The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) opened its annual request for proposals (RFP) for the SFI Conservation and Community Partnerships Grant Program today.
Applications for the program will be accepted from eligible entities through October 9. Requirements for this year’s program are available on the SFI website.
The grants program supports SFI’s work to promote sustainable forest management through partnerships with conservation groups and academic partners that are contributing to the understanding of critical conservation outcomes across the range of American and Canadian forests, and community groups working at the intersection of sustainable forestry, responsible procurement and thriving communities.
SFI Conservation Grants focus on the connection between sustainable supply chains and the natural resource values we care about like water quality, biodiversity, species at risk, carbon sequestration and resiliency to climate change.
We are placing a priority on projects with the following elements:
•Measure, demonstrate, or establish methodologies to demonstrate, the conservation-related values of SFI-certified forestlands, or values promoted by the SFI Fiber Sourcing Standard
•Utilize previously established methodologies, including those resulting from past or current SFI Conservation Grants, to explore cross cutting conservation values
•Utilize conservation values associated with SFI certification to engage key market influencers, conservation stakeholders and related interests
•Other focal topics as noted in the RFP
SFI Community Grants bring communities and forests together to help shape a sustainable future by encouraging a variety of initiatives including youth outreach, forest education programs, supporting tribal and Indigenous values, and green building projects for low-income families.
We are placing a priority on projects with the following elements:
•Leverage the engagement of SFI Implementation Committees
•Engage and educate youth
•Train and educate current and future practitioners, i.e. logger training
•Support and promote Aboriginal, Tribal and Heritage values
•Support underserved communities
Last year SFI funded 18 community grants that brought together 102 different organizations and five conservation grants that brought together 45 different organizations. Across its grants program, SFI seeks to illustrate best practices and innovative approaches for partnerships focused on the links between forest conservation, environmental sustainability and the quality of life in local communities that depend on forests.
more information at: http://myemail.constantcontact.com/SFI-Conservation-and-Community-Partnerships-Grant-Program-RFP-Now-Open.html?soid=1102418460207&aid=FH6ggcHVKxY