Federal funding is an important element in the “capital stack” — the mix of private philanthropy, public grants, tax credits and impact investment dollars — that the Center raises for projects that benefit the region.

Federal funding is always matched by non-federal funding or other project investments, which leverages the total resources available for each project.

The Center continuously advocates for and secures federal investment in the Northern Forest. Our leadership and the support of our federal Congressional delegations has helped create new programs such as the Northern Border Regional Commission and ensured ongoing funding for the Community Forest and Open Space Program, USDA Rural Development programs and more.

In recent years, we have secured more than $5 million from agencies such as the U.S. Economic Development Administration, USDA Rural Development, and the Northern Border Regional Commission to deploy in community economic development projects in the region.

We regularly travel to Washington, D.C. to convey first-hand the importance of federal investment in securing a New Forest Future. We use our strong relationships with Congressional offices and examples from our work and our partners’ work to demonstrate the importance of these programs and to support their continued funding.

In addition to our work for the region, we partner with rural advocates from other parts of the country to help our federal leaders understand the challenges and opportunities that rural places face, and how updated federal policy and increased funding can help address those challenges.