Community Forest Program FY26: $4.95M to Buy Forestland

The USDA Forest Service's FY26 Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program (the "Community Forest Program," or CFP) makes up to $4.95 million available for local governments, federally recognized Indian Tribes, and qualified conservation nonprofits to acquire private forestland in fee simple and establish community forests. The Forest Service estimates 6–10 awards of up to $600,000 each for land acquisition and transactional costs. Every proposal needs a 1:1 non-federal match, every project must provide public access, and — the trap that catches first-time applicants — applications go to your State Forester or equivalent Tribal official, not Grants.gov. The deadline is October 13, 2026.

What Is the Community Forest Program?

The Community Forest Program is a competitive grant program authorized by the 2008 Farm Bill under Section 7A of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act (16 U.S.C. 2103d). It provides financial assistance to establish community forests through the fee simple acquisition of private forest land that is threatened by conversion to non-forest uses. To date, the program has conserved over 40,000 acres of private forestlands and contributed to the creation of over 100 community forests.

The program's final rule defines a community forest as "forest land owned in fee-simple by an eligible entity that provides public access and is managed to provide community benefits pursuant to a community forest plan." Those community benefits span four categories: economic (timber and non-timber products from sustainable forest management, recreation, tourism), environmental (clean air and water, stormwater management/flood mitigation, wildlife habitat, cultural resources), educational (K-12 conservation education, vocational forestry programs, replicable stewardship models), and recreational (hiking, hunting, and fishing secured through public access).

FY26 Funding Priorities

The NOFO states that priority will go to proposals that:

• Provide exceptional community benefits (economic, environmental, educational, recreational) specific to the lands to be acquired, planned for, and supported by data, evidence, and/or local knowledge
• Demonstrate meaningful and broad community engagement through planning and long-term management
• Provide strategic contributions and connection to broader landscape initiatives
• Acquire forest lands exceptionally threatened by conversion to non-forest uses
• Support the development of domestically sourced timber and wood products, in support of Executive Order 14225

Who Can Apply

Three entity types are eligible:

• Local government entities — county governments, municipalities, and township governments
• Federally recognized Indian Tribes — per the definition in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Act (25 U.S.C. 450b), which includes federally recognized Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Corporations
• Qualified conservation nonprofit organizations — organizations described in Section 170(h)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code that operate in accordance with one or more of the conservation purposes in Section 170(h)(4)(A): outdoor recreation or education of the general public, protection of natural habitat, preservation of open space, or preservation of historically important land. Per the program FAQ, a qualified nonprofit must also commit to protect the tract's purposes in perpetuity and demonstrate it has the resources to enforce that protection.

Individuals are not eligible. Colleges and universities — including Tribal colleges — are not eligible either, though they may partner with an eligible entity. There is no limit on the number of applications an applicant may submit.

Two eligibility gotchas from the NOFO: an inactive SAM.gov registration is a disqualifying factor (register at SAM.gov before applying), and a proposed project cannot be submitted simultaneously to both the Community Forest Program and the Forest Legacy Program. Per the FAQ, a project not funded by one program may be submitted to the other in the next cycle.

What Land Qualifies

Eligible land is private forest land that can sustain natural vegetation, provides community benefits, and is:

• At least 75 percent forested — per the FAQ, a property below 75% forest cover that "needs reforestation" does not qualify
• At least five acres in size
• Threatened by conversion to non-forest uses
• Not held in trust by the United States on behalf of any Indian Tribe, and not Tribal allotment lands
• Offered for sale by a willing seller

The FAQ adds several disqualifiers practitioners should screen for before investing in an application:

• Government-owned land is ineligible. Only privately owned forest lands qualify.
• Land already under a conservation easement is ineligible — the easement has removed the threat of conversion.
• Land acquired before the grant is executed is ineligible. There is no reimbursement path, and CFP funds cannot pay off a loan on land already purchased. The absolute earliest an acquisition can close is 60 days after full grant execution, because the applicant must submit all documentation to regional Forest Service managers at least 60 days before closing.
• Severed mineral rights must be dealt with. Surface-disturbing mining is a non-forest use. Severed mineral rights must be acquired with the property; if they cannot be, the property is only eligible if it satisfies the IRS retention-of-qualified-mineral-interest requirements at 26 CFR 1.170A-14(g)(4), including a remoteness determination.
• No contrary encumbrances. Title must not be subject to encumbrances or agreements contrary to the program's purpose.
• No site substitution. If negotiations on a selected project fail, the applicant cannot swap in an alternative site.

Flexibility exists on parcel structure: per the FAQ, an application may include multiple tracts and multiple owners (acquisitions need not be simultaneous), and even non-contiguous tracts — though the applicant must explain how the parcels deliver on the community forest's objectives as a whole, and the Forest Service notes from experience that this is challenging.

The 1:1 Match Is an Eligibility Requirement, Not a Scoring Factor

All applicants must demonstrate a 1:1 match of federal funds to non-federal funds for the total project cost — the FAQ frames it as a 50 percent or greater cost share of total project cost from non-federal sources. Failure to include cost-sharing at the time of application results in a determination of ineligibility. Inadequate cost share is on the NOFO's disqualifying-factors list, alongside ineligible land, ineligible applicants, incomplete submissions, lack of public access, inactive SAM.gov registration, and unallowable costs.

• What counts: Cash, in-kind services, or donations from a non-federal source. Contributions must consist solely of eligible and allowable costs, comply with 2 CFR 200.306, and be verifiable from the non-federal entity's records.
• Pre-award due diligence can count: Recipients may request inclusion of project due diligence costs — such as title review and appraisals — incurred up to one year prior to grant issuance toward the cost-share calculation. Pre-award costs cannot include the purchase of CFP land, including cost-share tracts.
• One federal exception: Per the FAQ, Department of Defense funds provided under 10 U.S.C. 2684a (buffer-zone agreements) or the Sikes Act may be used to satisfy the match, per 10 U.S.C. 2684a(h).
• Technical assistance is exempt: Requested technical assistance funds are not subject to the match requirement.

What CFP Funds Can and Cannot Pay For

Allowable costs are the purchase price of the property plus transactional costs related to its acquisition, conforming to 2 CFR 200:

• Appraisals and appraisal reviews
• Land surveys
• Legal and closing costs
• Development of the Community Forest Plan
• Title examination

Unallowable costs:

• Indirect costs
• Long-term operations, maintenance, and management of the land
• Construction of buildings or recreational facilities
• Research
• Existing liens or taxes owed
• Costs of preparing the application (other than the allowable costs above)

Read that list carefully: CFP buys the land and pays the transaction costs to get you to closing. It does not fund trail building, parking lots, visitor infrastructure, or the ongoing cost of stewardship — your application must separately identify long-term management costs and funding sources.

What You're Committing To: Public Access, a Plan, and Perpetuity

Public Access Is Required

Lack of public access to the land is a disqualifying factor. The final rule defines public access as "access that is provided on a non-discriminatory basis at reasonable times and places but may be limited to protect cultural and natural resources or public health and safety." Any limitations must be described in the application and addressed in the community forest plan — and per the FAQ, significant limitations on public access could render a project ineligible or hurt its competitiveness, since recreational benefits secured through public access are a scored community benefit.

The Land Stays Forest — Forever

Per the FAQ, once acquired through CFP, the community forest must remain in a forested condition in perpetuity and cannot be sold or conveyed to any entity that is not an eligible entity. A notice of the grant agreement is filed with the deed. If the interest is sold or converted to non-forest use, the grant recipient must pay the United States the greater of the current sale price or the current appraised value of the parcel.

Structures are generally viewed as non-forest uses and are not allowed, with exceptions the FAQ spells out: a caretaker building where there is a bona fide need, compatible recreational facilities, concessions and educational kiosks, energy development for onsite use, facilities associated with appropriate forest management, and parking areas — all of which must be identified in the community forest plan and have only minimal impact on forest and water resources. Sustainable timber management (harvesting, thinning, forest health treatments) is an allowed use but is not required, and hunting can be allowed if addressed in the plan.

Post-Acquisition Deliverables

Within 120 days of the land acquisition, grant recipients must provide the Forest Service with a GIS shapefile of the project tracts (and cost-share tracts, if applicable) and the final Community Forest Plan.

How Applications Are Scored: The 40-Point Rubric

The Forest Service published the exact scoring guidance its national review panel will use — rare transparency worth exploiting. Applications are scored out of a maximum of 40 points across four criteria:

The scoring guidance also states that additional consideration will be given to proposals that support development of domestically sourced timber and wood products under Executive Order 14225. And per the FAQ, a project that is not part of a larger landscape initiative can still rank high enough for funding if other attributes score well — for example, if the project creates access to green space where there is none.

Application Contents and Format

No pre-application or letter of intent is required — you submit a full application consisting of:

• Application narrative — 8 pages maximum, including the project budget, in 12-point font with 0.5-inch margins on 8.5"x11" pages
• Two project maps, each fitting a single 8.5"x11" page, at sufficient scale to show the property relative to roads, improvements, and nearby parks, refuges, or other protected lands
• Eligibility verification — a written description or documentation verifying the applicant is an eligible entity
• Letter of concurrence (conditionally required) — if the property lies within the designated boundary of a Federal land management unit, a letter from the Federal land manager is required
• Letters of support — optional, not required

The narrative must cover the property (acreage, county, current uses and structures, forest type, zoning), the community benefits in all four categories — with quantifiable metrics where available (projected timber volumes, acres of habitat, miles of trails, annual participant counts) — planned public access and any limitations, landscape context, conversion threats, the benefiting community's demographics and access to green space, community engagement to date and planned, and the resources that will maintain the property as a community forest in perpetuity.

On the acquisition side, the narrative must include a project budget not exceeding $600,000 (with federal share and non-federal cost share identified), the status of due diligence (signed option or purchase and sale agreement, title search, minerals determination, appraisal), the status of cost share (secure, pending, commitment letter), the status of landowner negotiations, the proposed acquisition timeline, and long-term management costs and funding sources.

One appraisal note from the FAQ: both the appraisal and the appraisal review must comply with the Uniform Appraisal Standards for Federal Land Acquisitions (UASFLA, the "Yellow Book"), the appraisal is generally considered representative of the market for one year, and the grant recipient is responsible for engaging a qualified review appraiser for a technical review.

Technical Assistance Funds

Applicants may request technical assistance funds — but these flow to State Foresters or equivalent Tribal officials as administrative grants, not to the applicant, to help implement a funded project (community forest plan development, survey work, title work, mineral determinations). Before submitting, the applicant must consult the State Forester or Tribal official and confirm they are willing to provide the assistance. Technical assistance funds are not subject to the 1:1 match.

Submission and Review Process

1. Submit by October 13, 2026, 11:59 PM Eastern — email (preferred) or hardcopy to the State Forester of the state where the property is located (local governments and nonprofits) or the equivalent Tribal government official (Tribal applicants). Then email SM.FS.CFP@usda.gov to confirm submission.
2. State/Tribal preliminary review. State Foresters and Tribal officials conduct an initial eligibility review; ineligible applications may not be forwarded. They send applications onward to the Forest Service by October 27, 2026.
3. Regional Forest Service review verifies application requirements and eligibility.
4. National review panel — national and regional CFP program managers plus other Forest Service experts — scores and ranks applications on the 40-point rubric and develops a recommended ranked list.
5. Senior executive approval of the ranked list, consistent with 2 CFR 415.1(c).
6. Risk review per 2 CFR 200.206 (financial stability, performance history, audit findings). For federal shares above the $350,000 simplified acquisition threshold, the agency must also review SAM.gov responsibility/qualification records.

Selected applicants are notified by email — expect 2–4 months of processing, with awards anticipated in early 2027. Required award forms include the FS-1500-22 Financial Capability form, SF-424, and SF-424C. The selection notification is not authorization to begin; only the executed federal award is. And if the Forest Service determines NEPA review is required, no activity (except NEPA support activities) may begin until that review is complete.

After Award

• Grant period: Two years initially, with acquisition expected within that window. Per the FAQ, extensions of up to five years are possible — but only at the Forest Service's discretion, for circumstances outside the recipient's control, and where success remains likely.
• 60-day closing review: Submit all acquisition documentation to regional Forest Service managers at least 60 days before closing for review and acceptance.
• 120-day deliverables: GIS shapefile and final Community Forest Plan after acquisition.
• Reporting: Financial reporting via SF-425 and performance reporting (optional form FS 1500-23) at minimum annually, comparing accomplishments to award objectives. If the federal share exceeds $500,000, post-award reporting requirements in 2 CFR 200 Appendix II may apply.

Practical Guidance for FY26 CFP Applicants

1. Call Your Forest Service Regional Coordinator Before You Write

The NOFO explicitly encourages applicants to contact the appropriate Forest Service representative during the application process — and to request review and feedback on the application and maps before final submission. Staff can help with eligibility, allowable costs, and cost-sharing questions. The regional coordinator list covers every state, and the NOFO lists named contacts by region. Free expert review is on the table; take it.

2. Treat the Match as a Gate, Not a Goal

Inadequate cost share doesn't cost you points — it disqualifies the application. Document the status of every match source (secure, pending, or commitment letter) in the narrative, keep everything non-federal (with the narrow DOD exception), and remember that due diligence costs incurred up to a year before award — title review, appraisals — can be counted toward the match.

3. Write to the Rubric — All Four Benefit Categories

Community benefits are half the score (20 of 40 points), and full marks require all four attributes — economic, environmental, educational, and recreational — each specific to the property, planned for, and backed by data or local knowledge. A proposal that skips education or hand-waves economics is leaving roughly 5 points per missing attribute on the table. Use the metrics the NOFO itself suggests: projected timber harvest volumes, acres of protected habitat, miles of trails, estimated annual visitors and program participants.

4. Show Engagement, Not Notification

The engagement criterion (10 points) explicitly ranks the Spectrum of Public Participation: a community that is merely "informed" scores at the bottom; one that is "empowered" — directly involved in final decisions about planning, management, and access — scores at the top. Public meetings, surveys, and named partner organizations with defined roles in acquisition and management all belong in the narrative.

5. Do Not Close Early

Land acquired before the grant is fully executed is ineligible, with no reimbursement path. The earliest possible closing is 60 days after grant execution, after regional Forest Service review of the acquisition documentation. If your seller cannot wait for an early-2027 award plus the 60-day review, this is not the right program for that parcel — and if negotiations fail after selection, you cannot substitute another site.

Contact Information

• National Program Inbox: SM.FS.CFP@usda.gov
• Forest Service Regional Coordinators: Community Forest Program regional contacts
• State Forester Directory: National Association of State Foresters membership list
• Program Website: USDA Forest Service — Community Forest Program (Community Forest Road Map, map recommendations, and examples of past projects)
• Scoring Guidance: Available as an attachment to opportunity USDA-FS-2026-CFP on Grants.gov

How Avila Can Help

The Community Forest Program is a small program with an unusual shape: a real-estate transaction wrapped in a federal grant, submitted through your State Forester rather than a federal portal, with a hard 1:1 match gate, an 8-page narrative that has to hit a published 40-point rubric, and a two-year window to get from award to closing. The projects that win are the ones that coordinate landowner negotiations, appraisals, match commitments, and community engagement evidence months before the October 13 deadline.

Avila's AI-powered platform helps parks departments, town administrators, and conservation nonprofits run that coordination:

• Surfacing acquisition-eligible opportunities like CFP alongside the rest of your funding pipeline through grant discovery
• Mapping every NOFO requirement — land eligibility screens, match documentation, due diligence status, the letter-of-concurrence trigger — to a tracked deliverable
• Structuring the 8-page narrative against the actual scoring criteria: all four community benefit categories, engagement evidence, landscape connection, and threat documentation
• Keeping the dual-track submission straight: State Forester deadline, confirmation email to the Forest Service, and SAM.gov registration currency
• Managing post-award obligations — the 60-day pre-closing review, 120-day shapefile and Community Forest Plan deliverables, and annual SF-425 and performance reporting

Ready to explore how Avila can support your Community Forest Program application? Book a demo to learn more.

For related federal-grant guides, see our posts on Reclamation's WaterSMART Drought Response Program, EPA Wetland Program Development Grants, and the USDA Community Wood Energy Program. Or explore how Avila's grant discovery software finds opportunities like this for your jurisdiction.