The Virginia Outdoors Foundation (VOF) is accepting grant proposals for projects in Southwest Virginia that protect or restore forest land in areas affected by the development of the Mountain Valley Pipeline. The grants are from VOF’s Forest CORE Fund, which was established in 2018 with funds negotiated by the Commonwealth of Virginia and the pipeline’s developers to mitigate forest fragmentation caused by the project.
The grant round seeks to disburse $4 million from the fund. The deadline for applications is January 22, 2025. A map of the project scope area can be found at https://www.vof.org/protect/grants/terra/fcf-mvp/.
Any forest land preserved, established, or enhanced using funding from this grant program must be protected from conversion in perpetuity and managed for the health of the forest ecosystem, which includes restrictions on timber harvesting.
Eligible applicants include state and federal agencies, localities, public entities, park authorities, planning district commissions, regional public access authorities, tribal councils, soil and water conservation districts, and charitable corporations, associations, or trusts declared exempt from taxation pursuant to 26 U. S. C. A. §501 (c) (3).
Grant criteria was developed with input from a broad group of stakeholders in the Mountain Valley Pipeline region. Stakeholders include all directly impacted localities, planning districts, soil and water conservation districts, land trusts covering the region, local foresters, as well as the U.S. Forest Service. In addition, input was sought from Virginia’s United Land Trusts, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, the Nature Conservancy, the Conservation Fund, and the other mitigation partners named in the agreements (U.S. Endowment for Forestry & Communities, the Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and Virginia Endowment for the Environment).
VOF will host a one-hour Forest CORE Fund Grant Workshop Webinar on Tuesday, December 10, 2024 from 1:00-2:00 p.m. The webinar will address key program requirements and criteria, provide guidance on material to submit with the application and share tips on navigating the grant portal. Registration is required. Click here or visit the link below to register.
Learn more, download program materials, and apply online at https://www.vof.org/protect/grants/terra/fcf-mvp/.
