US Endowment for Forestry and Communities

The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities was established from the Softwood Lumber Agreement between the U.S. and Canada. The non-profit corporation is one of three entities receiveing a total of $450 million established to fund:assistance for timber reliant communities; low income housing and disaster relief; and promotion of sustainable forest management practices. The other two organizations to receive funds are the American Forest Foundation ($150 million) and Habitat for Humanity International ($100 million).

The U.S. Endowment received a one-time payment of $200 million and has been chartered with two purposes: 1) educational and charitable causes in timber-reliant communities; and 2) educational and public-interest projects addressing forest management issues that affect timber-reliant communities, or the sustainability of forests as sources of building materials, wildlife habitat, bio-energy, recreation, and other values.

The Endowment will focus on a small number of major initiatives to bring about "systemic, transformative, sustainable change" that benefits the sustainability of forests and the viability of timber-reliant communities across the U.S. The Endowment is interested in developing strong and meaningful partnerships and approaching thier grant-giving as an endeavor in "venture philanthropy".

The Endowment established initial focus areas of: bioenergy, landscape-scale working forests, ecological services (specifically carbon sequestration), biotechnology, youth out-migration from forest-reliant communities, workforce development in low amenity forest-reliant communities, and the intersection of forest health and community viability.

Granting may begin as early as late-2007.