In the heart of Europe's verdant landscapes, a visionary opportunity has emerged for those committed to redefining the future of forests and their relationship with climate change. The European Forest Institute (EFI) is thrilled to announce a call for grants that seeks to establish innovative climate-smart forestry and forest restoration pilots across the continent.
Unveiling Climate-Smart Forestry (CSF)
Central to this initiative is the concept of Climate-Smart Forestry (CSF), an integrated and holistic approach that transcends conventional forest management practices. CSF embarks on a journey of sustainable forest stewardship that is deeply attuned to climate dynamics and ecosystem services. The two fundamental pillars of CSF are:
1. Enhancing Carbon Storage: CSF seeks to bolster carbon sequestration within forests, harmonizing it with other critical ecosystem services.
2. Building Resilience: Adaptive forest management forms the bedrock of CSF, designed to enhance the health and resilience of forests amidst a changing climate.
CSF offers a comprehensive framework that blends these two components, promising longer-term mitigation benefits while catering to a diverse array of ecosystem services.
Envisioning a Resilient Future: FORWARDS Project
At the core of this endeavor lies the FORWARDS project, a European Union-funded initiative. Under its wing, the ForestWard Observatory will take shape—a pan-European tool aimed at monitoring and assessing climate change's impact on forests. As an integral part of this initiative, a network of CSF and restoration pilots will be established, creating a repository of science-backed insights to steer practical forest management decisions.
Objectives and Purpose
The primary objective of this call for grants is to set up CSF and forest restoration pilots throughout Europe. These pilots serve as foundational platforms for cultivating evidence-based insights into effective CSF and restoration management practices. The overarching aim is to fortify climate change mitigation, adaptation efforts, and biodiversity conservation within the forestry landscape.
Projects and Activities
Supported projects should address the following key facets:
- Establishment of new field trials for CSF and restoration management practices, or the testing of new methods in existing trials.
- Focus on one or more of the following areas: Climate change mitigation, resilience against disturbances and droughts, adaptation to changing growth conditions, restoration of biodiversity and ecosystem services.
- Rigorous field measurements encompassing forest biomass, soils, tree species composition, and more, comparing control and treatment groups.
- Assessment of management practices' impacts on various indicators, including carbon stocks, forest damage, species composition, productivity, and dead wood.
- Commitment to providing open access to measurement data from field trials.
Funding and Duration
Grants of up to €140,000 will be awarded for establishing new or continuing existing field trials. While the maximum grant amount is set, project budgets can exceed this limit. A total of five projects will be selected for funding through this call. These projects are expected to commence in January 2024, with a maximum duration of 18 months. However, the trials are expected to continue for a minimum of three years after the official activities conclude in August 2025.
Navigating Eligibility
For those eager to embrace this transformative opportunity, eligibility requirements include:
- Submission by a single legal entity or a consortium of such entities.
- Compliance with the Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme's funding criteria.
- Exclusion of entities associated with the FORWARDS project, those subject to European Union restrictive measures, and Israeli entities active in occupied territories.
- Exclusion of public interest trusts under the Hungarian Act or their maintained entities.
Embrace the Future with European Forest Institute
The European Forest Institute's call for grants marks a pivotal moment for those who envision a harmonious coexistence between forests and climate change dynamics. By establishing climate-smart forestry and forest restoration pilots, this initiative paves the way for a resilient and sustainable future. To delve deeper into the potential of this grant opportunity, we invite you to explore the European Forest Institute (EFI) website and ignite the spark of innovation for Europe's forests.
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