Partnership to Reach and Engage Underrepresented Audiences in a “Fit-for-Purpose” Outdoor Recreation Effort | USDA FS R13 2024 24 24 REC 02

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA FS R13 2024 24 24 REC 02

The USDA Forest Service grant opportunity titled "Partnership to Reach and Engage Underrepresented Audiences in a Fit-for-Purpose Outdoor Recreation Effort" is structured less like a traditional competitive grant solicitation and more like an Outreach of Interest (OOI) meant to start or deepen partnerships. The Forest Service is using this OOI as a way to identify organizations and governments that can collaborate on future recreation and visitor-related projects on national forest lands under existing partnership authorities. In practice, it is a relationship-building step that helps the agency find the right partners first, then shape specific project agreements later based on shared needs, community priorities, and what is feasible on the ground.

A central goal of the opportunity is to expand who is meaningfully included in the design and delivery of outdoor recreation opportunities on national forests and grasslands. The Forest Service explicitly wants to connect with partners that have historically been overlooked or underrepresented in recreation program implementation and in the way visitor experiences are planned. The intent is to better reach outdoor recreation audiences who are not currently represented in visitation patterns in a way that reflects the broader national demographics. This includes partners who can help the agency improve how it plans projects from the very beginning, not just how it implements them after decisions are made.

The agency highlights that national forest visitation has grown dramatically, citing a record 168 million visits in 2020. While this surge showed how important public lands are for stress relief, safe recreation, and community well-being, it also exposed gaps in equitable access and visitor experience. The Forest Service notes that not everyone feels welcome or connected in outdoor spaces, and it frames this effort as part of ensuring national forests and grasslands are truly open and accessible to anyone, regardless of background or ability. The opportunity is tied to improving affordable and safe access and creating recreation experiences that encourage long-term connection, stewardship, and care for natural resources, while also recognizing that public lands can support healing and bridge social divides.

What the Forest Service is looking for from potential partners includes support in developing "fit-for-purpose" recreation and visitor efforts that match the needs of specific communities rather than relying on one-size-fits-all approaches. The description emphasizes justice-oriented thinking in project formation, such as helping identify equitable funding criteria, creating objective ways to evaluate outcomes, and conducting robust community engagement so that affected communities have a real role in shaping recreation investments. In other words, partners are not only expected to deliver programs; they may also help define what success looks like and how decisions should be made.

Eligibility is broad and includes for-profit entities, nonprofits, institutions of higher education, federal/state/local governments, and Native American tribal governments. It also includes special purpose districts such as public utility districts, fire districts, conservation districts, school districts, and ports. The listing shows the agency as the Forest Service and associates the opportunity with natural resources (CFDA 10.699). The funding opportunity number is USDA FS R13 2024 24 24 REC 02. The posted closing date is February 7, 2025. The award ceiling is listed as 0 and expected awards are not specified, which aligns with the OOI format: it is an intake and partner-identification process rather than a straightforward announcement of fixed grant dollars per award.

Application instructions are not embedded in the main notice and instead direct interested parties to an attached "Outreach of Interest Template Instructions" document. That template is likely the primary mechanism for submitting an OOI response, describing your organization, communities served, relevant experience, partnership ideas, and how you could contribute to more inclusive recreation planning and engagement on national forest lands.

• The Forest Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Partnership to Reach and Engage Underrepresented Audiences in a “Fit-for-Purpose” Outdoor Recreation Effort" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.699.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-10-07.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-02-07. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for USDA FS R13 2024 24 24 REC 02

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