Regenerate NY Forestry Cost Share Program Round 5

Are your woodlands challenged by invasive species? Has your forest been impacted by significant forest health insects or diseases? Are you looking to expand your forest in open areas of your property to manage for future forest benefits, including wood products, wildlife, or biodiversity? The Regenerate NY program is here for you! The purpose of the Regenerate NY grant program is to provide financial assistance to private landowners and not-for-profits in establishing new and/or restoring existing forest woodlands. Approximately $5,080,000 is available for Regenerate NY - Round 5. Funding for this grant opportunity is provided by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service through the Inflation Reduction Act’s Forest Landowner Support Initiative Landowner Cost Share Payment Program and the Environmental Protection Fund for Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation. The benefits of managing your forest are many. Our forests are our retreat and connection to nature. They provide us with a sustainable stream of income, which supports green jobs, can boost traditional agricultural systems through agroforestry practices. It’s where we recreate, participate in the long tradition of hunting, or learn more about the environment around us. Forests give us clean air, clean water, support biodiversity and wildlife, and mitigate climate change. But forests in New York State face challenges. Overabundant deer populations and invasive species inhibit natural regeneration of young trees in our woodlands. More frequent droughts through the summer and shortened winters with less snow further stress forested ecosystems. Now is the time to take action and start engaging with your land. Tree planting can assist you in bringing back trees more adapted to warmer summers, abandoned fields, To create a successful future forest, controlling invasive species and excluding deer will give your tree seedlings the fighting chance they need to succeed. This grant supports new/underserved landowners and projects which restore tree regeneration and forest resiliency. Projects in which landowners are active or veteran military personnel, new forest owners, having owned their property for less than 10 years, and federally recognized Indian Nations or Tribes will be prioritized. DEC will also prioritize projects that require significant planting to afforest or reforest a portion of land, or those that are significantly degraded because of a forest health outbreak. This grant program supports tree planting, restoration, and other forest establishment practices as noted below: 1. Tree Planting to establish forests on non-forest areas and re-establish areas of forest disturbed by forest pests, disease, storms and timber harvesting as well as supplement existing natural regeneration in forests to help increase resilience and/or species diversity. 2. Regeneration Silviculture/Early Successional Habitat to support the re-establishment of forests through natural regeneration and provide young forest/early successional wildlife habitat by opening the forest canopy to increase sunlight and decrease plant competition. 3. Forest Health Resiliency Thinning is intended to reduce tree competition and promote residual tree resiliency, diversify the stand structure and age diversity, and recruit large trees and downed woody material. 4. Competing Vegetation Control to eliminate or reduce invasive vegetation competing with natural regeneration of forests. 5. Deer Exclosures to protect tree seedlings from deer using tree tubes, deer fences or a slash wall barrier. Projects must treat 5 acres or more and use at least one of the practices listed above. All projects must be guided by a private forester or natural resource professional. If the proper light conditions to support planted trees or natural regeneration for the project do not yet exist, silvicultural operations may be necessary to create the necessary conditions. More information for Bidders, including further details can be found in this Request for Applications (RFA). *New this year* · The maximum project award is increased to $1,000,000 o There are two opportunities available through this grant; Small Budget Projects (under $50,000) and Large Budget Projects ($50,000 - $1,000,000)A maximum of $1,000,000 is available for Small Budget Projects. o Applicants will apply for the specific opportunity in SFS based on their proposed project request. · Project applications must include an annual work schedule associated with the practice workplan and a detailed budget workbook. o Applicants will need to complete a budget estimate prior to applying to select the correct opportunity. Budget templates can be downloaded either from the application or from the RNY website. · Project payments will now follow a Performance Based Payment structure. The department will make milestone payments to the landowner once deliverables outlined in the workplan have been completed. See Section 8: Grant Program Payment for more details. · A new practice, Forest Health Resiliency Thinning, has been added to the opportunity. See Section 2 (c): Forest Health Resiliency Thinning for more details. o NYSDEC will cap awarded amounts in the Forest Health Resiliency Thinning practice at approximately $1,000,000 until February 28, 2026, after which the cap will be removed. · Up to $1,000,000 will be set aside for large scale afforestation and reforestation projects in support of the 25 Million Trees Initiative. · Agency priorities: while Regenerate NY is for all eligible forest landowners, NYSDEC will prioritize specific forest practices and landowners. NYSDEC will reserve $1,000,000 for underserved landowners until February 28, 2026, after which it will be available to all bidders: 1) Forest Practices: a. Projects that target areas impacted by forest pests and diseases, not limited to hemlock wooly adelgid, emerald ash borer, and southern pine beetle, 2) Underserved Landowners: a. Forest landowners who have owned their lands for 10 years or less, and/or; b. Landowners who are active members, reserve members or veterans who were released from service under conditions other than dishonorable, from the military. c. Indian Nations or Tribes Business enterprises awarded an identical or substantially similar procurement contract within the past five years: None Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business (SDVOB) SDVOB Goal: 0.00% Minority / Women Business Enterprise contracting goals (MWBE) MBE Goal: 0.00% WBE Goal: 0.00%