American Forests and Forest Service seek proposals for Chesapeake Bay region

American Forests
Friday, 19 January 2001

American Forests (www.americanforests.org) and the U.S. Forest Service are seeking proposals for conservation projects in the Chesapeake Bay region. Non-profit organizations, state and local agencies, Native American tribes and others in Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania are encouraged to apply for American Forests' grants to plant trees in environmentally significant, ecosystem restoration projects. The program, titled Chesapeake ReLeaf, also encourages habitat protection and restoration, conservation education, and the use of applied research and technology that promote the health and stewardship of forests in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Organizations applying for grants have to act quickly. The application deadline is February 15, 2001. Grants will be announced by March 1, 2001.

Grants will be awarded to projects in the Chesapeake Bay watershed that: benefit a multitude of conservation measures; demonstrate diverse partnerships among a variety of stakeholders; match the funds provided by American Forests, the nation's oldest nonprofit conservation organization; and that demonstrate a clear need for funding and define a time-line for project implementation. Chesapeake ReLeaf is a project of American Forests and the U.S. Forest Service in cooperation with state foresters.

Every year, American Forests' Global ReLeaf program plants millions of young, native trees on public and private lands, usually on rural sites, that have been damaged by natural forces or human activities. By forming partnerships with public and private sector organizations and agencies, American Forests is able to help restore forest ecosystems that would otherwise not be accomplished. So far, the organization has planted more than 16 million trees in 500 locations from the Puget Sound to the Chesapeake Bay and in 21 countries. The goal of Global ReLeaf 2000 is to plant 20 million trees to celebrate the new millennium.

For more information, or to contact American Forests, see their website at: www.americanforests.org