Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program
Administered by Hannah Bergemann Grantor, this agriculture & rural grant invites applications from nonprofits and other eligible applicants, with applications due Oct 13, 2026. It provides awards up to $1–$600K.
Go to the Grants.gov listingOpportunity description
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.
Who can apply
- Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- City or township governments
- Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
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.
Funding
Agency contact
Ready to apply?
Submission is handled entirely on Grants.gov. Open the official listing below to see the full notice, required forms, and the authoritative deadline.
Official Grants.gov listingInformation here comes from the public Grants.gov dataset, which is U.S. government public-domain data, and is shared for general guidance only. VolunteerBadge neither administers grants nor speaks for any agency — confirm everything on the official listing before applying.