Grassland Ecological Potential and Restoration Effectiveness Evaluation
The USDA Forest Service seeks partners to improve grassland restoration by evaluating ecological potential, resilience, and the effectiveness of current restoration efforts.
This grant is no longer accepting proposals
Forest Service has archived this opportunity.
Funder: [Forest Service - https://www.fs.usda.gov]
Due Dates: January 23, 2025 (Current Closing Date) | February 7, 2025 (Original Closing Date)
Funding Amounts: No direct funding awards; this is an Outreach of Interest to establish partnerships under legislative authority.
Summary: USDA Forest Service seeks partners to improve grassland restoration by evaluating ecological potential, resilience, and restoration effectiveness across national grasslands and tallgrass prairie.
Key Information: This opportunity is an outreach mechanism to cultivate partnerships and explore future projects; no direct grant awards are made through this solicitation. Eligible applicants include for-profits, non-profits, academic institutions, and government entities.
Description
The USDA Forest Service is soliciting responses through an Outreach of Interest (OOI) to build partnerships aimed at enhancing knowledge about grassland ecosystems, their ecological potential, and the effectiveness of restoration approaches. This initiative focuses on the approximately 3.8 million acres of National Grasslands and National Tallgrass Prairie managed by the National Forest System.
The goal is to leverage existing ecological classification systems (such as ecological sites and disturbance response groups) and monitoring methodologies to:
- Determine ecological potential across national grasslands.
- Assess grassland resiliency and restoration effectiveness.
The information gathered will help inform future prioritization of restoration areas and guide restoration strategies to maximize conservation return on investment. Additional research opportunities may include correlating restoration success with benefits such as habitat improvement, stabilization or improvement of grassland bird populations, enhanced carbon sequestration, and improved pollinator habitats.
Grasslands are among the most endangered ecosystems globally, facing threats from invasive species, woody plant encroachment, climate change, historic cultivation, disruption of natural disturbance regimes, and development. This OOI aims to foster strong, collaborative partnerships among government agencies, academic institutions, non-profits, and other stakeholders to expand capacity and ensure resilient, healthy grassland ecosystems.
Applicants are encouraged to submit ideas, projects, or programs that align with USDA Forest Service priorities and federal funding opportunities. This OOI does not provide direct funding but serves as a mechanism to connect potential partners for future collaboration.
