Technical Assistance
Community Navigators
Several national and regional nonprofit organizations have partnered with the USDA Forest Service to offer the Community Navigators Program (CNP).
The goal of CNP is to connect communities facing wildfire risk and climate change impacts, as well as historically underserved, rural, and low-income communities, to Forest Service funding and partnership opportunities supported by the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law). For a snapshot of the programs and activities that received funding through these laws, see our overview of BIL & IRA-supported Climate and Wildfire Resilience Funding Opportunities.
Organizations working on the Forest Service’s Community Navigator Initiative include:
Coalitions and Collaboratives,
The Watershed Center,
Hispanic Access Foundation,
First Nations Development Institute, and the
American Indigenous Tourism Association.
Key aspects of Navigator work include:
Developing relationships with communities who may benefit from new funding opportunities and connecting them with sources of technical assistance and support within existing networks.
Creating tools, trainings, and other resources to support organizational capacity-building.
Providing individual technical assistance to help communities identify and apply for funding opportunities and comply with post-award financial management and reporting requirements.
Another important aspect of this work involves elevating community perspectives and feedback about the barriers that communities face in accessing US Forest Service support and partnership, with the goal of helping vision a more equitable system for all.
NEWSLETTER: To get updates on new funding opportunities, guidance on applying for and managing grant awards, and resources for navigating federal programs and partnerships, sign up for the Watershed Center’s monthly newsletter.
FEEDBACK: Have you worked with a Community Navigator and want to share feedback? We’d love to hear from you! Your response will be used to improve our future services.
CALENDAR: Check out our calendar of events for upcoming application deadlines, trainings, informational webinars and other opportunities coordinated through The Watershed Center.
Land Conservation Assistance Network
The Land Conservation Assistance Network helps connect interested parties to conservation resources and service providers. Whether you’re a private landowner looking for a contractor or a business owner looking for soil testing, this platform has a broad range of resources and services listed to help you.