$60 Million Bezos Earth Fund Grant will Revitalize 1.6 Million Acres of Vital U.S. Landscapes

Washington, D.C. (October 19, 2024) - The Bezos Earth Fund today announced a new $60 million grant to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) to restore and conserve two vital yet imperiled U.S. landscapes - the Northern Great Plains grasslands and longleaf pine forests of the Southeast. The grant marks the largest single philanthropic commitment for landscape restoration to NFWF.    

Over the past three years the Bezos Earth Fund has already provided $90 million in funding to NFWF and over 200 local partners, enabling the restoration and improved management of 2.7 million acres of land, an area larger than Yellowstone National Park, across 47 states. This new grant reflects surging demand for restoration support from farmers, ranchers, Indigenous-led organizations, and community groups. Requests for support in grassland and longleaf pine ecosystems have increased six-fold over the past two years.   

"America's landscapes are treasures that reflect the very heart of our country. By restoring these grasslands and forests, we're safeguarding their natural beauty for future generations," said Jeff Bezos, Chair of the Bezos Earth Fund. "This partnership is another step toward a future where these iconic American places continue to thrive."

Grasslands are among the most threatened and least protected ecosystems on the planet, while longleaf pine forests boast some of the greatest biodiversity outside of the tropics. Both have been reduced to a fraction of their historical range. Locally led restoration in these areas can have globally significant impact.   

"This new phase of work with NFWF will help bring life back to vital U.S. landscapes, protecting their beauty and supporting the communities that rely on them," said Lauren Sánchez, Vice Chair for the Bezos Earth Fund. "It is part of our larger $1 billion commitment to restore landscapes around the world that have been lost or damaged."   

The new grant from the Bezos Earth Fund will build on the past success of this partnership by restoring and improving management of an additional 1.6 million acres within the Northern Great Plains and longleaf pine landscapes. Over the next two years, 80-100 local projects across Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska in the Northern Great Plains, and Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia in the longleaf pine region, will be supported to restore health to degraded ecosystems, boost at-risk species populations, and enhance carbon sequestration and storage.