Federal grant programs / Department of Agriculture

Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP) (10.922)

• Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$24.0 million
• Grant awards41
• Typical award$200,365
• Awarded in FY 2025$0
• Size rank1255 of 1824
• Type of assistanceDirect payments for specified use

Key findings

• It is the 1255th largest of 1,824 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
• The 20 largest recipients received 104% of the money.
• Awards went to recipients in 13 states and territories.

What the program funds

The purpose of the Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP) is to assist landowners, on a voluntary basis, in restoring, enhancing and protecting forestland resources on private lands through easements, 30-year contracts and 10-year cost-share agreements. The objectives of HFRP are: 1. Promote the recovery of endangered and threatened species; under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) 2. Improve plant and animal biodiversity 3. Enhance carbon sequestration.

From the federal Assistance Listing. Read the full listing on SAM.gov.

Open opportunities

No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.

Rules from the program listing

Who can apply

NRCS, in coordination with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) or National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), will determine whether land is eligible for enrollment and whether once found eligible, the lands may be included in the program based on the likelihood of successful restoration, enhancement and protection of forest ecosystem functions and values when considering the cost of acquiring the easement, 30-year contract, or 10-year cost share agreement and the restoration, protection, enhancement, maintenance, and management costs. Land will be considered eligible for enrollment in the HFRP only if NRCS determines that:(i) Such private land will contribute to the restoration or enhancement of the habitat or otherwise measurably increase the likelihood of recovery for a selected species listed under section 4 of the ESA; and(ii) Such private land will contribute to the restoration or enhancement of the habitat or otherwise measurably improve the well-being of a selected species not listed under Section 4 of the ESA but is a candidate for such listing, or the selected species is a State-listed species, or is a species identified by the Chief for special consideration for funding. NRCS may also enroll land adjacent to eligible land if the enrollment of such adjacent land would contribute significantly to the practical administration of the easement area, but not more than it determines is necessary for such contribution.

Continue reading on SAM.gov

What the money can and cannot pay for

HFRP restoration agreements and easements are designed for working forest lands. HFRP is a voluntary program to assist landowners in restoring, enhancing and maintaining forest ecosystems on private lands through easements, contracts, and restoration agreements. Easements, contracts and restoration agreements shall be maintained in accordance with HFRP goals and objectives for the duration of the restoration agreement and easement including the restoration, protection, enhancement, maintenance, and management of habitat for listed species within a forest ecosystem's functions and values.

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Deadlines

Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate for application deadlines

Award range and average, in the agency's words

The average estimated cost per acre for easement acquisition was approximately $1,048.

Examples of funded projects

Fiscal Year2025: Fiscal Year 2025: HFRP funds were allocated to acquire two HFRP easements on an additional 171 acres located at the corner of Michigan, Indiana and Ohio’s border. Applications were enrolled in spring 2024 with an anticipated spring 2025 closing. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) through their Partners program has restored critical wetland habitats for the copperbelly watersnake and the planned HFRP restoration will establish forested vegetation in areas that are currently cropland.

Quoted from the program's federal Assistance Listing. The notice of funding opportunity is the official source for each competition's rules.

Who usually wins

Nonprofits received 68% of the money, colleges and universities 29% and small businesses 2.2%.

By state

5 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards. They are North Carolina, Mississippi, Virginia, West Virginia and Arkansas.

Award amounts are federal obligations reported to USAspending.gov for fiscal 2021 to 2025; see how our data works.