PURPOSE OF FUNDING
To assist municipalities in implementing management goals and practices as outlined in their Community Forestry Management Plan.

SOURCE OF FUNDING
The Community Stewardship Incentive Program (CSIP) Grant in New Jersey is a statewide grant program developed and administered by the New Jersey Forest Service.

STATUTORY CITATION
N.J.S.A. 13:1L-1 et. seq. and N.J.S.A. 13: 1D-9

WHO IS ELIGIBLE
Municipalities or counties with approved management plans and two Core-trained individuals.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR CONSIDERATION
The project proposal must address one of the CSIP practices in the management plan. Projects will be evaluated based on the extent in which they are responsive to community needs and the grant program's goals, provide a thorough project narrative and provide a clear, reasonable, and justified budget. All submitted proposals must have community support and must have the signature of the mayor. Applicant must meet eligibility requirements as outlined in the program guide in order to be evaluated and ranked.

GRANT LIMITATIONS
The maximum grant request for the program is $6,000, but smaller requests are acceptable. The requested amount cannot be over 75% of the total project's cost and the applicant must contribute at least 25% to the project's total cost. An applicant may apply only once (per fiscal year) for community stewardship incentive funds; however, multiple CSIP practices may be addressed in the grant application.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES
Applications available upon request. Submitted applications will be reviewed and evaluated on the above criteria. Projects will be ranked and grant money will be awarded based on available funding.

APPLICATION DEADLINE
Varies.

NOTIFICATION DATE
Applications will be reviewed in January of the following year, and notification of grant awards will be sent in February of that year.

FOR INFORMATION OR TO REQUEST AN NJDEP APPLICATION, CONTACT
Mike D'Errico, Supervising Forester
NJDEP-Division of Parks & Forestry
Community Forestry Program
PO Box 404
Trenton, NJ 08625-0404
(609) 292-2532
michael.d'errico@dep.state.nj.us