Central Appalachia Habitat Stewardship Program
Forecasted
Central Appalachia Habitat Stewardship Program supports landowners and conservation collaboratives with habitat restoration and assistance to improve native wildlife habitat and sustain regional conservation.
Funder: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Due Dates (Anticipated): July 2027 (Full proposal)
Funding Amounts: $75,000–$500,000 per project; projects completed within four years
Summary: Supports voluntary forest, grassland, and freshwater habitat restoration and collaborative conservation across Central Appalachia.
Key Information: The program boundary excludes the Pennsylvania Wilds and Blue Ridge/Upper James focal areas.
Description
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) runs this program to restore and sustain healthy forests, grasslands, rivers, and streams across Central Appalachia. It seeks to improve habitat quantity, quality, and connectivity for native wildlife while supporting resilient communities and natural resource-based economies. Projects can combine on-the-ground restoration with landowner outreach, technical and financial assistance, planning, demonstrations, and monitoring.
Forest priorities emphasize mixed-aged landscapes supporting golden-winged warbler, wood thrush, and cerulean warbler without compromising late-successional or old-growth forest. Grassland work supports species including Northern bobwhite, Eastern meadowlark, Eastern box turtle, and pollinators. Aquatic priorities include passage-barrier removal, riparian buffers, and water quality improvements benefiting brook trout, eastern hellbender, and freshwater mussels. The program also invests in conservation collaboratives that accelerate and sustain restoration.
