2023 Enviva Forest Conservation Fund Request for Proposals

Deadline for proposals is March 10, 2023

The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (Endowment) today released a new Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Enviva Forest Conservation Fund (the Fund). $500,000 funding will be awarded to protect bottomland hardwood and other wetland forests in eastern North Carolina and southeast Virginia.

This is the eighth cycle of a $5 million, 10-year program launched by Enviva and the Endowment in 2015. Not-for-profit organizations, government agencies, and tribes are eligible to apply for grants. The deadline for proposals is March 10, 2023. The RFP and additional materials are available on the Endowment’s website.

“The Enviva Forest Conservation Fund continues to hold true to its mission—conserving sensitive wetland forests that are at risk of threat due to land conversion, invasive species, the impact of climate change, and other issues. In these areas of North Carolina and Virginia, these forests are vital to biodiversity, outdoor recreation, clean water, and countless additional functions on which these affected communities rely,” said Teal Edelen, Program Officer at the Endowment. “These efforts, combined with those of on-the-ground conservation groups, will help conserve these special forests for many years to come.”

“As we enter into our 8^th year supporting the Enviva Forest Conservation Fund, I am immensely proud of the projects funded, the acres protected and conserved, and the milestones we’ve achieved along the way,” said Thomas Meth, President and CEO of Enviva. “I am amazed by the wide range of environmental and economic benefits provided by the EFCF and applied to these magnificent ecosystems within our operating footprint.”

Since its inception in 2015, the Enviva Forest Conservation Fund has supported 29 projects with approximately $3.2 million invested. The projects funded to date by the Fund have protected about 31,000 acres across North Carolina and Virginia. These protected forests help provide a clean drinking water source, act as a buffer to infrastructure during storms, and provide critical habitats for many species of wildlife while at the same time providing jobs and economic opportunities for rural families and private landowners.

About the Enviva Forest Conservation Fund

The Enviva Forest Conservation Fund is a $5 million, 10-year program established by Enviva in December 2015 to protect environmentally sensitive bottomland and wetland forests. Administered by the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities, the Fund awards grants annually to nonprofit organizations and government agencies for conservation projects. Learn more at http://envivaforestfund.org.

About the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities

The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities is a not-for-profit public charity working collaboratively with partners in the public and private sectors to advance systemic, transformative, and sustainable change for the health and vitality of the nation’s working forests and forest-reliant communities. To learn more about the Endowment, please visit our website at www.usendowment.org.

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