The Sentinel Landscapes Partnership is pleased to announce that the 2026 Sentinel Landscape Designation Cycle is now accepting expressions of interest! With over a decade of valuable lessons learned from the designation of 18 sentinel landscapes, the partnership is thrilled to continue advancing its shared national defense, conservation, and landscape resilience priorities.
 All parties interested in being considered for designation must submit a completed expression of interest to FCC@sentinellandscapes.org by 11:59 PM in your local time zone on April 9, 2025. In Summer of 2025, the Sentinel Landscapes Federal Coordinating Committee (FCC) will notify applicants whether they have been invited to submit a full proposal. Selected applicants will then have at least 60 business days to submit their full proposals. The FCC anticipates announcing designations in February 2026.
The Sentinel Landscapes Partnership is a coalition of federal agencies, state and local governments, and non-governmental organizations that work with willing landowners and land managers to advance sustainable land use practices around military installations and ranges. Founded in 2013, the partnership aligns the objectives of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Department of Defense, Department of the Interior, and Federal Emergency Management Agency to achieve a shared vision: strengthening military readiness, conserving natural resources, bolstering agricultural and forestry economies, increasing public access to outdoor recreation, and enhancing resilience to future environmental conditions.
The partnership achieves its mission by empowering landowners and managers to adopt land use practices around military installations that are compatible with military operations while advancing landscape scale-conservation. Sentinel landscape designations provide a myriad of benefits for local partners, including support in hiring a sentinel landscape coordinator and priority consideration for certain federal funding opportunities.
Join the FCC for the Developing a Compelling Sentinel Landscape Designation Proposal Webinar on January 29, 2025, from 1:00 to 2:30 PM Eastern Time. This live help session offers applicants a comprehensive overview of the 2026 Sentinel Landscape Designation Cycle, focusing on best practices for preparing an expression of interest. The session covers key elements such as eligibility, expression of interest requirements, and evaluation criteria. Participants will learn how to align their proposals with the priorities of the FCC member agencies. The session also includes Q&A, allowing applicants to engage with FCC members for guidance on proposal strategies and support throughout the process. Please direct questions regarding the 2026 Designation Cycle to FCC@sentinellandscapes.org.
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