$10 Million Awarded to Support Climate-Smart Forestry Practices in New Hampshire and Western Maine – The Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy Receives Funding for Climate Resilient Forest Management Project

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has been awarded funding to support the Climate Resilient Forest Management Project. The project aims to provide financial assistance to landowners in order to plan and implement climate-smart forest management practices. These practices will address degraded forest conditions, enhance forest resilience to climate change, and mitigate the impacts of forest pests and pathogens. The project will be led by a diverse group of partners, including TNC, University of Vermont (UVM), Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science (NIACS), University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension, New Hampshire Audubon, Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests (SPNHF), and Greater Lovell Land Trust (GLLT). The project will primarily focus on several large landscapes in New Hampshire and western Maine.

Importance of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The Climate Resilient Forest Management Project aligns with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including:

1. SDG 13: Climate Action
2. SDG 15: Life on Land
3. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

TNC recognizes the importance of these goals and is committed to contributing towards their achievement through this project.

What the Award Will Fund:

• Financial Assistance for Landowners: The funding will support landowners in updating their forest management plans and implementing climate-smart forest management practices.
• Workshops and Training: TNC will host workshops to provide landowners and managers with planning tools that can help identify and address climate impacts.
• Technical Assistance: Additional personnel will be hired to provide technical assistance and project management.
• Outreach and Engagement: TNC aims to expand and replicate landscape networks to engage more resource managers and landowners.
• Monitoring and Evaluation: A comprehensive monitoring plan will be implemented using field-based and remotely sensed data to measure project outcomes and support the continued refinement and development of sound forest stewardship practices to address climate impacts.

According to Rachel Rouillard, State Director for TNC in New Hampshire, “This funding is critical to helping keep the forests of New Hampshire healthy in the face of changing climate and weather patterns. By expanding our Climate Resilient Forest Management Project, we can directly assist landowners and communities to ensure that our forests continue to provide the economic, recreational, and human-health benefits that we all depend on.”

Jeff Lougee, Director of Land Management for TNC in New Hampshire, stated, “This project will harness the power of partnerships to share expertise and work together on finding the best path forward. By bringing together land management organizations, private landowners, foresters, and others, we can share knowledge and tools that help identify climate vulnerabilities and implement climate-smart forest management approaches.”

In total, The Nature Conservancy is receiving $102.5 million for conservation projects across six states. For more information about the Climate Resilient Forest Management Project and TNC’s work, please visit nature.org/newhampshire.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The issues highlighted in the article are connected to SDG 13: Climate Action and SDG 15: Life on Land. The project aims to address degraded forest conditions, enhance forest resilience to climate change, and mitigate the impacts of forest pests and pathogens. These goals align with the objectives of SDG 13, which focuses on taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts, and SDG 15, which aims to protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the article’s content, the specific targets that can be identified are:

• SDG 13: Climate Action – Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters
• SDG 15: Life on Land – Target 15.2: Promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests
• SDG 15: Life on Land – Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce degradation of natural habitats
• SDG 15: Life on Land – Target 15.9: By 2020, integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning, development processes, poverty reduction strategies, and accounts
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals – Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private, and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article does not mention or imply any specific indicators that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets. However, potential indicators could include the number of landowners receiving financial assistance, the number of forest management plans updated and implemented, the number of workshops and training sessions conducted, the level of technical assistance provided, the extent of outreach and engagement activities, and the effectiveness of the monitoring plan in measuring project outcomes.

4. SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: nature.org