Landscape Partnership Grant FY27 RFR

In furtherance of the Healey Administration’s environmental, economic, and climate change resiliency goals, the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) protects, conserves, and restores the biodiversity and natural resources of the Commonwealth. To fulfill this mission, Rebecca Tepper, Secretary of EEA, is making available funding for the FY 2027 Landscape Partnership Grant Program to assist the acquisition of property interests in large, unfragmented conservation and working landscapes, by two or more entities acting in cooperation.

The program provides funding to assist collaborations among municipal, state, federal, and non-profit partners in acquiring interests in lands suitable for conservation purposes, including undeveloped lands, farms and forests, water supply lands, unique ecosystems, rare species habitats, and restored lands. The grant is intended to enable projects that stretch beyond the scope of other state land grant programs.

Applications will be accepted for projects to be completed in FY 2027, 2028 and/or 2029 and may include any combination of the following acquisitions:

• Land in fee simple for open space, passive recreation, forestry, agriculture or water supply;
• A perpetual Conservation Restriction (CR), Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR) or Watershed Preservation Restriction (WPR).

Applications must reflect participation of partners from a minimum of two of the following categories: municipalities; water or fire districts or other non-profit, non-municipal public water suppliers; non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations that have been formed for purposes of land conservation and stewardship; state or federal environmental land agencies; Massachusetts-based federally recognized tribes, state-recognized tribes, or other Massachusetts tribal governments. At least two of the partners in an application must acquire fee or CR interests through the project.

**Acreage Requirements:** The Project must achieve permanent protection for a minimum contiguous acreage based on County as follows:

| County/ies | Minimum Acreage |
| --- | --- |
| Berkshire, Franklin, Worcester | 500 acres |
| Hampden | 300 acres |
| Bristol, Hampshire, Plymouth | 250 acres |
| Essex | 200 acres |
| Barnstable, Dukes, Middlesex, Nantucket, Norfolk, Suffolk | 100 acres |

Projects that span multiple Counties must meet the average of the minimum thresholds for those Counties.

Some form of accommodation for public access is required of all projects and is encouraged on all, or a majority of, parcels particularly parcels acquired in fee. Fee simple acquisitions by 501c(3) non-profits must be encumbered by a CR conveyed to a qualified entity unless a waiver for this requirement is granted by EEA.

This grant reimburses up to 50% of eligible project costs for a maximum grant award of **$1,250,000** unless increased at the discretion of the Secretary. Eligible project costs include the value of any gifts or bargain sales that partners may secure as ‘match’.

Applications must be submitted through the EEA Grant Management System by **March 11, 2027** at **11:59 pm**. Applicants are **required** to establish a user profile on the system to apply. Digital files uploaded to the application site must be provided in Microsoft Office compatible format or unlocked Adobe Acrobat.

A complete application package includes appraisal report(s), project narrative, Letters of Authorization for each project partner, draft municipal vote(s), maps, a letter from the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program, a letter from the Massachusetts Historical Commission, and documentation of good stewardship on conservation properties currently owned or managed by project partners. A detailed project budget is **required**.

Each application will be scored using the criteria below.

• Local involvement and stewardship capacity of applicants
• Project quality and consistency with program priorities

A grant application review team composed of EEA staff members will review all applications, conduct site visits and develop funding recommendations.

Awarded projects must abide by the Standard Commonwealth of Massachusetts Terms and Conditions, and/or an Interdepartmental Service Agreement. If awarded funds under this bid, the awardee shall have 90 days from the public announcement of the award to execute a contract with EEA. Contracts issued pursuant to this bid must expend 100% of costs associated with the approved project on or before the end of fiscal year (FY) 27 (June 30, 2027), FY 28 (June 30, 2028) or FY 29 (June 30, 2029) per contract terms.