U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities Receives $19.5 Million Award to Conserve West Georgia’s Working Forests
Photo credit: Mac Stone
U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities Receives $19.5 Million Award to Conserve West Georgia’s Working Forests
The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (Endowment) announced today that it has signed a $19.5 million award from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program for the West Georgia Conservation Corridors Project. This landmark initiative will protect and restore working forests across west Georgia, safeguarding critical ecological, economic and national security values.
“This award represents a major step toward securing the future of working forests in Georgia,” said Pete Madden, president and CEO of the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities. “Through voluntary conservation easements and forest management support, we are helping landowners ensure that these forests continue to provide jobs, clean water, wildlife habitat and economic stability for generations to come.”
Project Overview
The West Georgia Conservation Corridors project will provide funding to landowners for voluntary conservation easements and forest management activities. These working forests are essential to the region’s forest products industry – a cornerstone of the rural economy – and provide a range of co-benefits, including:
- Protecting drinking water sources for surrounding communities.
- Restoring and connecting habitat for threatened and endangered species.
- Enhancing the resilience of lands adjacent to Fort Moore, supporting military readiness.
Investment and Partnerships
The NRCS award includes $15.9 million in financial assistance and $3.5 million in technical assistance, with an additional $45 million in partner contributions supporting easement acquisitions, property purchases and restoration efforts.
Key project partners include:
- Georgia Department of Natural Resources
- The Conservation Fund
- The Nature Conservancy
- Georgia-Alabama Land Trust
The project is coordinated by consulting firm Land/Water Associates.
Long-Term Conservation Outcomes
Over the next five years, the project will conserve thousands of acres of high-value forestland, reducing the risk of listing species under the Endangered Species Act, improving habitat connectivity and ensuring responsible forest management practices.
“Conservation easements are one of the most effective tools we have to maintain working forests,” said Matt Elliott, Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Conservation Section Chief. “This project will create lasting benefits for Georgia’s wildlife, waters and people in some of our highest priority corridors.”
Supporting the Georgia Forestry Sector
Protecting forestland through conservation easements conserves natural resources and strengthens Georgia’s forestry sector, which ranks first in the nation for acres of commercial timberland and annual timber harvest. The industry supports more than 140,000 workers and contributes over $4 billion in salaries and pensions each year. By securing working forests in the Chattahoochee Fall Line corridor, this project helps sustain those jobs and the economic value of forest products, while also preventing incompatible land uses adjacent to Fort Moore that could compromise military readiness.
“This project protects working forests that sustain jobs and local economies, while also ensuring compatible land uses around Fort Moore to support critical military training,” said Teal Edelen, director of forests at the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities.
About the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities:
The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities is a not-for-profit public charity collaborating 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, visit www.usendowment.org.
