The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is investing $2.5 million to improve the governance and sustainable use of forest resources. This program will strengthen regional regulation of logging, update forest monitoring systems, and take steps toward developing a new forest atlas. The program will strengthen civil society capacity to effectively engage in national preparations for national Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) and establish the policy and regulatory frameworks necessary to support regional, national and sub-national climate change mitigation. It will also assist regional organizations and national governments with conducting studies on national REDD+ readiness planning, preparation, and pilot project initiation.