U.S. Endowment and the Department of Defense Release Pre-Proposal Form

The pre-proposal form for the Department of Defense 2013 Readiness and Environmental Protection Initiative (REPI) Challenge is now available on the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Community’s (the Endowment) web page. Interested parties may download the fillable pdf here or via email by contacting katie@runslikeclock.work. The deadline for submissions is 8 p.m. EDST, October 15, 2012.

“The purpose of this program is to encourage projects that conserve land at scale and test promising ways to finance land protection that will help the REPI program meet its ambitious goals while stretching limited federal funding,” notes Peter Stangel, Senior Vice President at the Endowment.

The 2012 REPI Challenge resulted in the Georgia Land Trust receiving $4.5 million in REPI funds to purchase 5,508 acres in Georgia’s Ft. Stewart’s Priority Area 1, where potential changes in current land use would have the most significant negative effect on training operations. This single transaction protected 24% of Stewart’s Priority 1 Area and when combined with earlier projects resulted in a grand total of 74% of the most critical areas being protected from  incompatible uses.  This tract is located between two rapidly-growing communities, and the potential for development represented a significant threat to Ft. Stewart’s military operations. The REPI award was matched by $5.5 million in cash contributions and bargain sale value from the property owner.