The National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, (NUCFAC) announces a new approach and format for the U.S. Forest Service's National Urban and Community Forestry Challenge cost share grant program:

After more than a decade of successful grant-making, the National Urban and Community Advisory Council will overhaul their criteria for the U. S. Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry challenge cost share grant program for 2009.

“The world of urban and community forestry grows and changes everyday, and our grant program must adapt too,” said Joe Wilson, chair of NUCFAC.  “Over the past few years, we’ve witnessed a trend toward increasing cooperation and partnerships among our stakeholders.” 

The new Urban and Community Forestry challenge cost share grant program is designed to reflect this change, and implement new procedures that reduce the paperwork burden on potential grantees.  Grants for 2009 will be solicited in two categories:

The 2009 Program

Innovation Grants
NUCFAC anticipates recommending a small number of significant grants intended to address, on a national or regional level, the highest priority issues confronting the UC&F community.  NUCFAC will seek proposals from organizations and partnerships that demonstrate the reach, resources and expertise needed to deliver meaningful, replicable results.  As much as $500,000 would be available in 2009 for one or more Innovation Grants.

NUCFAC is in the process of identifying priority issues that might be addressed through Innovation Grants in 2009.  Please forward any suggestions to Nancy Stremple, nstremple@fs.fed.us  by Close of Business, (C.O.B.), October 30, 2008.   

2009 Best Practices Grants
Smaller grants up to $50,000 for organizations that can implement, demonstrate, and disseminate replicable approaches to:

• Recruit advocates for urban forestry;
• Make best practices/latest science in urban forestry accessible to practitioners;
• Nurture networks of urban forestry practitioners within existing conservation; organizations, professional societies,  social networks, and internet communities;
• Address other challenges to the U&CF community.

The Process

As in the past, a 50 percent match is required from all successful applicants of nonfederal funds, in-kind services, and/or materials.

Innovation Grants

Pre-proposals will be required for Innovation Grants.  We anticipate that all finalists, as a group, will have an opportunity to discuss the grant process with NUCFAC members in a pre-award conference or conference call.  NUCFAC will empanel an expert committee to assist in reviewing pre-proposals.

Best Practices Grants

To relieve what has become a substantial paperwork burden, no pre-proposals will be required for these grants.  Instead, applicants will be invited to submit a single proposal.  Forest Services regional Urban and Community Forestry coordinators will each review all proposals, and submit comments and priority rankings to NUCFAC.  NUCFAC will select finalist grantees and recommend them for approval to the Forest Service.

Timetable
 
The announcement of the 2009 Challenge Grant Program is planned for late November, 2008.  At that time, more details about application requirements, criteria for judging proposals, and priorities for Innovation Grants will be available at:

 www.grants.gov

If interested applicants are not already registered in grants.gov, we encourage them to register now.   The process may take up to two weeks to collect the required information.