State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced up to $1.2 million in grant funding is available for urban forestry projects across New York. Grants are available for tree planting, maintenance, tree inventory, community forest management plans, and for educating those who care for public trees.

Eligible applicants include municipalities, public benefit corporations, public authorities, soil and water conservation districts, community colleges, not-for-profit organizations, and Indian Nations or tribes. Awards will range from $11,000 to $75,000, depending on municipal population. Tree inventories and community forest management plans do not require a match. Tree planting, maintenance, and education projects have a 25 percent match.

Funding for these projects is provided by the State’s Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) and is administered by the Urban and Community Forestry Program in DEC’s Division of Lands and Forests.

DEC regional urban foresters are available to provide applicants with technical assistance. DEC staff will review completed grant applications and select recipients based on established rating criteria, including cost-effectiveness, projected benefits, use of recommended standards in implementation, community outreach, education, support, and economic impact.

DEC’s Urban and Community Forestry Program will host a webinar on October 10th at 10 am to educate potential applicants on the grants process and answer questions.

Interested applicants must apply for the grant in Grants Gateway. Instructions and application information about the October 10th webinar are available online at the New York State Grants Gateway website. Not-for-profit applicants are required to prequalify in the Grants Gateway system. DEC recommends that applicants start the process well in advance of the grant application due date. Paper or hand delivered grant applications will not be accepted.

The deadline for applications in Grants Gateway is December 4th, 2019 at 2 pm. For more information, call DEC’s Division of Lands and Forests at (518) 402-9428 or visit DEC’s website.