Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA FS UCF 01 2017
Apply for USDA FS UCF 01 2017
- The USDA-FS in the community development, disaster prevention and relief, education, environment, health, natural resources, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "2017 National Urban and Community Forestry Grant Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.675,.
- This funding opportunity was created on Feb 26, 2016 and posted on Feb 26, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 17, 2016. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $300,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.
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Opportunity Summary:
The 2017 National Urban and Community Forestry Grant Program, run by the USDA Forest Service under the National Urban and Community Forestry Challenge Cost-Share Grant Program, was designed to fund projects that strengthen urban and community forestry efforts at a national scale. Using authority under Subtitle 9 of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act, the Forest Service anticipated roughly $900,000 total in grant funding for Fiscal Year 2017, with an expectation of about five awards. Individual awards could be as large as $300,000, but all awards were contingent on final funding availability and could change depending on appropriations.
The main purpose of the program was to support urban and community forestry projects located on nonfederal public land, specifically projects that have clear national, multi-state, or multi-tribal relevance and can be applied broadly beyond a single community. In other words, the program was not meant for one-off local projects; it targeted initiatives with wide transferability, such as methods, tools, frameworks, training models, planning approaches, or other scalable work that multiple jurisdictions could use.
Eligibility was broad as long as applicants were non-federal entities operating within the United States or its territories. Eligible applicants included state, county, and city or township governments; special districts; independent school districts; public and state-controlled colleges and universities; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; and nonprofit organizations (including both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) nonprofits). Tribal agencies were explicitly included. While partnerships with federal agencies were encouraged, federal agencies themselves could not receive grant funds and could not be used as the matching source for the federal dollars requested. The program also made clear that individuals were not eligible to apply and that projects on private land were not eligible for support under this opportunity. The Forest Service indicated it would manage and address conflicts of interest as part of administration of the program.
The program also spelled out what it would not fund. Proposals centered on local or state tree-planting efforts that only benefit a single area, capital improvements to property regardless of ownership, and projects with purely local impact and limited applicability were considered ineligible under this national challenge grant. Organizations seeking support for those types of localized activities were directed to work with their State Urban and Community Forestry Coordinator to identify alternative funding sources better suited to local needs.
Administratively, this was a discretionary grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number USDA FS UCF 01 2017) posted on February 26, 2016, with an application deadline of June 17, 2016 (both the original and current closing dates listed as the same). The opportunity was associated with CFDA 10.675 and covered a wide range of activity areas tied to urban forestry, including community development, disaster prevention and relief, education, environment, health, natural resources, and science and technology or other research and development, reflecting the cross-cutting ways urban tree canopy and forest management connect to public policy and community outcomes.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the 2017 National Urban and Community Forestry Grant Program?
It is a USDA Forest Service grant opportunity under the National Urban and Community Forestry Challenge Cost-Share Grant Program. It was designed to fund projects that strengthen urban and community forestry efforts at a national scale, using authority under Subtitle 9 of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act.
What is the main goal of this grant opportunity?
The main goal is to support urban and community forestry projects on nonfederal public land that have clear national, multi-state, or multi-tribal relevance. Projects are expected to produce approaches or outputs that can be applied broadly beyond a single community.
Is this program intended to fund local, one-off projects?
No. This opportunity specifically targeted initiatives with wide transferability, not standalone local projects that only benefit one city, county, tribe, or state.
What kinds of projects were considered a good fit?
Projects with broad transferability across multiple jurisdictions, such as scalable methods, tools, frameworks, training models, planning approaches, or other work that can be adopted by many communities or partners.
Where must the project take place for it to be eligible?
Projects must be located on nonfederal public land. Projects on private land were not eligible under this opportunity.
Are projects on private land eligible for funding?
No. The program explicitly stated that projects on private land were not eligible for support.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants were non-federal entities operating within the United States or its territories. Eligibility included many types of government, education, tribal, housing, and nonprofit organizations (details listed in other FAQs below).
Are individuals eligible to apply?
No. Individuals were not eligible to apply for this opportunity.
Are federal agencies eligible to receive grant funds?
No. Federal agencies could not receive grant funds under this program.
Can federal agencies participate in projects in any way?
Yes. Partnerships with federal agencies were encouraged, but federal agencies could not receive grant funds and could not be used as the matching source for the federal dollars requested.
Can federal funds be used as the match for the requested federal dollars?
No. The program stated that federal agencies could not be used as the matching source for the federal dollars requested.
Which types of government entities were eligible?
Eligible government applicants included state governments, county governments, and city or township governments. Special districts and independent school districts were also eligible.
Are colleges and universities eligible?
Yes. Public and state-controlled colleges and universities were eligible, as were private institutions of higher education.
Are tribal governments and tribal agencies eligible?
Yes. Federally recognized tribal governments were eligible, and tribal agencies were explicitly included.
Are housing authorities eligible?
Yes. Public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities were listed as eligible applicants.
Are nonprofit organizations eligible?
Yes. Nonprofit organizations were eligible, including both 501(c)(3) nonprofits and non-501(c)(3) nonprofits.
What kinds of projects were explicitly not funded?
The program identified several ineligible project types, including: proposals centered on local or state tree-planting efforts that only benefit a single area; capital improvements to property regardless of ownership; and projects with purely local impact and limited applicability.
Is a local tree-planting project eligible if it only benefits one area?
No. Proposals centered on local or state tree-planting efforts that only benefit a single area were considered ineligible under this national challenge grant.
Are capital improvements eligible for funding?
No. Capital improvements to property were considered ineligible, regardless of who owns the property.
What should organizations do if they are seeking funding for a localized activity?
The program directed organizations seeking support for localized activities to work with their State Urban and Community Forestry Coordinator to identify alternative funding sources better suited to local needs.
How much total funding was anticipated for Fiscal Year 2017?
The Forest Service anticipated roughly $900,000 total in grant funding for Fiscal Year 2017.
How many awards were expected?
The Forest Service expected about five awards.
What was the maximum size of an individual award?
Individual awards could be as large as $300,000.
Was the funding guaranteed?
No. All awards were contingent on final funding availability and could change depending on appropriations.
What type of grant was this?
This was a discretionary grant opportunity.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this program?
The Funding Opportunity Number was USDA FS UCF 01 2017.
When was the opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted on February 26, 2016.
What was the application deadline?
The application deadline was June 17, 2016. The original and current closing dates were listed as the same.
What CFDA number was associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity was associated with CFDA 10.675.
What subject or activity areas did this grant cover?
The opportunity covered a wide range of activity areas tied to urban forestry, including community development, disaster prevention and relief, education, environment, health, natural resources, and science and technology or other research and development.
Why does the program span so many different activity areas?
The program reflected the cross-cutting ways urban tree canopy and forest management connect to public policy and community outcomes, including environmental, health, educational, and community resilience considerations.
Were conflicts of interest addressed?
Yes. The Forest Service indicated it would manage and address conflicts of interest as part of administration of the program.
Do projects need to have multi-state or multi-tribal relevance?
The program emphasized that projects should have clear national, multi-state, or multi-tribal relevance, with outcomes that can be applied broadly beyond a single community.
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