843.

Open the official notice