Healthy forests protect the environment and preserve cultural lifeways. Through the Stewarding Native Lands program, First Nations supports tribes and Native-led organizations that are seeking to acquire or expand community forests to create or improve opportunities for stewardship, economic pursuits, and education.
To support tribes and Native-led organizations in advancing forest management, First Nations presents a unique grant opportunity that bridges a critical funding gap: while federal and state agencies often restrict equipment purchases, this grant provides funding to acquire the necessary tools to address this barrier. By supporting forest equipment purchase, these grants strengthen tribal capacity to fortify forests that communities rely on. This opportunity is made possible by funding support from the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities.
2026, seven grants were awarded to build the capacity of tribal forestry programs through the purchase of essential forestry equipment.
Project history
As part of First Nations’ committment to Fortifying Our Forests, between 2023 and 2025, First Nations provided technical assistance and Capacity Support Grants of up to $10,000 to tribes, Alaska Native Corporations/Villages, tribal organizations, and Native-led nonprofit organizations that were interested in applying for the United States Forest Services’ Community Forest and Open Space Conservation or the Landscape Scale Restoration program. These grants were used to cover the cost of staff time or consultants (such as grant writers) to develop proposals for these opportunities.
In addition, First Nations partnered with the Forest Service to offer application tips and address questions on the Community Forest Webinar Series.
