The window is now open for projects for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 for the Forest Legacy Program Inflation Reduction Act funding opportunities.
In FY 2025, there will be two submission and review processes for IRA funding consideration—one round in the fall (September 23, 2024, national deadline), and one round in the spring (March 24, 2025, national deadline). The outcome from each round will be three prioritized lists (one list for each project type):
- Large Landscape Projects,
- Tribal Partnership Projects, and
- Strategic Small Tract Projects.
US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFS) plans to award $250 million in IRA funding in FY2025 in accordance with the agency’s current IRA spend plan. Actual funding awarded (greater or less than $250 million) will depend on the number of eligible and high-quality proposals received. Additional funding opportunities will be offered on an annual basis through 2026, with the goal of awarding all IRA FLP funds by FY2027. States can submit up to 5 projects for consideration in each round.
Linked below is the USFS call for projects, as well a document detailing the submission process and requirements, as well as the scope of each of the three prioritized project types. Starting on Page 9, this document provides valuable information on project requirements and information that will need to be included in a proposal submitted to us here in the state. Please pay close attention to the details provided regarding what Pennsylvania will need in order to evaluate and move projects forward. Once projects are submitted to Pennsylvania, the PA Forest Legacy Committee will evaluate these and place final submissions, up to five, into the federal system for consideration.
Session and Scoring Guidance Project Selection Process
Please submit project proposals and documentation (and any questions) to Tom Stahl ([email protected]), Pennsylvania DCNR, Bureau of Forestry by close of business on August 12, 2024. This will ensure your proposal can be reviewed by a “mock panel” for feedback and refinement before being evaluated by the Forest Legacy Committee and potentially being selected for final review in September. The mock panel is not a requirement, and if you cannot meet the August 12 deadline, please provide your proposal to Tom no later than August 26.
