Grant Recipients

In 2009, 28 nonprofits and public agencies received grants, including:

• Swain Family Intervention Services, Inc., for construction of signage along trails near Lake Fontana in western North Carolina that protect historic rural family cemeteries.

• Pend Oreille River Tourism Alliance, for a water trails webpage that will provide downloadable maps, information and other interactive features for the Pend Oreille River and accompanying trails in Oregon.

• Berrien County Health Department, to lay out a “Rail to Trail” greenway around Benton Harbor that will provide new recreational opportunities for county residents. 

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2009 Award Recipients

The Conservation Fund accepts nominations of individuals, organizations, corporations and public agencies that should be recognized for outstanding achievements related to the creation of greenways, blueways, trails and open space systems throughout America. Up to four winners of National Greenway Awards are recognized during a public awards ceremony at the National Geographic Society in Washington DC. The 2009 ceremony was held on October 19th. Click here for the news release.

2009 Kodak American Greenways National Award Ceremony
From left: Antonio Perez, Chairman & CEO, Eastman Kodak Company; Gilbert M. Grosvenor, Chairman,  National Geographic Society; Alexie Torres-Fleming, National Award recipient; Erik Meyers, Vice President for Sustainable Programs, The Conservation Fund; Rosie Zamora, National Award recipient; Rick Wagner, National Award recipient; Larry Selzer, President & CEO, The Conservation Fund; David Kiser, Vice President and Director, Health, Safety, Environment and Sustainability, Eastman Kodak Company.

Photo: Christian J. Lewis

Learn more about past National Award Recipients, including the 2009 winners.

20th Anniversary Special Presentations

2009 marks the 20th anniversary of the Kodak American Greenways Awards. We celebrated this occasion by acknowledging Eastman Kodak and The National Geographic Society for their continuing support of these awards. Antonio Perez, Chairman & CEO, Eastman Kodak Company and Gilbert M. Grosvenor, Chairman, National Geographic Society (pictured above with award recipients) accepted the special awards at the October 19th ceremony.

Photo: Christian J. Lewis

Pictured from left: David Kiser, Vice President and Director, Health, Safety, Environment and Sustainability, Eastman Kodak Company; Larry Selzer, President & CEO, The Conservation Fund; The Honorable Lamar Alexander, United States Senator; Gilbert M. Grosvenor, Chairman, National Geographic Society; Pat Noonan, Founder and Chairman Emeritus, The Conservation Fund.

 Applications are due on June 3, 2011.

Background

The Conservation Fund established the Columbia Ohio Expansion Migratory Bird Account (COE Account) as part of a Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) to receive monies to conserve and restore migratory bird habitat in Ohio. Money deposited in the Columbia Ohio Expansion is a result of an agreement entitled “Guidelines for Achieving Compliance with the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and Executive Order No. 13186 Through the Voluntary Compensation Measures” developed by Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC (Columbia) and the Service associated with the construction, maintenance and operation of the Ohio Storage Expansion Project in Fairfield, Hocking, Ashland and Holmes Counties, Ohio. These funds are non-Federal funds and can be used as matching funds for Federal funds.

Riparian corridors are considered important habitat for many migrating land birds. Given the current pressures of climate change, the management of north/south riparian corridors are likely to provide transitional habitat as species ranges are shifting northward. Therefore, the priority for the COE Account will be the conservation of forest habitat that benefits migratory birds and for restoration of gaps in forest habitat blocks and riparian corridors. The conservation and restoration projects should target forest dwelling avian species impacted by the Project described above, including the Cerulean Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler, Wood Thrush, Black-billed Cuckoo, Whip-poor-will and Red-headed Woodpecker when these species are found in the vicinity. The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Regional Office has developed guidelines on the use of the COE Account Funds in collaboration with a State Technical Team and with input from the Columbia Ohio Storage representative.

The State Technical Team in Ohio was established to determine proposal criteria, review proposals and determine which proposals will be funded with approximately $623,700. The state technical team consists of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the Ohio Field Office of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Division of Migratory Bird Management and The Conservation Fund. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Region III’s Regional Team will serve as project oversight. The call for proposals will be to these agencies, conservation nonprofit organizations and land trusts. The State Technical Team reserves the right to ask for additional proposals if there are not sufficient high quality proposals in this request for proposals.

Projects Eligible for Funding

The COE Account will be used to fund one (1) eligible land acquisition and/or restoration project in Fairfield, Hocking, Ashland and Holmes Counties, Ohio. An acquisition project shall be defined as the fee or easement purchase of one or multiple preferably contiguous parcels of land under one common ownership, and not the acquisition of multiple parcels of land or easements owned by different parties. Eligible projects may be either bottomland or upland bird habitat or restoration projects and must satisfy the following criteria:

• Documented proof that the proposed land acquisition or restoration project will target forest dwelling avian species impacted by the Expansion including the Cerulean Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler, Wood Thrush, Black-billed Cuckoo, Whip-poor-will and Red-headed Woodpecker.

• Confirm that the proposed project will be targeted for completion by December 31, 2012 for land acquisition and for restoration. Projects may involve land acquisition in fee, acquisition of a perpetual conservation easement, or restoration of forest gaps or riparian corridor gaps on applicant owned properties.

• Any proposed acquisition and conservation easement property must be free of debris or environmental contaminants.

• Fee title to land or a conservation easement may be acquired by a governmental agency or non profit.

• Fee title to land or conservation easement must be acquired after the grant agreement has been signed.

• Any proposed land acquisition or conservation easement must include all mineral and timber rights.

• Applicants are encouraged to propose projects with greater than a one-to-one match from other sources of funding.

• Any proposed land acquisition project must have clear title, a completed (clean) environmental review, current appraisal, contract and survey.

• Except under rare circumstances, only a proposed project that is under contract as of the grant application date will be considered.

Project Costs Eligible for Funding

The COE Account may only be used to cover the direct cost of land and/or forest habitat restoration. The Service wants to obtain the most habitat protection or restoration possible and as a result there is a preference that acquisition costs (such as closing costs, title search fees, survey costs, etc.) are paid by another agency or partner. No staff time or organizational overhead costs may be paid for by the COE Account.

Deed Restrictions

Any project funded with COE Funds shall have deed restrictions placed on the project as part of the grant disbursement process. These deed restrictions are set forth on the template Notice of Grant Agreement attached hereto as Exhibit A of the Grant Agreement. If fee interest in property is not being acquired as part of a funded project, then the fee simple owner of the land being eased or restored will be required to join in execution of the Notice of Grant Agreement. For reference, Grant Agreements are available for download under "Related Links" in the right sidebar of this page.

For more information contact:

Applicants may contact either:

Mary Knapp at 614-416-8993 x 12 / Mary_Knapp@fws.gov

Peg Kohring at 616-510-1221 / pkohring@conservationfund.org

Application Submittal

Applications are due on June 3, 2011.

Click here to download the application.

Please download and submit the application in either Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF, along with a project budget, a regional location map, aerial photo, topographic map, and photographs (if available) of the specific project area and send to:

Peg Kohring
Midwest Director
The Conservation Fund
PO Box 506
Sawyer, MI 49125
or
pkohring@conservationfund.org

Project Selection Process

The Ohio Technical Team and Regional Oversight Team will review proposals to determine how well the objectives of the COE Account will be met, including all of the eligibility factors described previously. Upon receipt of approval from the Ohio Technical Team and the Regional Oversight Team, The Conservation Fund will develop a grant agreement to be signed by successful applicant agency or organization awarded the funds. A draft grant agreement is attached to this Call for Proposals. Non-profit organizational applicants must provide a current financial report and audit.

The following criteria will also be considered:

• the number of total acres conserved,
• the number of total acres of interior forest conserved,
• the description of specific species to be protected and/or how restoration will impact the species (please include species census data or other useful data,
• how the project addresses fragmentation,
• miles of riparian corridor protected,
• the likelihood of successful completion of the land acquisition or restoration project,
• the number of partners involved in the project and the track record of partners.

Previous Grant Recipients & Project Information

Project: Bakers Fork & Rocky Fork Riparian Corridor Project
Grant Recipient: Arc of Appalachia Preserve System
Grant Amount: $140,500
Acres protected: 239
Location: Highland County
Quote: “Both properties are significant in that they will not only contribute to the science of bio-diversity preservation, but, because they are contiguous to pre-existing preserves that already allow visitation, they will provide additional outdoor education and hiking opportunities for the general public,” said Nancy Stranahan of the Arc of Appalachia Preserve System. “The staff and board at the Arc of Appalachia are deeply grateful for the opportunity to work in partnership with The Conservation Fund and Columbia Gas on these two sites.”

Grant Recipients & Project Information

Rockies Express Grants:

Project: Blue Clay Falls & Lick Creek Hills Linkage Project
Grant Recipient: Whitewater Valley Land Trust
Grant Amount: $350,000
Acres protected: 351
Location: Wayne County
Quote: “The Lick Creek Hills Macrosite is presently split. The blessing of these funds is gratefully welcome. The funding will aid us in forming the largest cohesive preserve system in Southeastern Indiana. The fens, mature woods and river bottom will provide scenic beauty and recreation for the public and natural protection for the migratory birds of concern. The funding will jump start the Blue Clay Falls & Lick Creek Hills Linkage Project—the continued protection of our vital fens and riparian woodlands that are the origin of tributaries flowing through the Whitewater Valley Land Trust region and forms a lengthening protected refuge corridor north from Ohio River for our bird friends.” — Debbie Gross, Whitewater Valley Land Trust, Vice President

Project: Burnett Woods State Nature Preserve
Grant Recipient: Central Indiana Land Trust
Grant Amount: $69,787
Acres protected: 11 acres protected, 8 acres restored
Location: Hendricks County
Quote: “This project will greatly enhance the value of Burnett Woods Nature Preserve for migratory and resident bird populations. Additional funds have been awarded to restore habitat at one site and tackle invasive species at two other protected sites in Central Indiana. We are grateful for the support from the REX East Migratory Bird Account and pleased to be able to undertake projects at three different but equally valuable sites.” — Heather Bacher, Executive Director of the Central Indiana Land Trust

(Note: The Central Indiana Land Trust received an additional grant of $55,870 for three other restoration projects: Burnett Woods Bush Honeysuckle Eradication, 10 acres; Brush Creek Conservation Easement Forest Restoration Project, 50 acres; Oliver-Daugherty Bush Honeysuckle Eradication, 11 acres)

Project: Shawnee Bottoms Addition
Grant Recipient: NICHES Land Trust
Grant Amount: $50,000
Acres protected: 35
Location: Fountain County
Quote: “I and NICHES are very excited about the new addition to our Shawnee Bottoms property. The addition is an important block in restoring and enhancing the quality of the oak woodlands and bottomlands of the Portland Arch region. We look forward to the responsibility of ensuring the long term protection of the birds and wildlife that use these lands for their survival.” — Gus Nyberg, Executive Director, NICHES Land Trust

Background

The Conservation Fund established the REX East Migratory Bird Account (Account) as part of a Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) to receive monies to conserve and restore migratory bird habitat in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Ohio. Money deposited in the REX Account is a result of an agreement entitled "Guidelines for Achieving Compliance with the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and Executive Order No. 13186 Through the Voluntary Compensation Measures" developed by the Rockies Express Pipeline, LLC and the Service associated with the construction, maintenance and operation of the Rockies Express Pipeline-East in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. These funds are non-Federal funds and can be used as matching funds for Federal funds.

The primary purpose for the REX East Account—Indiana Project will be conserving and/or restoring forest habitat for migratory birds with emphasis on riparian corridors and upland forest habitat. The conservation and restoration projects should target forest dwelling avian species impacted by the pipeline including: for example, the Cerulean Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Whip-poor-will, Red-headed Woodpecker, Black-billed Cuckoo, Acadian Flycatcher, Wood Thrush, Louisiana Waterthrush, Prothonotary Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler, and Rusty Blackbird. The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Regional Office has developed guidelines on the use of the REX East Account Funds in collaboration with State Technical Teams.

In Indiana, a State Technical Team was established to determine proposal criteria, review proposals and determine which proposals will be funded with approximately $1,174,000. The state technical team consists of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, the Bloomington Field Office of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Division of Migratory Bird Management and The Conservation Fund. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Region III’s Regional Team will serve as project oversight. The first call for proposals will be to these agencies, conservation nonprofit organizations and land trusts.

Project Costs Eligible for Funding

The REX East Migratory Bird Account may only be used to cover the direct cost of land and/or forest habitat restoration. The Service wants to obtain the most habitat protection or restoration possible and as a result there is a preference that acquisition costs (such as closing costs, title search fees, survey costs, etc.) are paid by another agency or partner. No Service staff time or organizational overhead costs may be paid for by the REX East Account.

Proposal deadline: June 3, 2011

Available funds: Approximately $580,000

Expected project completion: by December 31, 2012

Project selection: Announcement by the end of July, 2011

Background

The Conservation Fund established the REX East Migratory Bird Account (REX Account) as part of a Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) to receive monies to conserve and restore migratory bird habitat in Ohio.  Money deposited in the REX Account is a result of an agreement entitled “Guidelines for Achieving Compliance with the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and Executive Order No. 13186 Through the Voluntary Compensation Measures” developed by the Rockies Express Pipeline, LLC and the Service associated with the construction, maintenance and operation of the Rockies Express Pipeline-East in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.  These funds are non-Federal funds and can be used as matching funds for Federal funds.

Riparian corridors are considered important habitat for many migrating land birds.  Given the current pressures of climate change, the management of north/south riparian corridors are likely to provide transitional habitat as species ranges are shifting northward.  Therefore, the priority for the REX Account will be the conservation of forest habitat that benefits migratory birds and for restoration of gaps in forest habitat blocks and riparian corridors. The conservation and restoration projects should target forest dwelling avian species impacted by the Project described above, including the Cerulean Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Kentucky Warbler and Bewick’s Wren when these species are found in the vicinity.  The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Regional Office has developed guidelines on the use of the REX Account Funds in collaboration with a State Technical Team and with input from the Project representative.

The State Technical Team in Ohio was established to determine proposal criteria, review proposals and determine which proposals will be funded with approximately $580,000.  The state technical team consists of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the Ohio Field Office of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Division of Migratory Bird Management and The Conservation Fund.  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Region III’s Regional Team will serve as project oversight.  The call for proposals will be to these agencies, conservation nonprofit organizations and land trusts.  The State Technical Team reserves the right to ask for additional proposals if there are not sufficient high quality proposals in this request for proposals.

Projects Eligible for Funding

The REX Account will be used to fund one (1) eligible land acquisition and/or restoration project in Ohio. An acquisition project shall be defined as the fee or easement purchase of one or multiple preferably contiguous parcels of land under one common ownership, and not the acquisition of multiple parcels of land or easements owned by different parties. 

Eligible projects may be either bottomland or upland bird habitat or restoration projects and must satisfy the following criteria:

• Provide documented proof that the proposed land acquisition or restoration project will target forest dwelling avian species impacted by the Expansion including the Cerulean Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Kentucky Warbler and Bewick’s Wren. 

• Confirm that the proposed project will be targeted for completion by December 31, 2012 for land acquisition and for restoration. Projects may involve land acquisition in fee, acquisition of a perpetual conservation easement, or restoration of forest gaps or riparian corridor gaps on applicant owned properties.

• Any proposed acquisition and conservation easement property must be free of debris or environmental contaminants.

• Fee title to land or a conservation easement may be acquired by a governmental agency or non profit.

• Fee title to land or conservation easement must be acquired after the grant agreement has been signed.

• Any proposed land acquisition or conservation easement must include all mineral and timber rights.

• Applicants are encouraged to propose projects with greater than a one-to-one match from other sources of funding.

• Any proposed land acquisition project must have clear title, a completed (clean) environmental review, current appraisal, contract and survey.

• Except under rare circumstances, only a proposed project that is under contract as of the grant application date will be considered.

Project Costs Eligible for Funding

The REX Account may only be used to cover the direct cost of land and/or forest habitat restoration. The Service wants to obtain the most habitat protection or restoration possible and as a result there is a preference that acquisition costs (such as closing costs, title search fees, survey costs, etc.) are paid by another agency or partner.  No staff time or organizational overhead costs may be paid for by the REX Account.

Deed Restrictions

Any project funded with REX Funds shall have deed restrictions placed on the project as part of the grant disbursement process.  These deed restrictions are set forth on the template Notice of Grant Agreement attached hereto as Exhibit A of the Grant Agreement.  If fee interest in property is not being acquired as part of a funded project, then the fee simple owner of the land being eased or restored will be required to join in execution of the Notice of Grant Agreement. For reference, examples of the Grant Agreements are available under Related Links in the right sidebar.

Contacts

Applicants may contact either:

Mary Knapp at 614-416-8993 x 12 / Mary_Knapp@fws.gov

Peg Kohring at 616-510-1221 / pkohring@conservationfund.org

Application Submittal

Applications are due on June 3, 2011. 

Click here to download the application form.

Please use the attached form to apply and submit in either Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF, along with a project budget, a regional location map, aerial photo, topographic map, and photographs (if available) of the specific project area and send to:

Peg Kohring

By email: pkohring@conservationfund.org

By mail:

Peg Kohring
Midwest Director
The Conservation Fund
PO Box 506
Sawyer, MI 49125

Project Selection Process

The Ohio Technical Team and Regional Oversight Team will review proposals to determine how well the objectives of the REX Account will be met, including all of the eligibility factors described previously. Upon receipt of approval from the Ohio Technical Team and the Regional Oversight Team, The Conservation Fund will develop a grant agreement to be signed by successful applicant agency or organization awarded the funds. A draft grant agreement is attached to this Call for Proposals. Non-profit organizational applicants must provide a current financial report and audit.

The following criteria will also be considered:

• the number of total acres conserved,
• the number of total acres of interior forest conserved,
• the description of specific species to be protected and/or how restoration will impact the species (please include species census data or other useful data, 
• how the project addresses fragmentation,
• miles of riparian corridor protected,
• the likelihood of successful completion of the land acquisition or restoration project, the number of partners involved in the project and the track record of partners.

Previous Grant Recipients & Project Information

Rockies Express Grants:

Project: Raccoon Ecological Management Area / Vinton Furnace Experimental Forest
Grant Recipient: The Nature Conservancy
Grant Amount: $1.5 million
Acres protected: 15,896
Location: Vinton County
Quote: “With these funds, the conservation community can help the Ohio Department of Natural Resources protect the largest remaining block of privately owned forest left in the state for current and future generations of Ohioans,” said Josh Knights, executive director of The Nature Conservancy in Ohio.

With support from The Dow Chemical Company, The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation, and ten other foundations and corporations, The Fund has taken a leadership role with the Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network by awarding more than $4 million in grants to many innovative projects that have benefited the region’s economy, environment and communities. Grants support work to steward natural resources, strengthen local economies and nurture agriculture and nature-based tourism in Michigan's largest watershed.

Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network Application (Download PDF)

Learn more about the Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network Grants Program priorities and guidelines.

2011 Greenways Program Award & Grant Recipients

The Kodak American Greenways Program is the nation’s longest running community-based grants program that expands and enhances our nation’s network of greenways. Greenways—corridors of protected public and private lands—link recreational, cultural, and natural features and provide multiple public benefits. They provide paths for people and wildlife; protect forests, wetlands and grasslands; and improve the quality of life for everyone.

Eastman Kodak Company, The Conservation Fund and the National Geographic Society team up each year to present the Kodak American Greenways Awards Program. Since the program’s inception, nearly $900,000 has been granted to over 700 organizations in all 50 states.

The 2011 Kodak Greenways Program  presented four awards to individuals and organizations for exemplary leadership in the enhancement of our nation’s outdoor heritage. Awards were presented at the National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington D.C. in October.

Awards

Photo: Honorable Kay Bailey Hutchison receives the Kodak American Greenway Award at a ceremony in Texas. Pictured (from left): Dr. Steve Bullard, Dean of the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture; Nacogdoches Mayor Roger VanHorn; Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (recipient) and Julie Shackelford, Texas Program Director, The Conservation Fund.

The 2011 award recipients are:

• Honorable Kay Bailey Hutchison, United States Senator for Texas and a staunch leader over the past 15 years for the conservation of the state’s finest natural assets both for their ecological value as well as their potential to generate an economic return. Her support for the protection of critical forest watershed lands, sustainably managed working forests and the state’s cultural heritage has enhanced various iconic landscapes including the Neches River National Wildlife Refuge, the Texas Pineywoods region and El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail.

• Karl Dean, Mayor of the City of Nashville and Davidson County, Tenn., who has embarked upon an ambitious and comprehensive open space plan that will better connect residents from city, suburb and rural areas to their natural and cultural assets. The greenway linkages recommended in the Nashville Open Space Plan are key elements to improving public safety, encouraging physical activity and promoting a high quality of life.

• Michael A. Nutter, Mayor of the City of Philadelphia, whose bold vision to transform Philadelphia into the greenest city in the United States was initiated with the launch of Greenworks Philadelphia in 2009. Under Mayor Nutter’s leadership, the City is moving to use its green infrastructure approach not only to improve water quality but also to connect residents to parks and green spaces and drive economic redevelopment in some of the city’s most distressed neighborhoods.

• Potomac Conservancy, an instrumental force for the stewardship and conservation of the Potomac River, often referred to as, “The Nation’s River.” In the face of relentless regional development and population growth over the last two decades, the Potomac Conservancy has been an effective voice for protecting and extending the Potomac River’s green and natural shorelines. Through voluntary land protection and restoration, hands-on education on land and water resource stewardship, and community engagement programs, the Conservancy is bringing home the message and means for the region’s residents to take effective action.

Grants

One major element of the Program involves “seed” grant awards to organizations that are growing our nation's network of greenways, blueways, trails and natural areas. Twenty-one local nonprofits and public agencies received grants to support local trail and open space projects that not only enhance greenways but also create economic benefits for their communities. The grant recipients include:

• The Manchester Downtown Development Authority, for the construction of a pedestrian bridge over the historic River Raisin Mill Pond, which will link Manchester’s commercial downtown with two miles of walking and biking trails, built on former NYCRR rail bed.
• The San Diego River Park Foundation, for a Mission Valley River trail map focused on the most urban portion of the San Diego River watershed, highlighting the crucial recreational benefits available to members of these communities.

• The East Central Florida Regional Planning Council, for a study to determine the impact of the Seminole County trail systems on consumer spending and job creation.

If you have any further questions, please email kodakawards@conservationfund.org

Partners

Eastman Kodak Company has been a leader in photography for more than 100 years. Today, as the world's imaging leader, it sets the standard in traditional picture taking, while working to bring the latest in digital imaging technologies to the marketplace. Kodak was the recipient of the 1999 World Environment Center Gold Medal for International Corporate Environmental Achievement, and has earned ISO 14001 registration for its corporate environmental management system.

National Geographic Society is the world's largest nonprofit scientific and educational organization. Since 1890 the Society has supported more than 9,000 explorations and research projects, adding to knowledge of earth, sea, and sky.

Leadership is demonstrated by action. In honor of champions of the environment and to encourage and support local conservation successes, the Fund partners with corporations, foundations and individuals to recognize outstanding leadership in conservation through award and grant programs.

Grant Programs: