Forest Legacy 2024 Funded Projects
The Forest Service is awarding $154 million to 26 projects that will conserve approximately 168,000 acres of private forestlands across the United States, ensuring these special places will remain for the communities that rely on them.
States, local partners, and tribes have helped to identify forests that provide outstanding benefits to the public. These forests will be conserved through conservation easements and land acquisitions.
These forests are vital to the fabric of local communities and economies. The investments will ensure that these forestlands will remain working forests while advancing the most critical conservation issues, like protecting watersheds, reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfires, and conserving habitat for at-risk species.
News Release
Funded Proposals by State
| Project Name | FY 2024 LWCF | FY 2024 IRA |
|---|---|---|
| Dugdown Mountain Corridor Stateline Project – Alabama Cleburne County, AL This 1,984-acre proposed acquisition builds on a multi-state conservation effort stretching from the Paulding-Sheffield Forest Wildlife Management Areas in Georgia to the Talladega National Forest in Alabama. This project contains 10.5 miles of streams, and preventing its fragmentation or conversion will help maintain water quality for wildlife and the community. | $3,750,000 | |
| Weogufka State Forest Expansion Coosa County, AL At the tip of the Appalachian Mountain Range is Weogufka State Forest, home to 240 acres of upland hardwoods and the Pinhoti National Recreation Trail trailhead, which provides access to the Appalachian Trail and Eastern Continental Trail. This 558-acre project will expand the State Forest and protect the trail and its viewshed and provide public access to additional miles of trails for new recreational opportunities. | $1,205,000 |
| Project Name | FY 2024 LWCF | FY 2024 IRA |
|---|---|---|
| Date Creek Bosque Forest Legacy Project Date Creek, AZ This 647-acre conservation easement features 1.6 miles of one of the healthiest riparian corridors in Arizona, where less than 10% of these natural communities remain in their natural form. The presence of the federally-listed Southwestern willow flycatcher and Yellow-billed cuckoo have been confirmed as well as several Arizona special status species. Three generations live on the property, managing a sustainable ranch & orchard with a goal to continue stewarding the land. | $1,110,000 |
| Project Name | FY 2024 LWCF | FY 2024 IRA |
|---|---|---|
| Dugdown Mountain Corridor Stateline Project Polk and Haralson Counties, GA This 8,384-acre project builds on a multi-state conservation effort stretching from the Paulding-Sheffield Forest Wildlife Management Areas in Georgia to the Talladega National Forest in Alabama. This project, combined with an adjacent Forest Legacy project, will conserve 10,366 acres, protecting rare plants, bats and aquatic species. The proposed acquisition will assure permanent yearlong public access for hunting, camping, wildlife viewing, and fishing. | $17,500,000 | |
| Dugdown Mountain Corridor PIJ Tract Polk County, GA This 1,817-acre project connects to the Fiscal Year 24 Dugdown Mountain Corridor Stateline Georgia and Alabama tracts and builds on 6 previous Forest Legacy projects. The project connects Paulding Forest and Sheffield Wildlife Management Areas in Georgia to the Talladega National Forest in Alabama- totaling more than 32,000 acres. This project will protect high quality, climate-resilient forestland, rare plants, bat habitat, and aquatic species. | $1,500,000 |
| Project Name | FY 2024 LWCF | FY 2024 IRA |
|---|---|---|
| Little Sioux Forest Project Monona County, IA This project will fulfill a long-term State of Iowa goal to expand the Loess Hills State Forest with 1,769 acres of high-quality forest. The Little Sioux Forest is located in the nationally significant Loess Hills, a 650,000 acre geologically important and biodiverse landform created by the accumulation of windblown silt deposits following the last ice age. | $4,650,000 |
| Project Name | FY 2024 LWCF | FY 2024 IRA |
|---|---|---|
| Spirit of Mount Spokane Conservation Project Kootenai County, ID This project adds 6,504 acres of Idaho lands to a multi-state conservation easement effort that will safeguard a total of 40,891 acres of working forestlands and provide access to a recreational gem. This project is within the recharge zone of the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer, replenishing the water system and supplying clean drinking water to over 675,000 people in Kootenai and Spokane counties. | $5,000,000 |
| Project Name | FY 2024 LWCF | FY 2024 IRA |
|---|---|---|
| South Branch Forest Project High Peaks Region, ME This 3,840-acre conservation easement builds on 72,464 acres of nearby Forest Legacy projects and will secure public access for recreation, including 4 miles of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, 7 miles of ATV/snowmobile trails, and thousands of acres for hunting. The property has contributed to Maine's $8.5 billion forest products industry for 4+ decades. | $1,150,000 |
| Project Name | FY 2024 LWCF | FY 2024 IRA |
|---|---|---|
| Jones Hill Connection Ashby, MA The Jones Hill Connection project will permanently conserve 105 forested acres in Ashby, MA by municipal fee acquisition. The property has high strategic value and would become a part of a large network of other conservation land, including other Forest Legacy Program tracts in the area. The property is an upper headwaters area for cold-water fishery tributaries to the federally designated Wild & Scenic Squannacook River. | $445,000 |
| Project Name | FY 2024 LWCF | FY 2024 IRA |
|---|---|---|
| Michigamme Highlands Project Marquette, Baraga and Iron Counties, MI At 73,000 acres, acquisition of this conservation easement will prevent fragmentation, ensure sustainable forest management and offer full public motorized and non-motorized recreational access. The entire tract falls within the home territory of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) and 620 acres is located within KBIC’s reservation. The project secures access to the tract for Keweenaw Bay Indian Community members for traditional hunting, fishing and gathering. | $15,075,000 | |
| Betsie River Springs Benzie County, MI Comprised of both upland and lowland forests, natural springs, and over a mile of river frontage, this 105-acre project is a strategic priority in Michigan. The Betsie River, considered to be the best river for naturally reproducing Chinook salmon in Michigan and a very popular steelhead stream, is a state-designated Natural River and a designated trout stream. | $330,000 | |
| Elk Run Cheboygan County, MI Comprised of 243 acres of an upland forest mix of oak, pine, and aspen, this proposed acquisition provides habitat connectivity and serves as a travel corridor for species such as black bear, white-tailed deer, bobcat, and elk. Elk Run is located in the heart of Michigan's core elk range in the Pigeon River Country State Forest, known as the "Big Wild" as it is the largest wilderness-like area in Michigan's Lower Peninsula. | $300,000 |
| Project Name | FY 2024 LWCF | FY 2024 IRA |
|---|---|---|
| Upper Thompson Connectivity Project Thompson Falls, Sanders and Flathead Counties, MT This 24,865-acre conservation easement is the second phase of a 48,041-acre project protecting productive working forests in northwest Montana. Phase 2 complements Montana’s Fiscal Year 23 Forest Legacy project, and adds vital connectivity for grizzly bear, Canada lynx, and bull trout. The project borders 60 miles of the Lolo National Forest, 20 miles of state land, and 8 miles of an existing conservation easement, contributing to the integrity of the forest landscape. | $7,000,000 |
| Project Name | FY 2024 LWCF | FY 2024 IRA |
|---|---|---|
| Roanoke River Bottomlands Forest Project Martin County, NC This project expands a protected corridor along the Roanoke River to over 55,100 acres, which includes the Roanoke River National Wildlife Refuge and is located at the river's confluence with the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary. It will create 2 new public access sites along the river as well as a camping platform and opportunities for public waterfowl hunting. The project lies within the Eastern NC Sentinel Landscape. | $3,000,000 |
| Project Name | FY 2024 LWCF | FY 2024 IRA |
|---|---|---|
| Tualatin Mountain Forest Project Multnomah County, OR This proposed acquisition will establish a 3,111-acre working research forest to be owned by Oregon State University. Pioneering forestry methods like climate-smart forestry, the project will serve as a national model for an actively managed forest that balances the needs of financial productivity, carbon sequestration, healthy watersheds, and diverse plant and wildlife communities. By creating public access to 24 miles of trails, this project will benefit both locally underserved residents and the Portland Metropolitan Area's outdoor recreation economy. | $3,630,000 |
| Project Name | FY 2024 LWCF | FY 2024 IRA |
|---|---|---|
| Quaiapen Forest South Kingston, RI This conservation easement will conserve a 41-acre forest abutting the Audubon Society of Rhode Island's 1,100-acre Marion Eppley Wildlife Refuge. Receiving Forest Legacy funding is the culmination of 14 years of work to conserve this property, in large part due to the presence of an intact Atlantic White Cedar swamp, which is a globally threatened type of wetland ecosystem. | $870,000 |
| Project Name | FY 2024 LWCF | FY 2024 IRA |
|---|---|---|
| Foothills Scenic Corridor Greenville, SC This 435-acre project's mature hardwood forest buffers and preserves the aquatic integrity of Short Branch Creek, a portion of the North Saluda River, and the Saluda Watershed Reservoir which it abuts, helping secure the drinking water supply for over ½ million people. The tract contains a diversity of unique communities and geologic features, harboring at least 81 Species of Greatest Conservation Need in the South Carolina State Wildlife Action Plan. | $1,500,000 |
| Project Name | FY 2024 LWCF | FY 2024 IRA |
|---|---|---|
| Wasatch Back Forest Conservation Project Summit County, UT This 8,588-acre project is located minutes from Park City and just 25 miles from Salt Lake City, Utah. The acquisition would protect the last privately-owned forested property of its size within this area of the Wasatch Mountains and link a corridor of 52,000 acres of protected land. The project will also restore five miles of creek, reestablishing Bonneville Cutthroat Trout—a species once thought to be extinct. | $40,000,000 |
| Project Name | FY 2024 LWCF | FY 2024 IRA |
|---|---|---|
| Moose River Essex County, VT This 327-acre project will be acquired by the State of Vermont as an addition to the Victory State Forest, and will secure dispersed public access. This project will expand a 29,400-acre block of conserved land in a focal area for climate resiliency and the Connecticut River Watershed, the country's only National Blueway. The property provides a source of local firewood, benefitting the disadvantaged community of Concord, VT. | $410,000 | |
| Roxbury State Forest Expansion Washington County, VT This 348-acre project will expand the 5,509-acre Roxbury State Forest (RSF), strengthen RSF's connectivity to the Green Mountain National Forest, and further protect a 3,554-acre block of contiguous forestland. Successful completion of the Roxbury State Forest Expansion Project will secure public access for outdoor recreation and protect high elevation Montane Spruce-Fir habitat, critical for species vulnerable to climate change. | $495,000 |
| Project Name | FY 2024 LWCF | FY 2024 IRA |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Mountain Natural Area Preserve Expansion Floyd and Carroll Counties, VA The project will conserve 3,311 acres of Southern Appalachian Rich Cove Forest and productive white pine, as well as nearly 14 miles of mountain streams at the headwaters of the New River. This acquisition will secure public access near a community in need of outdoor recreation alternatives, alleviate pressure on the existing Preserve resources, and support the tourism economy of surrounding communities. | $9,500,000 | |
| Assamoosic Pinelands State Forest Southampton County, VA This 1,800-acre project will establish a new Assamoosic Pinelands State Forest in southeast Virgina. The state-recognized Nottoway Indian Tribe of Virginia will enter into a co-stewardship agreement with the Virginia Department of Forestry and The Nature Conservancy to collaboratively manage the property in the center of the former Nottoway Indian Tribe reservation. The project will reestablish the Tribe’s ancestral practices of land and water stewardship, including the use of fire. | $3,265,000 | |
| Cedar Mountain Shenandoah Albemarle County, VA This conservation easement will protect 767 acres of family-owned forestland and complement prior Forest Legacy Program investments, connecting over 5,000 acres of working forestland. The project helps ensure the Appalachian Corridor's protection and enhances critical habitat connectivity and climate resiliency in the region. The project's location in the watershed and upstream of Sugar Hollow Reservoir elevates its importance for both habitat and water resource protection. | $1,305,000 |
| Project Name | FY 2024 LWCF | FY 2024 IRA |
|---|---|---|
| Mt. Adams Forest Project Phase 2 Klickitat County, WA The Mt. Adams Forest's Phases 1 and 2 will use conservation easements to protect 6,378 acres of forests surrounding the rural community of Trout Lake, WA and 13,850 acres of forests above the Wild and Scenic White Salmon River. The projects will support one of Washington's last thriving forestry workforces, feeding 3 local mills that alone support 300 jobs, protect drinking water supply for Trout Lake, and secure public recreation access in support of the counties' $275M recreation economy. | $14,000,000 | |
| Cle Elum Ridge Large Landscape Kittitas County, WA This 9,700-acre project is the culmination of 20 years of conservation to expand the adjacent Teanaway Community Forest, connecting the last piece in a corridor of protected lands. Once acquired, the property will be managed by the Washington Department of Natural Resources under a community-backed Forest Management Plan for enhancing water supply, expanding recreation, maintaining forestry, and conserving habitat. | $15,300,000 | |
| Green Mountain West Kitsap County, WA The Green Mountain West project will permanently conserve 360 acres of productive working forestland and important salmon habitat adjacent to federal, state, and local forestland in Kitsap County, Washington. Benefits to the local economy are substantial, providing sustainable forest sector employment and securing year-round access for the 80,000-100,000 visitors annually who currently use the property. | $1,500,000 |
Request for Projects
Fiscal Year 2026 Call Letter for Projects (PDF, 304 KB)
Fiscal Year 2026 Project Scoring Guidance (PDF, 239 KB)
*Fiscal Year 2025 Call Letter Coming Soon
Fiscal Year 2024 Call Letter for Projects (PDF, 583 KB)
Fiscal Year 2024 Project Scoring Guidance (PDF, 327 KB)