Request for Applications: The Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program, 49625-49627 [2020-17838]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
• Forest Service

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 158 (Friday, August 14, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49625-49627]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-17838]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Request for Applications: The Community Forest and Open Space 
Conservation Program

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA

ACTION: Request for applications.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service, 
State and Private Forestry, Cooperative Forestry staff, requests 
applications for the Community Forest and Open Space Conservation 
Program (Community Forest Program or CFP). The Community Forest Program 
is a competitive grant program whereby local governments, qualified 
nonprofit organizations, and federally recognized Indian tribes are 
eligible to apply for grants to establish community forests that 
provide community benefits through fee simple acquisition of private 
forest land.

DATES: Interested local government and nonprofit applicants must submit 
applications to the State Forester. Tribal applicants must submit 
applications to the appropriate Tribal government official. All 
applications, either hardcopy or electronic, must be received by State 
Foresters or Tribal governments by January 11th, 2021. State Foresters 
or Tribal government officials must forward applications to the 
appropriate Forest Service Regional office or International Institute 
of Tropical Forestry by February 8th, 2021.

ADDRESSES: All local government and qualified nonprofit organization 
applications must be submitted to the State Forester of the State where 
the property is located. All Tribal applications must be submitted to 
the equivalent Tribal government official. Applicants are encouraged to 
contact and work with the Forest Service Region or International 
Institute of Tropical Forestry, and State Forester or equivalent Tribal 
government official when developing their proposal. Applicants must 
consult with the State Forester and equivalent Tribal government 
official prior to requesting technical assistance for a project. The 
State Forester's member roster may be found on https://www.stateforesters.org/who-we-are/our-membership/. All applicants must 
also send an email to [email protected] to confirm an application has 
been submitted for funding consideration.
    State Foresters and Tribal government officials shall submit 
applications, either electronic or hardcopy, to the appropriate Forest 
Service Region/Institute contact noted below.

Northern and Intermountain Regions

Regions 1 and 4

(ID, MT, ND, NV, UT)
Janet Valle, USDA Forest Service, 324 25th St., Ogden, UT 84401, 801-
625-5258 (phone), 801-710-3795 (mobile), [email protected]

Rocky Mountain Region

Region 2

(CO, KS, NE, SD, WY)
Claire Harper, USDA Forest Service, 1617 Cole Boulevard, Bldg. 17, 
Lakewood, CO 80401, 303-895-6157 (mobile), [email protected]

Southwestern Region

Region 3

(AZ, NM)
Alicia San Gil, USDA Forest Service, 333 Broadway SE, Albuquerque, NM 
87102, 505-842-3289 (phone), 505-235-9233 (mobile), 
[email protected]

Pacific Southwest Region

Region 5

(CA)
Amanda G. McAdams, USDA Forest Service, 221 W. 8th Street, Alturas, CA 
96101, 530-233-8743 (phone), 530-802-6935 (mobile), 
[email protected]
(Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia and other 
Pacific Islands)
Katie Friday, USDA Forest Service, 60 Nowelo St., Hilo, HI 96720, 808-
854-2620 (phone), 808-785-5197 (mobile), [email protected]

Pacific Northwest, and Alaska Regions

Regions 6 and 10

(AK, OR, WA)
Candice Polisky, USDA Forest Service, 1220 SW Third Ave., Portland, OR 
97204, 503-808-2355 (phone), 971-710-2346 (mobile), 
[email protected]

Southern Region

Region 8

(AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA)
Susan Granbery, USDA Forest Service, 1720 Peachtree Rd., NW, Suite 700, 
Atlanta, GA 30309, 770-883-8925 (mobile), [email protected]

International Institute of Tropical Forestry

(PR, VI)
Magaly Figueroa, USDA Forest Service, Jardin Botanico Sur, 1201 Calle 
Ceiba, San Juan, PR 00926-1119, 787-764-7718 (phone), 787-309-9565 
(mobile), [email protected]

Eastern Region

Region 9

(CT, DC, DE, IA, IL, IN, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, 
RI, VT, WI, WV)
Neal Bungard, USDA Forest Service, 271 Mast Road, Durham, NH 03824, 
603-868-7719 (phone), 603-833-3287 (mobile), [email protected]

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions regarding the grant 
application or administrative regulations, contact Scott Stewart, 
Program Coordinator, 202-465-5038, [email protected] and Nausheen 
Iqbal, 202-594-7554, [email protected]. Additional information 
about the Community Forest and Open Space Program may be obtained at 
https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/private-land/community-forest.
    Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) 
may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8:00 
a.m. and 8:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    CFDA number 10.689: To address the goals of Section 7A of the 
Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2103d) as 
amended, the Forest Service is requesting proposals for community 
forest projects that protect forest land that has been identified as a 
national, regional, or local priority for protection and to assist 
communities in acquiring forestland that will provide public 
recreation, environmental and economic benefits, and forest-based 
educational programs.
    Detailed information regarding what to include in the application, 
definitions of terms, eligibility, and necessary prerequisites for 
consideration can be

[[Page 49626]]

found in the final program rule, published October 20, 2011 (76 FR 
65121), which is available at https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/private-land/community-forest/program.

Grant Application Requirements

1. Eligibility Information

    a. Eligible Applicants. A local governmental entity federally 
recognized Indian Tribe (including Alaska Native Corporations), or a 
qualified nonprofit organization that is qualified to acquire and 
manage land. Individuals are not eligible to receive funds through this 
program.
    b. Eligible land. Lands must be private forest that is at least 
five acres in size, suitable to sustain natural vegetation, and at 
least 75 percent forested. The lands must also be threatened by 
conversion to non-forest uses, must not be held in trust by the United 
States on behalf of any Indian Tribe, must not be Tribal allotment 
lands, must be offered for sale by a willing seller, and if acquired by 
an eligible entity, must provide defined community benefits under CFP 
and allow public access.
    c. Cost Sharing (Matching Requirement). All applicants must 
demonstrate a 50 percent match of the total project cost. The match can 
include cash, in-kind services, or donations, which shall be from a 
non-Federal source. For additional information, please see Sec.  230.6 
of the final rule.
    d. DUNS Number. All applicants shall include a Data Universal 
Numbering System (DUNS) number in their application. For this 
requirement, the applicant is the entity that meets the eligibility 
criteria and has the legal authority to apply for and receive the 
grant. For assistance in obtaining a DUNS number at no cost, call the 
DUNS number request line 1-866-705-5711 or register on-line at https://fedgov.dnb.com/webform.
    e. System for Award Management. All prospective awardees shall be 
registered in the System for Award Management prior to award, during 
performance, and through final payment of any grant resulting from this 
solicitation. Further information can be found at: https://www.sam.gov/SAM/. For assistance, contact Federal Service Desk 1-866-606-8220.

2. Award Information

    Funds have not yet been appropriated for CFP in FY 2021. Individual 
grant applications may not exceed $600,000, which does not include 
technical assistance requests. The Federal Government's obligation 
under this program is contingent upon the availability of appropriated 
funds.
    No legal liability on the part of the Government shall be incurred 
until funds are committed by the grant officer for this program to the 
applicant in writing. The initial grant period shall be for two years, 
and acquisition of lands should occur within that timeframe. Lands 
acquired prior to the grant award are not eligible for CFP funding. The 
grant may be reasonably extended by the Forest Service when necessary 
to accommodate unforeseen circumstances in the land acquisition 
process. Written annual financial performance reports and semi-annual 
project performance reports shall be required and submitted to the 
appropriate grant officer.
    Technical assistance funds, totaling not more than 10 percent of 
all funds, may be allocated to State Foresters and equivalent officials 
of the Indian tribe. Technical assistance, if provided, will be awarded 
at the time of the grant. Applicants shall work with State Foresters 
and equivalent officials of the Indian Tribe to determine technical 
assistance needs and include the technical assistance request in the 
project budget.
    As funding allows, applications submitted through this request may 
be funded in future years, subject to the availability of funds and the 
continued feasibility and viability of the project.

3. Application Information

    Application submission. All local governments and qualified 
nonprofit organizations' applications must be submitted to the State 
Forester where the property is located by January 11th, 2021. All 
Tribal applications must be submitted to the equivalent Tribal 
officials by January 11th, 2021. Applications may be submitted either 
electronically or hardcopy to the appropriate official. The State 
Foresters' contact information may be found at: https://www.stateforesters.org/who-we-are/our-membership/.
    All applicants must also send an email to [email protected] to 
confirm an application has been submitted to the State Forester or 
equivalent Tribal official for funding consideration.
    All State Foresters and Tribal government officials must forward 
applications to the Forest Service by February 8th, 2021.

4. Application Requirements

    The following section outlines grant application requirements:
    a. The application can be no more than eight pages long, plus no 
more than two maps (eight and half inches by eleven inches in size), 
the grant forms specified in (b), and the draft community forest plan 
specified in (e).
    b. The following grant forms and supporting materials must be 
included in the application:
    (1) An Application for Federal Assistance (Standard Form 424);
    (2) Budget information (Standard Form SF 424c--Construction 
Programs); and
    (3) Assurances of compliance with all applicable Federal laws, 
regulations, and policies (Standard Form 424d-- Construction Programs).
    c. Documentation verifying that the applicant is an eligible entity 
and that the land proposed for acquisition is eligible (see Sec.  230.2 
of the final rule).
    d. Applications must include the following, regarding the property 
proposed for acquisition:
    (1) A description of the property, including acreage and county 
location;
    (2) A description of current land uses, including improvements;
    (3) A description of forest type and vegetative cover;
    (4) A map of sufficient scale to show the location of the property 
in relation to roads and other improvements as well as parks, refuges, 
or other protected lands in the vicinity;
    (5) A description of applicable zoning and other land use 
regulations affecting the property;
    (6) A description of the type of community being served and the 
extent of community benefits, including to underserved communities (see 
selection criteria);
    (7) A description of relationship of the property within and its 
contributions to a landscape conservation initiative, as well as any 
environmental justice initiatives, if applicable; and
    (8) A description of any threats of conversion to non-forest uses, 
including any encumbrances on the property that prevent conversion to 
non-forest uses.
    e. Information regarding the proposed establishment of a community 
forest, including:
    (1) A description of the benefiting community, including 
demographics, availability of and access to green spaces and other 
inequalities faced by the community;
    (2) A description of the associated benefits provided by the 
proposed land acquisition;
    (3) A description of community involvement, including marginalized 
communities, to-date in the planning of the community forest 
acquisition, and of community participation anticipated in long-term 
management;
    (4) An identification of persons and organizations that support the 
project

[[Page 49627]]

and their specific role in establishing and managing the community 
forest; and
    (5) A draft community forest plan. The eligible entity is 
encouraged to work with the State Forester or equivalent Tribal 
government official for technical assistance when developing or 
updating the Community Forest Plan. In addition, the eligible entity is 
encouraged to work with technical specialists, such as professional 
foresters, recreation specialists, wildlife biologists, or outdoor 
education specialists, when developing the Community Forest Plan.
    f. Information regarding the proposed land acquisition, including:
    (1) A proposed project budget not exceeding $600,000 and technical 
assistance needs as coordinated with the State Forester or equivalent 
Tribal government official (section Sec.  230.6 of the final program 
rule);
    (2) The status of due diligence, including signed option or 
purchase and sale agreement, title search, minerals determination, and 
appraisal;
    (3) Description and status of cost share (secure, pending, 
commitment letter, etc.) (section Sec.  230.6 of the final rule);
    (4) The status of negotiations with participating landowner(s) 
including purchase options, contracts, and other terms and conditions 
of sale;
    (5) The proposed timeline for completing the acquisition and 
establishing the community forest; and;
    (6) Long term management costs and funding source(s).
    g. Applications must comply with the Uniform Administrative 
Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal 
Awards also referred to as the Omni Circular (2 CFR part 200).
    h. Applications must also include the forms required to process a 
Federal grant. Section 6 Grant Requirements references the grant forms 
that must be included in the application and the specific 
administrative requirements that apply to the type of Federal grant 
used for this program. Grant forms are all available on the Grants.gov 
website at: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms.html.
    In order to assist applicants, a Community Forest Road Map can be 
found on the CFP website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/private-land/community-forest/program. A sample application is located 
at https://www.fs.fed.us/spf/coop/library/sample_cfp_template.pdf and 
the scoring guidance is at https://www.fs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media_wysiwyg/cfp-panel-review-guidance.pdf.

5. Forest Service's Project Selection Criteria

    a. Using the criteria described below, to the extent practicable, 
the Forest Service will give priority to applications that maximize the 
delivery of community benefits, as defined in the final rule (see 
section Sec.  230.2 of the final rule); and
    b. The Forest Service will evaluate all applications received by 
the State Foresters or equivalent Tribal government officials and award 
grants based on the following criteria:
    (1) Type and extent of community benefits provided, including to 
underserved communities. Community benefits are defined in the final 
program rule as:
    (i) Economic benefits, such as timber and non-timber products 
resulting from sustainable forest management, recreation and tourism;
    (ii) Environmental benefits, including clean air and water, 
stormwater management, and wildlife habitat;
    (iii) Benefits from forest-based experiential learning, including 
K-12 conservation education programs; vocational education programs in 
disciplines such as forestry and environmental biology; and 
environmental education through individual study or voluntary 
participation in programs offered by organizations such as 4-H, Boy or 
Girl Scouts, Master Gardeners, etc.;
    (iv) Benefits from serving as replicable models of effective forest 
stewardship for private landowners; and
    (v) Recreational benefits such as hiking, hunting, and fishing 
secured through public access.
    (2) Extent and nature of community engagement, including 
participation by marginalized communities, in the establishment and 
long-term management of the community forest;
    (3) Amount of cost share leveraged;
    (4) Extent to which the community forest contributes to a landscape 
conservation initiative, as well as any applicable environmental 
justice initiatives;
    (5) Extent of due diligence completed on the project, including 
cost share committed and status of appraisal;
    (6) Likelihood that, unprotected, the property would be converted 
to non-forest uses; and
    (7) Costs to the Federal Government.

6. Grant Requirements

    a. Once an application is selected, funding will be obligated to 
the grant recipient through a grant adhering to the Uniform 
Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements 
for Federal Awards also referred to as the Omni Circular (2 CFR part 
200).
    b. Forest Service must approve any amendments to a proposal or 
request to reallocate funding within a grant proposal. If negotiations 
on a selected project fail, the applicant cannot substitute an 
alternative site.
    c. The grant recipient must comply with the requirements in section 
Sec.  230.8 in the final rule before funds will be released.
    d. After the project has closed, as a requirement of the grant, 
grant recipients will be required to provide the Forest Service with a 
Geographic Information System (GIS) shapefile: A digital, vector-based 
storage format for storing geometric location and associated attribute 
information, of CFP project tracts and cost share tracts, if 
applicable.
    e. Any funds not expended within the grant period must be de-
obligated and revert to the Forest Service.
    f. All media, press, signage, and other documents discussing the 
creation of the community forest must reference the partnership and 
financial assistance by the Forest Service through the CFP.
    Additional information may be found in section Sec.  230.9 of the 
final rule.

Rick Cooksey,
Acting Associate Deputy Chief, State and Private Forestry.
[FR Doc. 2020-17838 Filed 8-13-20; 8:45 am]
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