Transitioning from Pilot to Operational under Stewardship by American Forest Foundation

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

For IMMEDIATE RELEASE (April 25, 2019) The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (Endowment) today announced that it would soon begin a long-planned transition of its highly-successful Sustainable Forestry and African-American Land Retention (SFLR) program to the American Forest Foundation (AFF). Launched in 2012 as a partnership between the Endowment, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and USDA Forest Service (USFS), SFLR has yielded significant results in helping to stem land loss, increase forest health, and build financial assets in the African-American landowner community across the southeastern U.S.  

The program’s successful work across seven – soon to be eight – states was founded on the great work of African-American-led community-based organizations with strong connections to minority families and institutions. These organizations built relationships of trust, assisted and educated landowners about opportunities, brokered forestry services, and monitored landowner progress toward sustainable forest management. Their work has helped minority forest owners not only retain their land but also become advocates for working forests to their neighbors.

As a catalytic organization – one that helps study and test solutions to needs in the forest sector – rather than an operating foundation that manages programs over the long-term, the Endowment has from the outset planned for SFLR to ultimately be nested within an organization that shared the vision and had alignment and ability to provide on-going program leadership and stewardship.  As part of this growth and to ensure a smooth transition, the seven grassroots organizations that are leading the work on the ground have formed a management network in collaboration with the Endowment, AFF, agency partners, and other philanthropic and industrial partners to take the program to the next level.

“Nothing gives our team more satisfaction than seeing that one of our collaborative efforts has achieved the power of the original vision and reached the point that it can be transitioned from a pilot to a vibrant, self-sustaining program,” said Carlton Owen, President and CEO of the Endowment. “The success of SFLR to date is indicative of the vision and commitment to overcome and reverse decades of exclusion that have left African-American forest landowners at high risk of losing their land while at the same time preventing them from seeing the power of that asset to benefit their families economically.”

Tom Martin, President and CEO of the American Forest Foundation shared, “Sustainable forestry provides a way for African-American landowners, many of whom have owned their land for generations, to maintain their deep ties with the land while at the same time deriving income from it and keeping it in the family for generations to come. AFF is honored and excited to be part of the next chapter of SFLR’s growth and success.”

“Often black landowners aren’t quite sure how to manage their land or deal with heirs’ property issues (lands pass down without a will and/or clear title). Our work through SFLR has helped Georgia landowners with land retention, forest protection and preservation, owners’ stewardship plans, timber harvesting, estate resolution, wildlife management, and soil conservation,” said John Littles, Executive Director of McIntosh Sustainable Environment and Economic Development (McIntosh SEED) and one of the SFLR leadership team members. “The best thing about this program is that it grows itself: once landowners see the value in participating, they share the news with their friends and neighbors.”

As of December 31, 2018, 1,076 black families collectively owning 77,095 acres were enrolled in SFLR programs across seven states.  These landowners receive services to restore forest health, resolve land tenure issues and threats, and sustainably build land-based family wealth. As part of the AFF family, the SFLR program will build on its strong foundation, reaching more landowners for continued growth and success as we all work to diversify the ranks and extend the benefits of forest stewardship to more American families of all creeds and colors.

Over the past year two major foundations have joined in funding SFLR’s on-the-ground partners – North Carolina-based Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation and effective on May 1, The JPB Foundation.  Alicia Cramer, the Endowment’s Senior Vice President who oversees SFLR noted, “We couldn’t be more thankful for these new funders who’ve joined the ranks of those who share a common vision of helping minority landowners achieve their land retention and stewardship goals.  With their support along with that of our federal, state, and local partners, and under AFF’s capable leadership, SFLR is well positioned for continued success.”

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The American Forest Foundation (AFF), a forest conservation organization, focuses on family forest owners, providing resources that support good stewardship through outreach, advocacy and its nationwide network of landowners and partners. Working with families, partners and elected officials, AFF promotes stewardship to keep forests healthy and producing clean water and air, wildlife habitat and sustainable wood supplies. AFF’s signature program, the American Tree Farm System® is the country’s largest sustainable woodland program with a network of 71,000 family forest owners managing 19 million acres of forestland. www.forestfoundation.org

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

For more information contact:
Carlton N. Owen
, President & CEO, 864-233-7646, carlton@runslikeclock.work

Enviva Forest Conservation Fund Helps Protect Threatened Habitat and High-Quality Watershed in Virginia

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

For IMMEDIATE RELEASE (April 23, 2019)

Greenville, S.C. A critical habitat for a threatened bat species will be preserved thanks in part to a $50,000 grant from the Enviva Forest Conservation Fund (the Fund) to the Virginia Outdoors Foundation (VOF). The award will go towards a $750,000 project to acquire and establish a conservation easement for the “Shand’s Tract,” 8,000 feet of frontage along the Nottoway River, as well as 425 acres of cypress and tupelo swampland. In addition to helping protect the tract, Enviva funds will be used to enhance public access by supporting the acquisition of a boat ramp which will be owned by the town of Courtland, Virginia, giving the public permanent access to the waterway.

The unique cypress swamp forest that will be preserved is of high ecological and conservation value. These bottomlands provide shelter for several species of bats most impacted by the white-nose syndrome; a fungal disease associated with the death of millions of bats. During late spring and summer, bats rely on the large mature trees for roosting and for rearing their young. The bats also provide a natural and economic benefit to farmers and foresters in the community by consuming tons of harmful insects and pests.

“Our mission at VOF is to encourage investment to promote the preservation of the many natural, scenic, historical, scientific, open-space and recreational areas of the Commonwealth,” said Brett Christina Glymph, Executive Director of the VOF. “In addition to providing a home for the bats, the riparian river frontage is a high priority watershed, as it is home to at least two documented threatened aquatic species and multiple neo-tropical and migratory bird species. We so appreciate the funding made available through the Enviva Forest Conservation Fund to conserve important habitats like this one in our state, as well as all of our partners in this project, including Ducks Unlimited and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service through the North American Wetlands Conservation Act.”

“At the Endowment, we are committed to both forests and the people that rely on them,” said Carlton Owen, President and CEO of the U. S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities. “These forests that will be protected are of significant value not only because they are home to threatened and endangered species, but because they also provide flood mitigation services and contribute to the quality of life for the communities that surround them.”

The Fund’s goal is to be a catalyst for investments in forest and habitat conservation in the southeastern Virginia region and North Carolina’s coastal plain. More than three years into the planned 10-year partnership, 13 projects have been funded with a total commitment of over $1.5 million, including the grant announced today. When these projects are completed, the Fund will have helped protect an estimated 17,000 acres of sensitive wetland forest and other habitats.

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About the Enviva Forest Conservation Fund The Enviva Forest Conservation Fund is a $5 million, 10-year program established by Enviva Holdings, LP 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 in North Carolina and Virginia. www.envivaforestfund.org     

About Virginia Outdoors Foundation (VOF) The Virginia Outdoors Foundation (VOF) is Virginia’s leader in land conservation, protecting nearly 850,000 acres in 109 counties and independent cities. VOF was established by the Virginia legislature in 1966 “to promote the preservation of open-space lands and to encourage private gifts of money, securities, land or other property to preserve the natural, scenic, historic, scientific, open-space and recreational areas of the Commonwealth.”

www.virginiaoutdoorsfoundation.org

For more information contact: Alicia Cramer, Senior Vice President, (205) 792-865, alicia@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 (April 16, 2019)

The U.S. Endowment with its partner the USDA Forest Service will host a webinar on Friday, April 26 at 2:00 PM Eastern to answer questions and discuss objectives for the Mass Timber University Grant Program (Grant Program) and related Request for Proposals (RFP) to promote the construction of mass timber buildings on institutions of higher education campuses across the U.S. The intent of the Grant Program is to inspire interest in and support for mass timber products among the architectural, developer and building communities as well as the public, by showcasing them in highly-visible projects on university campuses. The webinar will be an opportunity to ask questions and discuss the funders objectives for the program.

Register for the webinar here: https://cc.readytalk.com/r/asx61w83tj60&eom

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For more information contact:
Michael Goergen
, Vice President – Innovation, 864-233-7646, michael@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

As a founding member and proud sponsor of #ForestProud, the Endowment is a part of a diverse group of organizations from throughout the United States and Canada, committed to the health and future of forests. #ForestProud provides its members with a consistent pipeline of original content, including videos and animations, to build trust and pride in the forest sector.

U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities, Greenville, SC
For IMMEDIATE RELEASE (April 4, 2019) – Attracting the next generation of natural resource professionals and specifically consulting foresters is challenging. Ensuring that the next generation of professionals reflects the rich diversity found among family forest owners across the U.S. is even more so.

The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (Endowment) today announced the launch of its pilot “People of Color in Forestry Consulting Apprenticeship Program,” to expand the number of minorities among the ranks of consulting foresters.

The program is being field tested under an agreement between the Endowment and Wiregrass Ecological Associates, LLC (WEA), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Southern Forestry Consultants, Inc. (SFC). As part of the agreement, and to ensure the program begins on solid footing, the Endowment will provide WEA with a no interest loan of up to $50,000 over three years to aid in covering start-up costs while the first apprentice gains experience and builds the business. In addition, the Endowment will engage with both WEA and the apprentice to glean learnings that will allow program enhancements and the sharing of best practices with the broader community. In turn, WEA will engage the apprentice at a family-supporting wage, work with the candidate to develop and implement a robust training program, and provide feedback to the Endowment.

“Years of investment in our highly-successful Sustainable Forestry and African-American Land Retention Program designed to expand the ranks of black families engaged in active forest management, highlighted the disparity of minorities in the ranks of consulting foresters. Increasing the number of foresters and forestry technicians representing various people of color not only increases the number of bright young natural resource professionals overall – which is greatly needed – but it also increases the likelihood that more minority landowners will become interested and engaged in forest management,” said Carlton Owen, President and CEO of the Endowment. “When all is said and done, a talented and diverse army of consultants benefits both forests and the communities that rely on them.”

“The most common approach to trying to fill the void in foresters of color has been to establish recruiting programs and scholarships at forestry schools. And yet, even the most aggressive programs have had limited success,” said Austin Carroll, WEA Vice-President and Partner with SFC. “Moreover, emerging or recent graduates are often quickly snapped up by federal or state natural resources agencies or private companies. Our intent in partnering with the Endowment on this innovative program is to provide targeted training and support for promising young professionals to aid in early career development in consulting. We are excited to be the first company to take part in this important initiative to diversify our ranks and extend the reach of services to more landowners.”

Michael Wetzel, President of the Association of Consulting Foresters (ACF), noted, “The Endowment’s Apprenticeship program appears to be a great opportunity to engage people of color in the practice of professional consulting forestry. ACF welcomes such a program with hopes that we can aid in the development of such individuals while serving as a conduit for employment opportunities.”

The first apprentice in the program joined WEA on April 1. After working through the logistics of the pilot with WEA and the first participant, the Endowment’s Board will review results as it considers expanding the program with other firms and candidates interested in pursuing forestry consulting as a career.

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For more information contact:

Carlton N. Owen, President & CEO, 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-rich communities – www.usendowment.org

About Wiregrass Ecological Associates, LLC (WEA)

Wiregrass Ecological Associates is a leading environmental and ecological consultancy that delivers efficient and timely results for a wide variety of restoration ecology, wildlife management, and environmental compliance projects. Their team of certified wildlife and fisheries biologists, foresters, and ecologists offers a diverse suite of services that includes species and habitat conservation planning, natural resource management, forest ecology, lake management, aquatic ecology, and much more. WEA is committed to providing integrated solutions on complex ecological issues for clients in a variety of industries and market sectors. – www.wiregrassecological.com

About Southern Forestry Consultants, Inc. (SFC)

Southern Forestry Consultants is a forestry and natural resource consulting firm for landowners in the southeastern United States since 1987. SFC develops practical strategies to solve unique challenges through forest management, geospatial solutions, ecological consulting, and land sales. Their forestry and ecological consultants combine deep expertise and professionalism with innovative technologies to help clients manage their sustainable forestry and land management projects. SFC is dedicated to the planning and implementation of customized strategies to improve the land, timber, water, and wildlife resources entrusted to their care. – www.soforest.com

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