The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and the United States Forest Service – State and Private Forestry (USFS) today announced $678,000 in grants to support forest restoration on abandoned mine lands at sites in Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. State foresters from those states, or their designated partners, will receive grants through the Appalachian Forest Renewal Initiative, a new partnership between NFWF and the Forest Service. These six grants will provide a 1:1 match in additional funds and in-kind support, resulting in an overall $1.35 million investment in forest restoration on priority sites for enhancement and protection of biodiversity.
“We are pleased to be able to support these critical efforts to re-forest legacy mine lands so that they can once again provide habitat for the rich diversity of fish and wildlife that are native to the Appalachian range,” said Jeff Trandahl, Executive Director and CEO of NFWF.
The goal of the Appalachian Forest Renewal Initiative, established in August 2013, is to restore forest habitat on small- to medium-sized project areas across the coal mining region of Appalachia. Targeted sites include a mix of existing forest, quality streams, and previously mined land, adjacent to biologically rich protected Federal, state, or NGO lands. Projects will integrate practices that include stream restoration; timber/fuels management using the latest forest management bird conservation practices to improve habitat for both Cerulean and Golden-winged warblers; and tree planting. Projects will use a modified version of the Forestry Reclamation Approach (FRA) that is designed for unused surface mined lands, invasive plants management, etc., to accomplish multiple ecological/habitat enhancement objectives.
“This initiative is unique and exciting because it accomplishes integrated forest management work in a coordinated way, across a landscape that includes many states and two Forest Service regions in the East,” said Tony Ferguson, Director, Northeastern Area-USDA Forest Service. “It also brings new and traditional Forest Service partners together, from both the public and private sectors.”
From the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation: https://www.nfwf.org/whoweare/mediacenter/pr/Pages/NFWF-Funding-to-Restore-Forests-on-Abandoned-Mine-Lands–.aspx