Department of Defense Legacy Award 2012

National Public Lands Day (NPLD) is the nation’s largest hands-on volunteer effort to improve and enhance the public lands Americans enjoy. NPLD is a public/private partnership that last year garnered approximately 170,000 volunteers who contributed $17 million worth of improvements to over 2,060 public land sites in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and many U.S. territories. NPLD educates individuals about critical environmental, natural and cultural resource issues; promotes the need for shared stewardship of our public lands; builds partnerships between the public sector and the local community; and improves public lands for outdoor recreation, with volunteers assisting land managers in hands-on work.

The Department of Defense (DoD) Legacy Resource Management Program and NPLD want to help the many military installations that will be participating in National Public Lands Day on September 29, 2012.  The NPLD DoD Legacy Award offers funding of up to $6,500 for base-level volunteer work projects on Department of Defense (DoD) sites that meet all eligibility requirements.  

The Legacy Award has a special focus on improving habitat for pollinator species such as bees, birds, bats and insects. Projects are not required to involve pollinator habitat improvement, but such projects will be taken into special consideration.  Projects can take many forms, including, but not limited to:

• Tree and native vegetation planting.
• Wildflower and native plant seeding.
• Invasive plant removal or weeding.
• Trash and debris cleanup.
• Wildlife habitat improvement and restoration activities.
• Pollinator garden development.
• Wetland, streamside or shoreline restoration and erosion control.
• Trail building and maintenance.
• Restoration of culturally and historically significant areas, buildings and structures.
• Nature garden development.

The application period has closed.