NFWF and U.S. Forest Service Announce $4 Million in Conservation Grants for Southern California Forests and Watersheds
SAN FRANSICO (February 10, 2022) – The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and the U.S. Forest Service today announced $4 million in grants to help restore watersheds and forests damaged by high-intensity fires in the Angeles and Los Padres national forests. The grants will leverage $2.6 million in matching contributions to generate a total conservation impact of $6.6 million.
The 16 awards announced today will enable grantees to enhance forest and watershed health in federal lands affected by the Zaca, Piru and Jesusita fires in the Los Padres National Forest, and the Copper, Sayre and Powerhouse fires in the Angeles National Forest. The projects will focus on restoring native vegetation, identifying and removing invasive species, developing educational and engagement opportunities, and restoring and managing trails.
“These projects will expand current restoration efforts through the rapid restoration of forests and their native plant species, and they will also set the stage for future restoration actions by assessing and monitoring wildlife,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF. “Evaluating the impact of wildfires on ecosystem services and biodiversity and using this information to restore forest habitat is critical for assuring conservation investments help forests recover from catastrophic fires and are more resilient to future fires for the benefit of wildlife and communities.”
The grants were awarded through the Southern California Forests and Watersheds Program, a partnership between NFWF and the Los Padres National Forest, the Angeles National Forest and the U.S. Forest Service. The program continues to support strategic partnerships to help protect, restore and sustain the region’s diverse landscapes and the species and communities that rely on those lands.
A complete list of the 2021 grants made through the Southern California Forests and Watersheds program is available here.
About the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Chartered by Congress in 1984, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) protects and restores the nation’s fish, wildlife, plants and habitats. Working with federal, corporate and individual partners, NFWF has funded more than 5,000 organizations and generated a conservation impact of $6.8 billion. Learn more at www.nfwf.org.
About the U.S. Forest Service
The mission of the U.S. Forest Service, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of the nation's forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world. Public lands managed by the Forest Service contribute more than $13 billion to the economy each year through visitor spending alone. Those same lands provide 20 percent of the nation's clean water supply, a value estimated at $7.2 billion per year. The agency has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 80 percent of the 850 million forested acres within the U.S., of which 100 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.
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Contact:
Rob Blumenthal, 202-857-0166, rob.blumenthal@nfwf.org