2020 Enviva Forest Conservation Fund
Request for Proposals
U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities, Greenville, SC
For IMMEDIATE RELEASE (November 22, 2019)
Greenville, SC and Bethesda, MD – The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (Endowment) today released a new Request for Proposals for the Enviva Forest Conservation Fund (the Fund). Up to $500,000 is available for 2020 grants to protect bottomland hardwood and other wetland forests in northeast North Carolina and southeast Virginia.
This is the fifth cycle of a $5 million, 10-year program launched by Enviva Holdings, LP (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 January 24, 2020. The RFP and additional materials are available on the Endowment’s website.
“The Enviva Forest Conservation Fund continues to support the protection of bottomland hardwoods and wetland forests that are critical to supporting biodiversity, community resiliency, outdoor recreation, and clean water within Virginia and North Carolina. Unfortunately, bottomland hardwood forests are continuously threatened by land conversion, altered hydrology, invasive species, and the impact of climate change. The Fund provides critically important funding in support of priorities identified by natural resources agencies and leading conservation organizations,” said Carlton Owen, President and CEO of the Endowment.
Since its inception in 2015, the Enviva Forest Conservation Fund has supported a total of 17 projects with over $2.0 million dollars invested. Once completed, these projects will protect approximately 24,000 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 opportunity for rural families and private landowners.
“Four years into this very important initiative, we are happy to have helped conserve over 15,000 acres of bottomland hardwood forests, and we’re on track to meeting the 35,000-acre goal we established at the start of the program,” said Dr. Jennifer Jenkins, Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer at Enviva. “Southern bottomland hardwoods and wetland forests not only protect wildlife and water quality, they are a critical component to the fight against climate change and it’s rewarding to know that we’re doing our part to help preserve special places in the woods that should remain so.”
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For more information contact:
Alicia Cramer (205-792-8650) alicia@runslikeclock.work
About the Endowment
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, www.usendowment.org.
About Enviva
Enviva is the world’s largest producer of wood pellets, a renewable energy source used to generate electricity and heat. We produce our pellets at plants in the Southern U.S. and supply them to electric power plants in the United Kingdom and continental Europe that previously were fueled by coal, enabling them to reduce their lifetime carbon emissions by about 80 percent. We make our pellets using sustainable practices that protect Southern forests. We employ more than 1,000 people and support many other businesses in the rural South.
Enviva conducts its activities primarily through two entities: Enviva Partners, LP, a publicly-traded master limited partnership (NYSE: EVA), and Enviva Development Holdings, LLC, a wholly-owned private company. To learn more about Enviva, please visit our website, www.envivabiomass.com.
Enviva Forest Conservation Fund Helps Protect Sensitive Bottomland Hardwood Ecosystem Along Nottoway River
Virginia Outdoor Foundation takes lead in conservation transaction
U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities, Greenville, SC
For IMMEDIATE RELEASE (November 19, 2019)
Greenville, S.C. – An important watershed forest along the beautiful and biodiverse Nottoway River in Southampton County, Virginia, will now be permanently preserved thanks in part to a grant from the Enviva Forest Conservation Fund (Fund). The Virginia Outdoor Foundation (VOF) of Tappahannock has acquired the 246 acres of high conservation value forest and will hold it in a conservation easement. The tract will be managed in perpetuity using a combination of working forest plans with riparian and special habitat protection.
The tract – 55 acres of riparian buffer or approximately 2.3 miles – includes “no-harvest” areas that will provide water quality benefits, complement the growing corridor of protected tracts on the Nottoway, and protect a Coastal Plain bottomland forest. The site is located in a Virginia longleaf pine priority conservation area.
The lowland portion is home to multiple plant and animal species of concern including the rare crowfoot sedge (Carex crus-corvi) [a plant] and the yellow lampmussel (Lampsilis cariosa) [ a freshwater mussel]. Through the easement, this critical habitat will be preserved and continuously enhanced. The upland portions are to remain as working forest, providing sustainable wood products to a variety of markets.
“We are excited to be able to acquire and preserve this beautiful and important riparian forest that is home to so many plants and animals,” said Brett Christina Glymph, Executive Director of the VOF. “The property will have both rare species conservation and sustainable forest management. We are grateful to Enviva for their contribution to our conservation mission.”
Hunter Darden, the property owner, said, “My wife Kathy and I are pleased to be a part of protecting this property for future generations to come, and to preserve the natural beauty of the Nottoway River.”
“This land will be preserved and managed indefinitely as forest, rather than being converted to agriculture or other non-forest uses,” said Carlton Owen, President and CEO of the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities. “Forested watersheds play a vital role in storing and purifying water for downstream consumers and provide two-thirds of the drinking water in the U.S.”
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 four years into the planned 10-year partnership, 17 projects have been funded with a total commitment approaching $2.0 million, including the grant announced today. When these projects are completed, the Fund will have helped protect an estimated 24,000 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. Learn more: www.envivaforestfund.org
About Virginia Outdoor Foundation
The Virginia Outdoors Foundation is Virginia’s leader in land conservation, protecting nearly 850,000 acres in 109 counties and cities. The Virginia General Assembly created VOF in 1966. Today, we receive both public and private support for our work. VOF protects a wide variety of open spaces, from farms and forests to parks and historic landscapes. We work with federal, state, local, and private conservation organizations to achieve our mission. Learn more: www.virginiaoutdoorsfoundation.org
About the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities
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. Learn more: www.usendowment.org
For more information, contact:
Alicia Cramer, Senior Vice President, (205) 792-8650, alicia@runslikeclock.work
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.
2020 Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program Challenge
January 24, 2020 Pre-Proposal Deadline
U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities, Greenville, SC
For IMMEDIATE RELEASE (November 11, 2019)
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) today announced that it is accepting pre-proposals for the 2020 Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program Challenge. The Request for Pre-Proposals and the downloadable PDF pre-proposal form are available on the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities’ webpage or by contacting Peter@runslikeclock.work. The deadline for pre-proposal submission is 8 p.m. EST, Friday, January 24, 2020. Up to $15 million is available for one or multiple awards. Final awards are planned to be announced in June or July of 2020.
The REPI Challenge, established in 2012, is a competitive process to seek projects that accelerate land conservation and military mission protection through innovative partnerships and shared financing.
The 2020 REPI Challenge may provide up to $15 million in FY20 funding for land conservation or management activities that limit incompatible development in the vicinity of DoD installations and ranges, maintain or improve military installation resilience, or relieve current or anticipated environmental restrictions in support of key capabilities identified in the National Defense Strategy. Additional consideration will be given to those projects that leverage multiple authorities to accomplish project goals. Selected projects will support the rebuilding of military readiness by protecting investments toward strategic power projection platforms deemed vital to the Department’s establishment of an unmatched innovation base.
Partners are strongly encouraged to coordinate closely with local installation or range staff to verify the presence of key National Defense Strategy capabilities prior to proposal development.
The REPI Challenge seeks to engage the private sector to access and tap unconventional and high-leverage sources of funding, attract additional philanthropic support, and take advantage of market-based approaches to advance program goals.
Last year, the 2019 REPI Program awarded $8 million that attracted $32.6 million in non-DoD partner funding at Naval Submarine Kings Bay to meet the FY19 REPI Challenge goals to:
- Limit incompatible development, enhance military installation resilience, and relieve current and anticipated environmental restrictions operations near military installations that may inhibit training, testing, and operations; and
- Focus on supporting key capabilities outlined in the National Defense Strategy, such as nuclear and ballistic missile defense technologies.
The Navy at Kings Bay, Georgia will use $8 million of the REPI Challenge award to leverage more than $32 million in funding from The Nature Conservancy, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the USDA Forest Service, Open Space Institute, and private donors to protect Cabin Bluff, an 11,000 acre coastal property that was otherwise zoned for 10,000 homes and 1 million square feet of commercial space. The goal of the Kings Bay project will be to ensure compatible development within the Cabin Bluff property while simultaneously improving fire management, enhancing coastal resilience, and protecting critical gopher tortoise habitat, all while mitigating maritime and airspace operational impacts to the base.
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For
more information contact:
Peter Stangel, 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
New Members Added to Board of Directors; Officers Elected
Adrian Blocker and Soile Kilpi Join Endowment Board
U.S Endowment for Forestry and Communities, Greenville, SC
For IMMEDIATE RELEASE (November 8, 2019)
The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (the Endowment) announced today the election of Board members and officers for 2020 at the organization’s semi-annual meeting held this week in Houston, TX. The Board welcomes Adrian Blocker from Weyerhaeuser Company and Soile Kilpi from Pöyry Consulting to serve three-year terms.
Adrian M. Blocker is Senior Vice President, Timberlands, at Weyerhaeuser. Adrian joined the company in May 2013 as Vice President, Lumber. Throughout his career in the industry, he has held numerous leadership positions at Wood Products Council, West Fraser, International Paper, and Champion International, focusing on wood products manufacturing, forest management, fiber procurement, consumer packaging, strategic planning, and business development. Adrian holds an MBA and a B.S. in Forestry from Mississippi State University.
Soile Kilpi is Director with Pöyry Management Consulting and leads its North America consulting business out of New York, NY. She has over 25 years of experience in advising clients related to strategic planning, growth, operations, and technology. She works with industry, private equity, and government clients and supervises projects related to a wide variety of products from raw materials to converted end products. As part of her work, she helps executives and boards to define sustainable futures for their businesses. Soile holds an MSc in Business Economics from Aalto University’s School of Economics in Finland.
Mark Emmerson, of Redding, CA, was elected as Chairman for a two-year term, replacing Colin Moseley of Seattle, WA. The Board and staff recognized the outstanding service by Colin and look forward to his continued guidance and wisdom throughout 2020 as past-Chair. Jim Hoolihan of Grand Rapids, MN, was elected Vice-Chair, and Kevin Schuyler of Charlottesville, VA, was re-elected Treasurer. In addition, the Board and staff expressed appreciation to and celebrated the contribution of outgoing member Judith Stockdale, Chicago, IL, as she completed her term.
“We are so fortunate to be guided by a diverse and profoundly experienced volunteer Board of Directors, unmatched in depth and breadth of relevant experience and commitment,” said Endowment President and CEO Carlton Owen. “For 2020, we are in excellent hands. With Mark Emmerson at the helm, and newly-elected Adrian Blocker and Soile Kilpi on board, we look forward to continuing to do great work in support of forests and forest-rich communities.”
For a complete list of Endowment Board members, please go to www.usendowment.org/who-we-are/board-of-directors/
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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-reliant communities – www.usendowment.org
Carlton Owen Awarded Gifford Pinchot Medal By Society Of American Foresters
USDA Forest Service Chief Christiansen Present for Ceremony
U.S Endowment for Forestry and Communities, Greenville, SC
For IMMEDIATE RELEASE (November 7, 2019)
The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (Endowment) is pleased to announce that its President and CEO Carlton Owen is the 2019 recipient of the Gifford Pinchot Medal, for his lifetime contribution to the forest sector. The award, presented by the Society of American Foresters (SAF), recognizes outstanding contributions by a forestry professional in the administration, practice, and professional development of forestry in North America. The award is granted in odd-numbered years at the SAF national convention, which was held last week in Louisville, Kentucky.
Owen said, “I am deeply honored to receive the Gifford Pinchot Medal. As my grandmother used to say, ‘If you see a turtle on a fence post, you know he didn’t get there by himself.’ Nowhere is that analogy truer than in my receiving this award, and I am grateful for all who have had a role as mentors, colleagues, friends, and partners along the way.”
“The Pinchot award is a special distinction. SAF selects nominees for their exemplary actions that further the field of forestry. These actions include bringing a professional approach to all endeavors, making an indelible mark on the profession, being a person of action in the profession, and making outstanding contributions in administration,” said Terry Baker, SAF’s CEO. “Carlton Owen hits a homerun on each of these, and has made an enormous contribution to the forest sector throughout his career.”
Gifford Pinchot is widely credited as being America’s first forester and the father of the conservation movement in North America. In addition to establishing the U.S. Forest Service, Pinchot founded SAF in 1900, where he served as president from 1900–1908 and again from 1910–1911. Since 1950 and including this year, SAF has awarded 33 medals to recipients from across the forest sector.
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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-reliant communities – www.usendowment.org
$2.6 MILLION INITIATIVE CALLS FOR PROPOSALS TO SUPPORT NEW MARKETS FOR WOOD PRODUCTS
Initial concepts due December 2, 2019 for first round funding consideration
U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities, Greenville, SC
For IMMEDIATE RELEASE (November 5, 2019)
CONCORD, NH — The Future Forest Economy Initiative is looking for new ideas, products and markets to increase demand for wood across the northern New England and New York. The deadline for concepts to considered in the first round of funding in 2020 is December 2, 2019.
The initiative — a cooperative effort of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), U.S. Endowment for Forestry & Communities, and the Northern Forest Center — grew out of a congressional mandate to support the development of markets for wood products. Over the next three years, the Initiative cooperators will invest $2.6 million in sub-grants to expand innovation, create market demand and create conditions that will allow businesses and communities to benefit from these innovations.
“We’re excited to build on all we’ve accomplished through our forest economy programs by directing this significant investment to strategic opportunities in the regional forest economy,” said Joe Short, Vice President of the Northern Forest Center, which is coordinating the grant program.
“This is such an important opportunity for the Northern Forest region to receive targeted investments to ensure diverse forest markets, strengthen the workforce and develop new uses for wood to take advantage of emerging technology and meet building needs in the Northeast,” said Alicia Cramer, Vice President of the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities.
To be eligible for funding, projects must impact a county or counties within the service region of the Northern Border Regional Commission. Projects must have clear and direct benefit for the wood products sector, but private companies cannot receive direct financing through this project. Eligible applicants include government, Native American government and organizations, nonprofits, and public and private institutions of higher education. Full criteria are detailed in Appendix I of the Call for Concepts.
Investment Objectives
The Initiative is focused on four investment objectives developed after conversations with public and private leaders in the wood products sector, a survey of wood products businesses in the region, and assessment of relevant state and federal strategies. Priorities include:
- Supporting the development of new products and services from the region’s forests, particularly those that create or expand uses for low grade wood, mill residuals, and/or underutilized species.
- Conducting strategic marketing campaigns to expand wood industry interest in the region as a place to do business and increase consumer demand for wood products.
- Improving the efficiency of wood products supply chains to reduce transportation and production costs and increase access to markets for the region’s manufacturers.
- Strengthening the ability of the region’s wood manufacturers to capitalize on new market opportunities.
The initiative has identified priority activities for each objective, which are detailed in the Call for Concepts available at: https://nfcenter.org/FutureForestEconomy.
The Northern Forest Center is now accepting project concepts for funding consideration. Applicants wishing to be considered for funding early in 2020 should submit initial concepts by December 2, 2019. The Initiative will announce subsequent deadlines at a later date. The entire $2.6 million in available funds will be awarded by the end of 2021.
Funds for the program come from a congressional appropriation of $3 million in federal fiscal year 2018 intended to enable “EDA to collaborate with the Northern Border Regional Commission to support the development of markets for wood products. The Committee encourages EDA to work with communities researching and developing new construction technologies, such as engineered wood products,” according to the appropriation. The funds are matched by $300,000 from the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities to help cover project development and administrative costs.
“For more than a century the Northern Forest region benefitted from a strong forest products economy that generated some of the highest per capita incomes in the region’s four states,” said Short. “This initiative will help the industry continue to adapt to today’s world markets and develop new markets for forest products and services that deliver economic value back to the region’s businesses, landowners, and communities.”
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For more information contact:
Joe Short, Vice President, Northern Forest Center: 603-491-2651; jshort@northernforest.org
The Northern Forest Center is a regional innovation and investment partner creating rural vibrancy by connecting people and economy to the forested landscape. www.northernforest.org
Alicia Cramer, Senior Vice President, (205) 792-8650, 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
Enviva Forest Conservation Fund Helps Protect Forested Wetland Ecosystem and Biodiverse Habitat in North Carolina
Enviva Forest Conservation Fund at Work
U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities
For IMMEDIATE RELEASE (November 4, 2019)
Greenville, S.C. – The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (Endowment) today announced the closing of the purchase by the State of North Carolina of 6,310 acres of forested wetlands, which is adjacent to the 20,318-acre North River Game Land in Camden County. The property acquisition is the result of a combination of partnerships and funding, including gift value in the discounted purchase price from the owners, the North Carolina Clean Water Management Trust Fund, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Coastal Wetland Conservation Grant Program, Ducks Unlimited, and the Enviva Forest Conservation Fund (“the Fund”).
The acquisition includes pocosin, Atlantic white cedar, and mixed pine-hardwood forests. Rich with biodiversity, the vast majority of this property remains road-free. The eastern and southern property lines include over 16 miles of forested marsh, stream, and river frontage on the North River and its feeder creeks and tributaries. The forests to be preserved provide habitats for numerous shore bird, water bird, and cavity-nesting species, including the Bald Eagle and the endangered Red-cockaded woodpecker. In addition, the endangered Atlantic sturgeon is found in the healthy waters of this region. The property will be forever protected as part of the State Game Land system administered by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC).
“We have a long history of conservation and restoration efforts in this area. Since 1984, the total habitat restored, protected or enhanced by Ducks Unlimited in North Carolina now exceeds 135,000 acres, and we’ve partnered with NCWRC on numerous wetland habitat projects,” said Craig LeSchack, Acting Chief Conservation Officer for Ducks Unlimited . “This project perfectly complements both the Enviva Forest Conservation Fund’s and our mission to both enhance and restore this incredibly important ecosystem. We are grateful for Enviva creating a fund that fits so well within the matrix of conservation grants in this region.”
“Pocosin and Atlantic white cedar forests are two of our highest conservation priorities in this area,” said John Keppler, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Enviva. “The purchase and subsequent preservation of this land translates to the preservation of habitat on a large scale for a diverse array of species, including endangered species. We are proud to have been a part of this important project that will provide an environmental return on investment for decades to come.”
“At the Endowment, we have long supported projects that restore and enhance healthy forested watersheds,” said Carlton Owen, President and CEO of the U. S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities. “These forests that will be protected represent a contiguous watershed that contributes to the clean drinking water for communities along the mid-Atlantic.”
The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission will own and manage the site as part of its Game Lands Program. The focus will be on management for wildlife and habitat health. Stewardship of the site will be passive, allowing for the natural succession of wetland habitats throughout the property. The site will also be managed for public hunting access, recreation, and research opportunities.
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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 Ducks Unlimited (DU) Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America’s continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 14.5 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever. www.ducks.org
For more information contact: Alicia Cramer, Senior Vice President, (205) 792-8650, 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
