The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) are soliciting proposals for funding consideration in FY2016 within the Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership (LRP) Program. The program’s intent is to encourage and enable cross-boundary restoration through collaboration between FS and NRCS, as well as our many state, local, non-governmental, tribal, and individual landowner stakeholders.

The objectives of the LRP program are to:

  • Reduce and mitigate wildfire threats to communities and landowners
  • Protect water quality and supply for communities and industry
  • Improve habitat quality for at-risk or ecosystem surrogate species

Selected projects are designed to measurably improve the health and resiliency of forest and rangeland ecosystems. Projects leverage technical and financial resources between agencies and with our partners to complete on-the-ground accomplishments across jurisdictional boundaries. Successful projects utilize this program to focus investment by both agencies within a 3-year period and to coordinate and accelerate efforts within a shared landscape. The spatial and timing linkages of these projects enable cumulative impacts to be more beneficial and efficient.

Eligibility requirements for proposals in FY2016 include:

  • Proposals must be jointly signed and submitted by the NRCS State Conservationist and USFS Regional Forester or Forest Supervisor.
  • Proposals must include at minimum a combination of activities on private land, and National Forest System and/or state land.
  • Proposed activities must include land treatments, and education, outreach, and/or coordination activities on public, state, tribal, and/or private land.
  • Projects may be up to 3-years in length; however allocations are made on an annual basis and there is no guarantee of funding in subsequent years.

Proposals should be completed by October 30 and submitted electronically to NRCS Conservation Initiative Coordinator Luther Jones, and Elizabeth Reinhardt, Assistant Director, Fire and Aviation Management at USFS. An optional proposal template has been provided.