First Nations Development Institute invites applications to strengthen Tribal co-management and co-stewardship

First Nations Development Instituteinvites applications under its Stewarding Native Lands program, which supports tribal co-management and co-stewardship planning and related capacity building.According to First Nations, the federal government has embarked upon an era of co-stewardship of public lands as directed by Joint Secretarial Order 3403 and other authorities. States also have launched new policies consistent with this approach that aim to restore tribal stewardship and advance ecosystem restoration, biodiversity conservation, and adaptation to climate change.This grant will provide tribes with resources to build necessary capacity to negotiate, implement, and monitor co-management and co-stewardship agreements with a federal agency, including legal expertise to support development of relevant agreements. The ultimate goal is to restore tribal stewardship, allowing tribes to serve as anchors promoting greater ecological connectivity across the landscapes. First Nations expects to award five grants up to $75,000 each to eligible Tribes.Selected grantees under this opportunity must use funding to support work that is developing capacity and program planning related to developing co-management or co-stewardship agreements and enhancing the health and biodiversity of ecosystems and climate efforts driven through landscape-scale approaches.Eligible applicants include tribes planning to enter into a co-management or co-stewardship agreement, including federal- and state-recognized tribal governments and departments.For complete program guidelines and application instructions, see the First Nations Development Institute