The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) has announced $3.38M in grants to further restore the longleaf pine ecosystem. The grants cover 15 separate projects across eight states, from Texas to North Carolina to Florida. In addition, the project applicants will get matching funds from grant partners, raising the total to $7.18M.
The projects seek to restore more than 11,800 acres and enhance 116,000 additional acres of longleaf pine habitat by using techniques such as prescribed burns, cost sharing for new planting and educating local landowners on timber management. Experts say Longleaf pine forests provide habitat for 29 threatened and endangered animal species. The projects were funded through NFWF and a public-private partnership known as the Longleaf Stewardship Fund.