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Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI): Forest Restoration (Great Lakes Watershed) - FY 2024

Agency: U.S. Department of Agriculture
CFDA: 10.664
Federal FON: USDA-FS-GLRI-FR24
Office: U.S. Forest Service (USFS) - Eastern Region Eastern Region State, Private, and Tribal Forestry Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Multipart Grant: No
Next Due: 09/18/2024 (Application)
Solicitation Date: 07/18/2024
   
Match Required: No
Actual Funds: Unspecified
Summary:

The purpose of this program is to support projects that implement strategic, priority actions to restore, protect, and maintain the Great Lakes ecosystem. Successful projects will implement reforestation and other forest restoration activities to address invasive species, nonpoint source pollution impacts on nearshore health, and habitat restoration in coastal and riparian areas. Projects must also consider measurable on-the-ground impacts, connections between terrestrial forested landscapes and water quality, resilience to climate change and other ecosystem stressors, and environmental justice.

Applicants may request funding through only one of the following program areas:

  • Program area 1: mitigate forest insect and disease impacts: funding will support projects that implement targeted reforestation and forest protection actions to minimize invasive forest insect and disease impacts on watersheds; eligible activities include:
    • Planting trees to mitigate adverse insect/disease effects
    • Local eradication strategies, if feasible
    • Direct suppression with pesticides or approved biological control agents when best suited for long-term management of non-native insects and diseases
    • Using proven silvicultural practices to mitigate insect/disease damage
    • Preparedness and prevention planning
    • Targeted insect/disease survey and monitoring
  • Program area 2: reduce runoff through green infrastructure: funding will support projects that capture or treat stormwater runoff by planting trees and other vegetation as an integral component of green infrastructure; eligible activities include:
    • Urban street tree planting.
    • Concentrated plantings in parks, nature preserves, or former agricultural land
    • Riparian buffers in developed areas
    • Mixed tree and other vegetation plantings.
    • Bioswales/rain gardens, either with minor grading not qualifying as construction or with constructed features funded by other sources
  • Program area 3: restore and connect coastal and riparian forest habitats: funding will support protecting, restoring, and enhancing high-quality coastal zones and connecting riparian ecosystems where trees are an important component

Refer to pages 3-6 of the NOFA file for additional information regarding these program areas, including priorities for each. Refer to page 7 of the NOFA file for additional information regarding additional program requirements and stipulations.

Projects involving insect and disease prevention, detection surveys, eradication, or suppression of insect and disease outbreaks are required to be developed in coordination with Forest Service and/or state agency forest health specialists. All applicants are encouraged to work with their state forestry agency.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to meaningfully incorporate environmental justice elements into their projects, as detailed on pages 21-22 of the NOFA file.

An optional webinar is scheduled for this program. Refer to the Application section for details.

Eligibility is limited to projects that lie entirely within the Great Lakes watershed within Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Refer to the Eligibility section for details.

Last Updated: September 03, 2024

Eligibility Notes:

Eligible applicants are:

  • State agencies
  • Tribal communities
  • Nonprofit organizations
  • Educational institutions
  • Local governments

Projects must lie entirely within the Great Lakes watershed within Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. For the purposes of this program, the Great Lakes watershed is defined as those areas within the United States that currently or historically drain into Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Lake Ontario, or Lake Superior; or drain into the St. Lawrence River west of where the International Boundary line leaves the river. Projects must take place on nonfederal lands, except as allowed in program area 1. Refer to page 17 of the NOFA file for a map of the Great Lakes watershed, and to page 18 of the NOFA file for a list of counties that are wholly or partially in the Great Lakes watershed.

Ownership of the property where project activities will occur must be clear. Letters of support are required from identified partners that own or maintain the project area, and must include landowner permission. In their applications, applicant must demonstrate that permission will be obtained if work spans multiple properties not owned by applicants or current partners.

Applicants proposing projects that involve insect and disease prevention, detection surveys, eradication, or suppression of insect and disease outbreaks are required to develop applications in coordination with U.S. Forest Service and/or state agency forest health specialists.

Applicants are encouraged to work with their state forestry agency and research how their project fits into the goals and objectives of the state forest action plan. Information regarding state forest action plans is available online at www.stateforesters.org.

Federal applicants are ineligible.

Previous award recipients include:

  • The Morton Arboretum (IL)
  • Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission (IN)
  • City of St. Clair Shores (MI)
  • Owasco Watershed Lake Association (NY)
  • Ohio Department of Natural Resources (OH)

Refer to the Award file for additional information regarding previous award recipients.

Eligible Applicants:
Local Government
Academic Institutions
Native American Tribe
Non Profits
State Government
Application Notes:

Applications must be submitted by 6:00 p.m. ET on September 18, 2024.

Prior to submitting an application, applicants are encouraged to consult with their appropriate state forester, tribal administrator, or forest supervisor to develop and submit the application.

Applications must be submitted online at www.ecivis.com/grants.gov.

Applications must include:

  • SF 424
  • SF 424A
  • Attachments form
  • SF 424B (if applicable)
  • AD 1047 (if applicable)
  • AD 1049 or AD 1052 (as applicable)
  • AD 3030 (if applicable)
  • Attachments:
    • Narrative form
    • Tree planting and maintenance plan (if applicable)
    • Proposed species list (if applicable)
    • Map of project area
    • Monitoring plan (optional; recommended)
    • Letters of support
    • Statement of experience (if applicable)
    • Other attachments that support the application (optional)

Attachments must be submitted in the order provided.

The following are required in order to submit an application:

  • Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number
  • SAM (System for Award Management) registration

Applicants may obtain a UEI number and verify or renew SAM registration status at www.ecivis.com/sam.

An optional webinar is scheduled for this program as follows:

July 23, 2024
10:00 a.m. ET
Meeting ID: 246 914 244 623
Passcode: ucbxGd
URL: teams.microsoft.com

A recording and transcript of the webinar held for this program can be found online at www.fs.usda.gov.

Applications will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

  • Purpose and need (20 percent)
  • Technical merit and sustainability (30 percent)
  • Measurable results/outcomes expected (30 percent)
  • Partnerships and engagement (10 percent)
  • Sharing outcomes and knowledge (10 percent)

Refer to pages 8-14 of the NOFA file for detailed information regarding the application evaluation criteria.

Refer to the NOFA file and Application folder for additional application information.

Match Required: No
Actual Funds: Unspecified
Match Notes:

Matching funds are not required for this program.

Funding Notes:

An unspecified amount of funding is available to support awards through this program. Applicants may request funding under one of the following program areas:

  • Program area 1: mitigate invasive forest insect and disease impacts: a total of $1 million is anticipated to be available to support awards ranging from $50,000 to $200,000
  • Program area 2: reduce runoff through green infrastructure: a total of $3 million is anticipated to be available to support awards ranging from $100,000 to $300,000
  • Program area 3: restore and connect coastal and riparian forest habitats: a total of $1.2 million is anticipated to be available to support awards ranging from $50,000 to $200,000

Projects must be completed within two years of the award date. It may take up to six months from project selection for award recipients to receive funds.

Equipment purchases are rarely approved and will be reviewed prior to award issuance. Equipment rental or short-term leasing contracts within the project period should be considered as an alternative.

Planting projects may not include the installation of any state-listed invasive species, including invasive species listed as restricted, pending further review, non-restricted, or on a watch list. State lists are available online at www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov.

Funds may not be used for:

  • Basic research
  • Construction and capital improvements
  • Projects that only have outreach and education as outcomes
  • Projects that only have surveying or mapping as outcomes
  • Cost share, reimbursement, and other types of payment provided directly to private landowners
  • Projects focused on tree removal

For FY 2023, a total of $6.28 million was distributed via this program and the related GLRI: Cooperative Weed Management Areas (CWMAs) program, known in eCivis Grants Network as US16481. For FY 2022, nearly $6 million was distributed via both programs. For FY 2021, over $5.5 million was distributed via 47 awards ranging from $17,584 to $300,000 through this program. Refer to the Award file for details.

Contacts:

Primary Contacts:

Erin Barton
Eastern Region GLRI Coordinator
(612) 476-5849
erin.barton@usda.gov

Program Staff
SM.FS.glri@usda.gov

Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin Field Office Contact:

Gina Jorgensen
St. Paul Field Office Representative
(651) 649-5276
gina.m.jorgensen@usda.gov

Ohio and Pennsylvania Field Office Contact:

Robert Gentry
Morgantown Field Office Representative
(304) 285-1540
robert.gentry@usda.gov

New York Field Office Contact:

Constance Carpenter
Durham Field Office Representative
(603) 868-7694
constance.carpenter@usda.gov

Agency Address
U.S. Department of Agriculture
U.S. Forest Service
Eastern Region State, Private, and Tribal Forestry
626 East Wisconsin Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53202

Contact Notes:

Questions should be directed to the appropriate program contact.

Applications must be submitted online at www.ecivis.com/grants.gov.

The agency address provided is for reference purposes only.

Files:
NOFA File: US16242_NOFA_FY2024.pdf (1.1 Mb)
Application File: US16242_Application_FY2024.zip (436.8 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US16242_TreePlantingGuide_FY2024.pdf (206.0 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US16242_Overview_FY2024.pdf (266.1 Kb)
Award File: US16242_Award_FY2024.pdf (790.5 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US16242_WebinarPresentation_FY2024.pdf (3.9 Mb)
File Notes:

The NOFA file contains the full solicitation for this program. The Application folder contains the required forms for submission. The TreePlantingGuide file contains guidance on eligible project activities. The Overview file contains general program information, including information regarding an optional pre-application webinar. The WebinarPresentation file contains the presentation slides for the webinar held for this program. The Award file contains information regarding previous award recipients. Additional program resources can be found online at www.fs.usda.gov.

September 4, 2024
A recording and transcript of the webinar for this program has been released, and a link to the presentation and transcript is available in the Application section. Presentation slides for the webinar have also been released and attached as the WebinarPresentation file.

Grant Keywords
GLRI, USDA, FS, EPA, USFS, U.S. Forest Service, conservation, conserve, ecological, ecology, ecosystem, environment, environmental, environmentalism, green, habitat, natural resource, nature, outdoor, natural area, preservation, preserve, protect, protection, restoration, restore, stewardship, invasive species, native species, arbor, arborial, woodland, creek, estuaries, estuarine, estuary, lake, river, stream, tributaries, tributary, water, waterbodies, waterbody, beach, coast, coastal, coastline, riparian, riparian buffer, shore, shoreline, watershed, wetland, beautification, canopy, forest, forestry, plant, planting, reforestation, shade, tree, vegetation, vegetative, water quality, ash trees, emerald ash borer, EAB, agricultural runoff, storm water, stormwater, agricultural practice, bacteria, erosion, groundwater, irrigation, microbe, microbial, nonpoint source, NPS, pathogen, sediment loading, storm drain, surface water, TMDL, total maximum daily load, urban runoff, US8867, non-native species, pesticide, silvicultural, silviculture, prepare, preparation, preparedness planning, prevention, prevent, containment, eradication, control, pest control, biological control agent, hemlock woolly adelgid, oak wilt, biological, biology, urban, rural, flow, soil erosion, nutrient loading, watershed management, community project, green infrastructure, planning, filtration, overland flow, infiltration, turf, native planting, soil health, impervious surface, native tree, coastal wetland, tree cover, coastal habitat, hydrology, hydrological, ecosystem resilience, forest health, riparian habitat, connectivity, canopy cover, nearshore, water resource, integrated pest management, IPM, Lakewide Action and Management Plan, LAMP, Native American, American Indian, Indian, Native, Indigenous, tribe, tribal, tribal community, tribal government, nonprofit, non-profit, not-for-profit, NPO, academic institution, college, university, universities, institution of higher education, IHE, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative: Forest Restoration, EJ, environmental justice, Great Lakes Watershed, USFS Region 9, Great Lakes ecosystem, urban forest, urban canopy
Grant Categories
Environment/Natural Resources
Wastewater
Water Supply/Quality