The Nature Conservancy awards over $1.2 million to projects in northern Appalachian states through new grant program
Land conservation projects across seven states will protect over 10,000 acres.
Media Contacts
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Tina McCarthy
Director of Strategic Marketing and Communications
The Nature Conservancy in Massachusetts
Email: tina.mccarthy@tnc.org -
Connectivity, Climate and Communitues Fund
The Nature Conservancy
Email: cccfund@tnc.org
To advance the success of land conservation efforts and strengthen community resilience throughout the Appalachians, The Nature Conservancy recently awarded $1.2 million in grants to support 27 projects through its new Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program. Grants were awarded to advance work that will collectively protect over 10,000 acres of land in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Jersey.
“Conserving the large network of connected lands and waterways throughout the Appalachians supports a more resilient planet for people and nature,” said Heather Furman, Appalachians Director for the Nature Conservancy. “This grant program expands access to resources so those leading on-the-ground conservation efforts can do so at the most effective scale and pace possible.”
2024 Grant Awardees
Check out the organizations across the region who received grants.
View the map hereGrants of up to $50,000 were awarded to land trusts, nonprofits, and municipalities for projects that permanently protect climate resilient lands, address community needs and provide critical connected habitat across the Appalachians. In addition, the grants helped leverage an additional $28 million in project funds.
The Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program is part of the larger Connectivity, Climate and Communities Fund, which also includes The New York Climate Resilience Grant Program. The Fund’s overall areas of focus include:
Connectivity: Creating a connected network of resilient lands and waters—a biodiversity superhighway enabling plants and animals to adapt to a changing climate.
Climate: Protecting and managing forests that store significant amounts of carbon, accelerating the transition to well-sited renewable energy and helping communities to adapt and mitigate impacts from flooding.
Communities: Supporting resilient communities and sustainable livelihoods and strong connections to their natural landscapes.
Projects funded by the Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program will enable people and communities to cope with the effects of climate change and provide spaces for enhanced community well-being. This is particularly critical in marginalized communities, including but not limited to, communities with little to no access to high-quality green spaces, communities experiencing heightened impacts of climate change due to systemic under-investment and poor infrastructure, as well as traditionally marginalized communities of color.
Some examples of the community and ecological benefits of the funded projects include increased protection of public water supplies, expanded areas of climate-resilient core forest, reduced impacts from flooding, greater public access to nearby natural places, and improved quality of habitat for wildlife, including endangered species, all resulting in better long-term health for people and wildlife.
TNC plans to grow the footprint and funds for the grant program in subsequent years. Beginning with the next grant cycle, projects in all 18 states in the Appalachian Program area will be eligible for funding. More information about the Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program can be found here.
The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable. The Nature Conservancy is working to make a lasting difference around the world in 77 countries and territories (41 by direct conservation impact and 36 through partners) through a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit nature.org or follow @nature_press on X.
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