February 2019 - U.S. Endowment for Forestry & Communities, Inc.

U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities, Greenville, SC

For IMMEDIATE RELEASE (February 27, 2019)

The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (Endowment) today announced the launch of the first in a series of podcasts – a team effort with Leadership Nature Podcast – to highlight the people and successes of the Sustainable Forestry and African-American Land Retention program (SFLR). A partnership between the Endowment and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and USDA Forest Service (USFS), the SFLR program was established in 2013 as an effort to aid African-American landowners in turning their forested properties into economic assets. The program capitalizes on innovative partnerships between local, state, and federal organizations to assist landowners in this process.

Hosted by leadership expert and forester, Tom Davidson, the Leadership Nature podcast features voices from “every neck of the woods” in forestry and natural resources. The SFLR Series – Season Seven – of the podcast features the landowners, educators, and administrators of the SFLR program and will include perspectives of those who have built, participated in, and benefitted from this award-winning program. Every Wednesday, another member of the SFLR community will be featured and will share their lessons of leadership, teamwork, and stewardship. The Endowment’s President and CEO Carlton Owen was interviewed on the Leadership Nature podcast in September 2016.

“The success of SFLR stems directly from the people who have been an integral part of the program. We are incredibly proud to have supported SFLR in partnership with the great folks at NRCS and USFS since its inception,” said Endowment Senior Vice President Alicia Cramer. “This podcast series provides first-hand perspectives on how SFLR empowers African-American families and communities to retain rural family land ownership, enhance forest health, and build intergenerational wealth.”

SFLR offers a variety of support to landowners, including access to legal assistance and opportunities for sustainable forestry. To date, the program has supported eight project sites in seven states and more than 1,000 landowners. The participants own a combined 77,095 acres, and the project is focused on helping them retain that ownership. In July 2018, the program received the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary’s Award for Public-Philanthropic Partnerships. The award recognizes exemplary partnerships between foundations and government that have been critical in transforming communities and improving lives.

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For more information contact:

Carlton N. Owen
President & CEO
+1-864-233-7646
carlton@runslikeclock.work

The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (the Endowment) 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 – www.usendowment.org

U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities, Greenville, SC
For IMMEDIATE RELEASE (February 19, 2019) – The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (Endowment) announced today the launch of its new website. The new site features a clean, uncluttered design, improved functionality and enhanced rich content focused on the Endowment’s mission – to work 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. The website goes live today, February 19, and is located at the same address: www.usendowment.org

“We are excited about the visually compelling story this website tells about the many initiatives, landscapes, and communities we touch through our programs and partnerships,” says Carlton Owen, Endowment President & CEO. “We hope that visitors gain an appreciation for the breadth and depth of our ongoing work for forests and the rural communities that rely on them.”

In addition to easy navigability, the new website features quick access to information on Endowment grants and current Requests for Proposals (RFPs), with a direct link on the homepage to any open RFPs. Currently, the 2019 Enviva Forest Conservation Fund is open and closes February 28, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. EST as is the call for proposals for the inaugural Forest Innovation Reviews (FIRz). Additionally, The Longleaf Ecosystem Occurrence Database – Field Data Collection RFP closes March 18, 2019.

The new website will be updated on a regular basis with news of project and partnership announcements, program updates, and other relevant topics. It also provides the Endowment’s latest Tweets on Twitter and a link to the recently completed interactive guide, State of America’s Forests. The website also highlights the stunning nature photography of Greenville, SC-based Mac Stone. Stone’s photographs of forested landscapes capture the underlying motivation of the Endowment’s work: healthy, productive working forests for people and the environment.

Explore the new website and sign up for direct emails from the Endowment at www.usendowment.org, as well as follow the Endowment on Twitter at: twitter.com/USEndowment.

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U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities, Greenville, SC
For IMMEDIATE RELEASE (February 14, 2019)

The U.S Endowment for Forestry and Communities (Endowment) requests proposals from qualified entities for oversight and coordination to ensure successful field data collection for development of the Longleaf Ecosystem Occurrence Database (LEO). LEO is being designed by the Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI) to support America’s Longleaf Restoration Initiative (ALRI). FNAI’s work is funded by USDA’S Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) with active support from ALRI partners.

Development of a comprehensive map of longleaf pine ecosystem occurrence and condition is a key objective of the Range-wide Conservation Plan for Longleaf Pine.

LEO is a central repository for longleaf pine ecosystem locations and their condition that can be used to track longleaf pine status over time and throughout its range. The successful applicant will use FNAI data collection protocols and work closely with and communicate frequently with FNAI on all aspects of this field data collection project.

The primary role of the field data collection contractor is to identify and coordinate survey crews, plan and manage logistics, and ensure efficient completion of rapid assessment surveys, largely via roadside, for longleaf pine occurrence and condition in designated areas. Priority is to be given to longleaf ecosystems with known or potential gopher tortoise habitat. Four priority landscapes in Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina are to be surveyed first, followed by 12 additional sites across the longleaf range.

The contractor will use a rapid assessment survey protocol, a mobile data collection app, and prescribed survey sites developed by FNAI. The contractor will work with FNAI, including participation in a training workshop, to ensure data quality and to facilitate transfer of field data to the LEO database.

This opportunity closes March 18, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern. Funding for this project is provided by NRCS.

The Request for Proposals and application form are available at the RFP tab at www.usendowment.org.

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For more information contact:

Peter Stangel
+1-404-915-2763
peter@runslikeclock.work

The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (the Endowment) 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. – www.USEndowment.org