The National Forest Foundation (NFF), chartered by Congress, engages America in community-based and national programs that promote the health and public enjoyment of the 192 million acre National Forest System, and accepts and administers private gifts of funds and land for the benefit of the National Forests.  The NFF supports action-oriented projects that enhance the viability of natural resources while considering the benefits to, and the involvement of, surrounding communities. 

In 1964, Congress established the National Wilderness Preservation System, under The Wilderness Act.  The legislation allows certain federal lands to be set aside as Wilderness Areas, generally 5,000 acres or larger, that exist largely in their “natural” state.  The Wilderness Act describes these areas as places "...where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain."  The USDA Forest Service is one of four federal agencies charged with management of the National Wilderness Preservation System, with responsibility for 34,871,811 acres of wilderness areas, or 33% of the overall wilderness system and 20% of Forest Service land.

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of The Wilderness Act, the USDA Forest Service issued a Wilderness Stewardship Challenge, calling for all Wilderness Areas in the National Forest System to be managed to standard within the next decade.  The NFF, as the official nonprofit partner of the Forest Service, will increase the resources available to meet this challenge by providing matching grants of up to $50,000 to nonprofit partners to implement projects that directly affect Wilderness Areas within our National Forests and Grasslands. 

Who Can Apply:

In 2006, the NFF will accept applications from non-governmental, nonprofit organizations to accomplish ecosystem restoration-related work in Congressionally designated Forest Service Wilderness Areas.  Applications will be accepted from non-federal partners, community-based conservation organizations, Native American tribes and other nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations, especially those with a focus on Wilderness Areas.  Applications cannot be accepted from federal agencies, regional, state or local governmental entities.  No NFF funds be directed back to the USDA Forest Service or any other federal agency. Current awardees through another NFF program are eligible for the Wilderness Stewardship Challenge.

Selection Criteria:

Successful projects will:

1. Accomplish measurable on-the-ground results in designated USDA Forest Service Wilderness Areas;
2. Carry out ecosystem restoration-related work that supports the strategic goals of the National Forest Foundation and the USDA Forest Service;
3. Include a high level of community involvement, participation and support for the project;
4. Enhance the capacity of local group(s) involvement in the effective stewardship of Wilderness Areas;
5. Be applicable to other Wilderness Areas through easily transferable projects and/or monitoring plans in multiple areas and sharing of lessons learned;
6. Support accomplishment of the USDA Forest Service “10-Year Wilderness Stewardship Challenge” for Wilderness Areas (see attached, page 6);
7. Be implemented in one year;

Projects will be rated higher if the non-federal cash match is already in hand at the time of application.  The NFF Wilderness Stewardship Challenge will not fund projects that are seeking general operating support, policy or advocacy work, or cannot produce at least a 1:1 non-federal cash match within one year.  The NFF will not fund educational curriculum development projects.  Educational projects resulting in on-the-ground benefits to wilderness will be considered. 

Federal Matching Funds Requirements:

Federal funds awarded through this program can be distributed only as a match to cash contributions from a non-federal source.  These matching funds:

• Must be used for the purpose of completing on-the-ground ecosystem restoration-related work on Congressionally designated Forest Service Wilderness Areas;
• Cannot be used for general administrative purposes;
• Cannot be used to directly support Forest Service personnel, nor may they be directed back to the USDA Forest Service or any federal agency. 

All non-federal matching funds and documentation of contributed goods and services to the project must be sent directly to the NFF.  Once the non-federal funds, documentation and a cash request form have been received by the NFF, matching funds will be released for receipt within about two weeks of the invoicing dates (1st and 15th of every month).  The NFF funds will be released on a 1:1 basis to non-federal funds received.  The non-federal funds can be submitted incrementally.   

Application Process:

Applicants should submit seven hard copies of their proposal via mail to the NFF for receipt in the office by March 3, 2006.  Proposals must include:

• The NFF WSC cover sheet (Download here in WORD or PDF formats);
•  A project narrative (maximum 8 pages) summarizing major objectives, methods, and anticipated results (points to be addressed, below);
•  A completed financial plan (Download here in WORD or PDF formats) that indicates how NFF WSC funds (up to $50,000.00) and matching non-federal funds would be used to complete the project;
• A copy of the applicant’s 501(c)(3) letter, documenting tax-exempt non-profit status;
• A signed letter of supportfrom the USDA Forest Service personnel responsible for the management of the Wilderness Area where the work is to take place.  

Project narratives (maximum 8 pages) should address:

• What the project will accomplish on the ground and the demonstrable benefits the project would have to the designated Wilderness Area and the surrounding community.  Please list specific project objectives, particularly focusing on ecosystem restoration, and a means to measure accomplishment;
• Relevance of the proposed project to the effective stewardship of the Wilderness Area, and how this work will be shared and continued after expenditure of grant funds;
• How you plan to gain community input, involvement and support for the project;
• How the project contributes to the advancement of the 10-Year Wilderness Stewardship Challenge;
• How the project will be monitored and evaluated, and how monitoring plans can be exported to other Congressionally-designated Wilderness Areas;
• A short description of the organization’s mission and past accomplishments, especially related to ecosystem restoration in wilderness areas;

Applicants will be notified by e-mail when the proposal is received and processed.  The NFF will review all proposals and notify grant awardees within approximately six weeks.  Applications cannot be accepted via e-mail.

Please mail seven hard copies of the application with attachments to:

Wilderness Stewardship Challenge Program
Building 27, Suite 3
Fort Missoula Road
Missoula, MT 59804