The National Wildlife Federation is coordinating a letter on behalf of wildlife organizations to the Obama administration thanking them for their campaign pledge to dedicate a portion of cap and trade revenue to wildlife adaptation. This would mean additional funding for wildlife conservation. Please consider signing your organization on to the letter by contacting Derek at the e-mail address below. A note from Derek Brockbank and the letter follows:     
 
Note From Derek: Now that the President-Elect has assembled his Energy and Environment team, we want to make sure everyone on his team (starting with Carol Browner) knows about his pledge to safeguard natural resources from global warming and knows there is strong grassroots support behind it.  We have assembled a coalition of over two dozen national conservation groups, ranging from wildlife-focused to land trusts to hunting and fishing groups, that have signed this letter and we are recruiting other national groups to sign.  But the real power comes from the grassroots organizations - state and local conservation groups, businesses and associations - signing this letter.  Please sign on your organization, and help us reach 500 signers by January 20th!  To sign, just email Derek Brockbank, at brockbankd@nwf.org and include 1) your name, 2) your organization's name, and 3) your state & zip.

The National Forest Foundation was established by Congress in 1990 to support the USDA Forest Service in its management of the nation's forests and grasslands. The Foundation's Wilderness Stewardship Challenge provides matching grants of up to $50,000 to nonprofit partners to implement on-the-ground conservation projects that directly benefit Wilderness Areas within the National Forest System. Funded projects should include a high level of community involvement or participation, and support for the project. Priority is given to projects that best advance Forest Service Wilderness stewardship goals and is applicable to other Wilderness Areas through the sharing of lessons learned. The application deadline is February 3, 2009. Visit the National Forest Foundation website for program details and application information. 

The Boat U.S. Foundation, established by the Boat Owners Association of the U.S., is dedicated to promoting safe and environmentally sensitive boating. The Foundation's Clean Water Grants Program awards grants of up to $4,000 to local nonprofit volunteer organizations for the promotion of clean boating education. The Foundation is looking for creative and innovative projects that teach boaters to reduce their impact on the waters they use for boating. Topics can range from petroleum pollution prevention to pumpout education to keeping trash out of waterways. The deadline is February 2, 2009. Application guidelines can be downloaded from the Foundation's website. 

The Five-Star Restoration Matching Grants Program, an initiative of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, seeks to develop community capacity to sustain local natural resources for future generations by supporting wetland, riparian, and coastal habitat restoration projects. Grants ranging from $10,000 to $40,000 are provided to projects that build diverse partnerships and foster natural resource stewardship through education, outreach, and training activities. Partnerships should include at least five organizations that contribute to project success through funding, land, workforce support, technical support, and/or other in-kind services. Projects that can leverage the amount of funds requested with significant cash or in-kind contributions from project partners are given priority. The application deadline is February 16, 2009. Visit the website listed above for detailed program information. 

 

The Laura Jane Musser Fund's Environmental Initiative encourages rural communities throughout the United States to use a consensus-based approach to environmental decision-making. Under this initiative, grants are provided through two distinct programs. The Environmental Stewardship Program supports projects that manage resources of ecological, economic, or aesthetic value, and that include a broad range of community members and stakeholders involved in both the planning and implementation of the project. The Environmental Dispute Resolution Program supports projects that engage in a collaborative process in order to build consensus instead of confrontation, so parties may resolve a conflict and move forward without resorting to litigation. The application deadline for both programs is February 18, 2009. Visit the website listed above for application guidelines.