Maine Community Foundation launches new land conservation grant programs
Photo / Maureen Milliken
The Maine Community Foundation has replaced the Maine Fund for Land Conservation with two new land conservation grant programs. The previous fund supported more than 200 conservation organizations, including the Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine, now the Maine Woodland Owners, which has conserved for than 10,000 acres of forest in the state, including this property in Belgrade.
The Maine Community Foundation has launched two new land conservation grant programs for general support as well as acquisition and easements.
The Conservation for All and the Maine Land Protection grant programs both support organizations and projects in Maine dedicated to helping Maine people access and connect to the outdoors, the foundation said in a news release.
“The Maine outdoors is a uniquely special place, and we believe all of us should feel welcome to enjoy and connect with all it has to offer,” said Maggie Drummond-Bahl, Maine Community Foundation's senior program officer.
The two new funds replace the Fund for Maine Land Conservation, which awarded nearly 200 grants totaling $889,768 since its start in the early 1990s. In 2018, Maine Community Foundation received a bequest that made it possible to reexamine and redesign its grant making approach to land conservation.
Conservation for All grant
The Conservation for All grant program provides general support grants to organizations and projects that build strong connections between people in Maine and the land and water. The maximum award is $15,000.
To receive a grant, an organization or project must:
- Create or facilitate access to and use of land and water, particularly for underserved populations. This means taking specific actions to increase opportunities for those who are not accessing or using the outdoors by, for example, reducing physical or economic barriers, increasing awareness or creatively encouraging participation.
- Engage people and communities who will benefit or be impacted by involving them in the design, implementation or evaluation of conservation projects.
Maine Land Protection grant
The Maine Land Protection grant program provides grants for land acquisition or land conservation easement projects. The maximum award is $75,000.
The proposed project must:
- Create or increase permanent access to land and water, particularly to traditionally underserved populations (such as those with low incomes, disabilities, mental health conditions, limited English proficiency; people of color or racial minority groups; immigrants and/or refugees; and those who identify as LGBTQ+) and communities with limited conservation opportunities;
- Involve and have support from community members and stakeholders
- Include a vision or plan for the future use of the land or easement, including strategies to engage people and communities in developing uses and organizational plans to care for the land over time.
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments