Community Capacity & Land Stewardship Program

Photo by U.S. Forest Service

The National Forest Foundation Community Capacity and Land Stewardship Program (CCLS) provides funding to increase the capacity of organizations implementing large scale restoration projects that benefit National Forests in Southeast Alaska.

Program Partnership

Funding for CCLS is currently provided by the US Forest Service Alaska Region, and coordinated with multiple additional regional leadership partners.

Applicant Eligibility

501(c)3 nonprofits, universities, and federally recognized Native American tribes are eligible to receive CCLS grants. If an organization does not meet this eligibility requirement, it must utilize an eligible fiscal sponsor, in compliance with the NFF Policy on Fiscal Sponsorship.

Photo by U.S. Forest Service

Project Eligibility

CCLS funding is intended to help community-based and collaborative organizations remove barriers to watershed and/or landscape scale restoration projects, and help facilitate job creation and retention and business development in their region.

Key eligibility criteria include:

  • CCLS is currently limited in scope to projects that benefit the Tongass National Forest in Southeast Alaska (USFS Region 10).
  • CCLS projects do not require a cash or in-kind match.
  • CCLS applications must include a letter of support from the District Ranger of each National Forest Ranger District included in a proposal.

Each regional program offered has additional unique desired outcomes. See each program's specific Request for Proposals (RFP) below for full eligibility information.

Application Process

The NFF holds one competitive CCLS round each year. Application submission is via an electronic submission process. Submission instructions are listed in the RFP.

Proposal Deadlines and Requests for Proposals

TIP: To be notified when RFPs are released and webinars are scheduled, sign up for the Taproot eNewsletter.

Southeast Alaska CCLS Program
  • Deadline: TBD
  • Funding Source: USFS Alaska Region
  • RFP: Full program details and application instructions are available in the Request for Proposals (RFP) document. [DOWNLOAD RFP HERE]
  • Webinar: The previously scheduled webinar has been cancelled due to administrative issues. Please contact [email protected] for a personal program walkthrough and Q&A session.
  • Important Note about Grant Award Timing: The approximately 8-month award period will run from November 1, 2020 through July 10, 2021. Recipients must complete all work and expenditures within this period and no extensions will be available.

Photo by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Contact Information

If you have questions not answered on this website or in available CCLS Request for Proposals, please feel free to contact Adam Liljeblad, Director, Conservation Awards at 406.830.3357 or [email protected]. Seeking help will not affect an organization’s competitiveness for the program.