WASHINGTON, Oct. 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Bezos Earth Fund today announced the National Fish and Fisheries Fund to restore and protect two of America’s critical and endangered landscapes, the northern Great Plains grasslands. announced a new $60 million grant to the National Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). and longleaf pine forests in the southeast. This grant represents the largest single philanthropic commitment to landscape restoration for NFWF.
Over the past three years, the Bezos Earth Fund has already provided $90 million in funding to NFWF and more than 200 local partners, enabling them to restore and improve management of 2.7 million acres of land, larger than Yellowstone National Park and spanning 47 states. I made it. This new grant reflects the growing demand for recovery assistance from farmers, ranchers, Indigenous-led organizations, and community groups. Requests for assistance in grassland and longleaf pine ecosystems have increased six-fold over the past two years.
“America’s landscapes are treasures that reflect the very soul of this country,” said Jeff Bezos, chairman of the Bezos Earth Fund. “By restoring these grasslands and forests, we are preserving their natural beauty for future generations.” We will continue to protect it,” he said. “This partnership is another step toward a future where these iconic American places continue to thrive.”
Grasslands are among the most threatened and least protected ecosystems on Earth, while longleaf pine forests boast some of the highest biodiversity outside the tropics. Both have been reduced to a fraction of their historical range. Locally led restoration in these areas can have a significant global impact.
“This new phase of work with NFWF will help restore vitality to America’s important landscapes, protect their beauty, and support the communities that depend on them,” said Lauren Sanchez, vice chair of the Bezos Earth Fund. It will be helpful.” “This is part of our larger $1 billion effort to restore lost or damaged landscapes around the world.”
New grants from the Bezos Earth Fund build on the partnership’s past successes by restoring and improving management of an additional 1.6 million acres in the Northern Great Plains and longleaf pine landscapes . Over the next two years, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska in the northern Great Plains, and Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. , and the Long Pine region of Virginia, will receive assistance to restore the health of degraded ecosystems, increase populations of at-risk species, and enhance carbon sequestration and storage.
Activities supported include planting native trees and grasses, treating invasive species, and improving land management practices through managed grazing in the Great Plains and prescribed burning in longleaf forests. . The project will also provide species-specific interventions, such as ensuring safe passage for migrating pronghorn and mule deer, and increasing populations of at-risk species such as black-footed ferrets, gopher tortoises, and red-backed woodpeckers, as well as game birds. is also focused. such as bobwhite quail and wild turkey.
“Our partnership with the Bezos Earth Fund will capitalize on the growing momentum of the Northern Great Plains and longleaf pine ecosystems, and expand the “We can significantly expand our efforts.” By working with local partners and leveraging federal and private funding, we are making real progress toward restoring these iconic American landscapes. ”
In addition to natural benefits, locally-led restoration also contributes to carbon storage and sequestration. Collectively, the Earth Fund-supported projects are expected to sequester or store between 35 and 52 million tonnes of CO2e over the next 30 years, contributing to the Partnership’s broader goals of climate change mitigation. This equates to between 8 million and 12 million cars being taken off the road each year.
Through a two-year grant from the Bezos Earth Fund and multi-year impact monitoring, the Earth Fund and NFWF will mobilize local resources needed to implement long-term, more ambitious strategies for ecosystem health. We aim to provide this for projects. This new grant will deepen community engagement and provide more than 1,250 private landowners with technical assistance to develop land management plans, access financial resources, and implement conservation and restoration practices.
Taken together, these efforts aim to strengthen the long-term sustainability of these critical ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.
