The mission of OSI (Open Space Institute) is to partner with conservation organizations in the Northeast to create networks of protected lands that are most likely to preserve plant and animal diversity in a changing climate.
The grant program focuses on supporting conservation efforts in New England, the mid-Atlantic, and the Central Appalachians by offering capital grants and loans for the acquisition of land or conservation easements on climate-resilient lands. It specifically targets four focus areas that offer significant opportunities to conserve linking lands vital for resiliency in the broader landscape. These areas are the Potomac Headwaters (West Virginia & Virginia), Highlands and Kittatinny Ridge (New Jersey & Pennsylvania), Middle Connecticut River (Vermont & Massachusetts), and Southern New Hampshire & Maine Forests. Funded by a grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, this initiative aims to allocate resources effectively through a careful selection of focus areas and an in-depth review process.